HAM license renewal.

I just took mine recently and I seem to remember them saying that you don't receive a physical card anymore. I may be wrong about that.

Yep, no more cards from the FCC. They send you a pdf with a large (for framing) and a small (wallet) "license." You print it out and save it (they recommend laminating it).

I've yet to do it. Mine came about a week after my call sign got posted (IIRC).

I think I remember the VEC mentioning something about pulling the license (pdf) off the FCC website, but I got the email, so never looked.

I guess as long as it's on the FCC website, you're good to go.

I found a way to get a (unofficial) copy of the license.

If you go to this website: http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/searchLicense.jsp

and enter your call sign, it will bring up a page with the search results; click on your call sign. This will bring up a page with your license info. Under your call sign/name, you'll see a link "Reference Copy."

If you click on that, you'll get a pdf with your license but it will say REFERENCE across it as a water mark. In the pdf it say that if the license needs to be displayed, this won't cut it. But it's the same as what I got emailed to me - except mine has a watermark that says, "Official Copy"

Looking at the email I got from the FCC (a day after it was posted to the database), it gave me a link to the official pdf, but it also says that link will only be active for 30 days. So, I'm guessing you may need to call the FCC for the official copy.

Hope that helps.

I am curious, why would you need a physical license?