REGULATORY FEES  
FACT SHEETFederal Communications Commission
445 12th St., S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20554 September 2009
REGULATORY FEE EXEMPTIONS
General Exemptions
Government entities are not required to pay regulatory fees.  Non-profit entities (exempt under 
Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code) may also be exempt.  The Commission requires that 
each exempt entity submit, or have on file with the Commission, a valid IRS Determination Letter 
documenting its nonprofit status or certification from a governmental authority attesting to its 
exempt status.  
Also, a regulatee is exempt from paying regulatory fees if the sum of all of its regulatory fees owed 
for all of its services is less than $10.  Regulatees are responsible for calculating their own fee 
obligation amount associated with their various services to determine whether they qualify for this 
de minimis exemption. 
Specific Service Category Exemptions
In addition to the general exemptions explained above, the following guidance applies to specific 
service categories.  Noncommercial educational (NCE) FM station and full service NCE 
television broadcast station licensees are exempt from payment of regulatory fees, provided that 
these stations operate on an NCE basis.  If these stations are exempt, then the licenses that 
licensees hold for any peripheral services are also exempt from payment of regulatory fees, 
provided that such licenses are used in conjunction with commonly owned NCE stations.   
Peripheral services may include auxiliary broadcast stations for AM/FM/TV/LPTV services, 
remote pickup stations, FM translators or boosters, or TV translators or boosters. Also, 
emergency alert system (EAS) licenses for auxiliary service facilities are exempt, as are licenses 
held for Educational Broadband Service (EBS).
Also, under our community service exemption, a broadcast facility/equipment does not owe 
regulatory fees if meets all three (3) of the following criteria: (1) is not licensed to, in whole or in 
part, and does not have common ownership with, the licensee of a commercial broadcast station; 
(2) does not derive income from advertising; and (3) is dependent on subscriptions/contributions 
from the members of the community served for support.  Finally, licensees of TV translator, TV 
booster, FM translator, FM booster, and LPTV stations who have obtained a fee refund because 
of an NTIA facilities grant for their station or a fee waiver because of demonstrated compliance 
with the eligibility and service requirements of § 73.621 of the Commission's rules, are exempt 
from payment of regulatory fees and should not submit payment.
- FCC -