By Radio News Now Staff

WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission has set September 24, 2026, as the deadline for broadcasters and other regulated entities to pay their fiscal year 2026 regulatory fees.

Payments must be received by the FCC no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time—9:59 p.m. Mountain Time—on September 24. The deadline is especially important because initiating a transaction is not the same as completing payment.

The commission warns that ACH, credit-card and debit-card transactions may take several days to clear. An automated acknowledgment confirms that a payment was submitted, but it does not confirm that the FCC received the funds.

What radio operators need to know

  • All regulatory-fee filings and payments must be completed electronically through the Commission Registration System, known as CORES.
  • The FCC will not accept checks, money orders or cashier’s checks.
  • Commercial AM and FM fees are based on station class and population served.
  • Companies whose total FY2026 annual regulatory-fee liability is $1,000 or less qualify for the annual de minimis exemption.
  • Documentation supporting other exemption claims must also reach the FCC by September 24.
  • Licensees generally owe fees for qualifying licenses and permits held as of October 1, 2025, even if an authorization later expired. When an authorization was assigned or transferred after that date, the party holding it on the payment deadline is responsible.

A six-step operator checklist

  1. Sign in to CORES and confirm that every facility is associated with the correct FCC Registration Number.
  2. Reconcile active, expired, transferred and surrendered authorizations before calculating the total obligation.
  3. Determine whether the combined annual liability qualifies for the $1,000 de minimis exemption.
  4. Submit payment early enough to allow the transaction to clear before the deadline.
  5. Verify the withdrawal with the financial institution and preserve the CORES submission records.
  6. If full payment is not possible, promptly review the FCC’s waiver, deferral and installment-payment procedures instead of waiting until the deadline.

Failure to pay on time results in an immediate statutory penalty equal to 25% of the unpaid amount, plus interest. Continued delinquency can lead to collection action and proceedings to revoke FCC authorizations.

Radio News Now recently reported that the FCC revoked the license of KBOQ(FM) in Lima, Montana, over $6,754.80 in unpaid regulatory fees, penalties and related costs. That enforcement action underscores why operators should reconcile every authorization and old balance now.

Primary source: FCC FY2026 Regulatory Fees Fact Sheet for Media Services Licensees.