Broadcast FY 2026 Regulatory Fees Due by September 24, 2026
By September 24, 2026, broadcast (radio and television) licensees must pay all required annual regulatory fee payments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Payments received after the deadline will be assessed a 25% late payment penalty.
Regulatory fee filings for fiscal year 2026 must be prepared and submitted through the Regulatory Fee Manager feature in the FCC’s Commission Registration System (CORES). The CORES website is found here. We’ve prepared this step-by-step guide to setting up the necessary individual CORES user accounts and permissions and paying your fees via the CORES system.
Payment may be made by online ACH payment, online credit card, debit card, or wire transfer. When paying by wire transfer, a Form 159-E must first be sent by fax or e-mail so that the FCC can associate the wire payment with the correct regulatory fee information. The FCC no longer accepts checks (including cashier’s checks and money orders) for payment of regulatory fees. Payment by credit/debit card is limited to $24,999.99.
You are required to pay a fee for FCC authorizations held as of October 1, 2025, even if the station is silent or the license was surrendered for cancellation after that date. For stations that were assigned or transferred after October 1, 2025, the current licensee is responsible for payment.
The FCC provides an exception for a licensee that owes $1,000 or less in total FY 2026 regulatory fees (for all categories of regulatory fees). These entities are exempt from payment of the FY 2026 regulatory fees (e.g., a licensee with only one LPTV license). Additionally, nonprofit entities are generally exempt from paying FCC regulatory fees, even if they hold commercial licenses, as long as they have a valid IRS determination letter on file with the Commission.
The FCC has been aggressive about assessing the 25% penalty, even in situations where payment is only a day late. The FCC will withhold action on any application filed by any licensee that is delinquent in any non-tax debts owed to the Commission (including regulatory fees) and will ultimately dismiss those applications or other requests if payment of the delinquent debt or other satisfactory arrangement for payment is not made. Failure to pay regulatory fees can also result in the initiation of a proceeding to revoke any and all authorizations held by the delinquent payer.
The FCC’s 2026 Schedule of Regulatory Fees for full-power television stations is located here; for other selected fees (e.g., LPTV, Class A, earth stations) here; and for radio stations here. For more information about the Commission’s regulatory fee procedures, please review this website or contact the FCC Financial Operations Help Desk at (877) 480-3201, Option 6.
If you would like us to assist you in preparing and/or filing your regulatory fee submission, please contact the Wiley attorney who handles your station matters by Friday, September 11, 2026.
