Regulatory Fees Now Past Due

If you somehow forgot to pay your annual regulatory fees, or thought you didn’t have to but later learned that you did, it is still possible to do so using the FCC’s Fee Filer link, but you will get the privilege of also paying a 25% penalty on top of your normal fee. Note — it is better to pay it now, as the FCC will start to charge interest in addition to the penalty.

The other reason to pay the fee and penalty as soon as possible? So that the FCC doesn’t “red light” any application you may file — because of your outstanding debt. That’s not a maybe. It’s a certainty. Being red-lighted means exactly what it suggests – the FCC receives your application but sees the red light and stops processing it until you pay the debt. Never fun.