E1E01: For which types of out-of-pocket expenses do the Part 97 rules state …

E1E01§ 97.527E1E →

For which types of out-of-pocket expenses do the Part 97 rules state that VEs and VECs may be reimbursed?

APreparing, processing, administering, and coordinating an examination for an amateur radio operator license
BTeaching an amateur operator license examination preparation course
CNo expenses are authorized for reimbursement
DProviding amateur operator license examination preparation training materials

Why Section 97.527 lets VEs and VECs recover out-of-pocket costs tied directly to the examination session itself: preparing the test materials, processing the paperwork, administering the exam, and coordinating it through the VEC. That is why a modest test fee may be collected from applicants, with the maximum amount set by rule and adjusted annually for inflation. Anything outside the exam process itself is not covered.

Watch out Teaching a license class or supplying study materials feels related, but those are training activities, not exam administration, so the rule does not authorize reimbursement for them; the choice saying no expenses are authorized ignores 97.527 entirely.

Reimbursable = the four exam verbs: prepare, process, administer, coordinate. Teaching and textbooks are on your own dime.

HamSandwich explanation, first draft. The question and answers are the NCVEC text.

47 CFR 97.527 Reimbursement for expenses.

VEs and VECs may be reimbursed by examinees for out-of-pocket expenses incurred in preparing, processing, administering, or coordinating an examination for an amateur operator license.

eCFR text as of 1 Sep 2026 · read on ecfr.gov

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