After a 43-day shutdown that left 80 percent of the staff furloughed at the FCC, the agency has reopened and begun tackling a serious backlog. As a result, the commission has announced new deadlines for many of its filings, including amateur radio licenses.

In a public notice released on November 17th, the FCC said that renewal filings for amateur radio, GMRS and other personal radio licenses now have a deadline of March 5th, 2026. This deadline relates to all renewal filings that were due on the 1st of October through - and including - the 5th of March, 2026. Holders of expired licenses who now have their renewal-filing deadlines extended will be able to continue operating meanwhile, as per FCC rules.

The nation's longest government shutdown ended with lawmakers' agreement on a bill that maintains funding for federal agencies and programs -- at least until January 30th, 2026, when the country could face a replay of the closure.