Just got my Tech license three weeks ago and received the email from the FCC about paying the $35 fee for my callsign. The fee applies to new licenses and the FCC sends you an email with a link to the payment system. Question is - do I have to pay this immediately or can I wait? Also heard something about 10 days but not sure if that's just for vanity calls. I'm happy with my assigned sequential call but want to make sure I don't lose it!

Also wondering - if I want to apply for a vanity later, will I have to pay another $35 on top of this initial fee? There's now a $35 charge for amateur vanity applications but unclear if that's separate from the initial license fee.

Congrats on your new license! If the FCC doesn't receive your payment within 10 days, your application will be "set aside" and won't be processed. This applies to your initial license, not just vanity calls. Don't wait - pay it now to avoid having to resubmit everything.

To answer your second question - yes, the vanity fee is separate. The $35 vanity application fee is in addition to other licensing costs. But you can't apply for a vanity until you already have a callsign assigned anyway, so get this initial payment done first!

Once your payment is processed, your callsign should be generated and appear in the ULS, though it may take several days. You can check your application status on the FCC website. The 10-day rule is critical - I've seen new hams lose their applications by waiting too long to pay.