The FCC has announced that 2026 Regulatory Fees must be received by the FCC no later than 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time on September 24, 2026. All regulatory fees must be paid using the CORES platform. The Media Bureau’s Fact Sheet provides a detailed reference for the calculation of fees for different broadcast services (including the fees for construction permits) and the process by which payments can be made.
Licensees may find that some station fees have been preloaded into CORES but licensees should always check the FCC’s regulatory fee look-up website, http://fccfees.com/, before paying to confirm the amount due for each station. This site will also inform the payee of the relevant codes needed to input into CORES for any station fees that must be manually input. Full-power television stations will find their fees in the chart found in Appendix F of the Report & Order. As in prior years, the FCC has set a de minimis threshold of $1,000. If the total amount owed by a licensee is $1,000 or less, that licensee does not owe any regulatory fees.
As a reminder, underpayments and late payments will be assessed a 25% penalty on September 25th, interest may accrue on the balance thereafter, and the FCC will withhold action on, and may dismiss, new and pending applications until the balance is satisfied.
The NBA thanks Davina Sashkin and David Oxenford of Wilkinson Barker Knauer for this information.