REGULATORY FEES  
FACT SHEETFederal Communications Commission
445 12th St., S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20554 September 5, 2013
WAIVERS, REDUCTIONS AND DEFERMENTS OF REGULATORY FEES
Each year, the Commission is required to collect regulatory fees. Licensees and regulatees are 
assessed fees as set forth in Assessment and Collection of Regulatory Fees for Fiscal Year 2013,
Report and Order 78 FR 52433, (August 23, 2013) (“FY 2013 Regulatory Fees Report and Order”).  
The Commission also publishes industry-specific guidance in Who Owes Fees & What Is My FY 
2013 Fee, which can be found on the Commission website at 
http://transition.fcc.gov/fees/regfees.html.
The Commission’s automated filing and payment system (“Fee Filer”) is now available for filing and 
payment of FY 2013 regulatory fees. Regulatory fee payments must be RECEIVED by the 
Commission no later than 11:59 PM, Eastern Daylight Time, on September 20, 2013.
Licensees are solely responsible for accurately accounting for all licenses and for properly paying 
regulatory fees before the deadline.  Any data omission, erroneous or incomplete data submission, or 
payment deficiency may result in sanctions permitted under 47 U.S.C. 159(c) and 47 C.F.R. § 1.1164, 
including, but not limited to, a mandatory 25% late payment penalty, dismissal of pending actions, 
and/or revocation of any authorization, and charges for collection.  The 25% late payment penalty 
accrues automatically on any portion of the fee unpaid after the deadline. The Commission will invoke 
any lawful authority possessed under the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 and the 
implementing rules to collect fees due or outstanding against licensees failing to meet their regulatory 
fee payment obligations. Thus, to avoid a 25% late-payment penalty, licensees must ensure that the 
Commission receives the full payment by the due date using one of the methods described in the FY 
2013 Payments and Procedures Public Notice.  
Under 47 U.S.C. 159(d) and 47 C.F.R. § 1.1166, the Commission may waive, reduce, or defer 
payment of a fee in specific instances, on a case-by-case basis, where good cause is shown and where 
waiver, reduction or deferral of the fee would promote the public interest.  Licensees requesting a 
waiver either must pay the full fee or submit with the waiver request a petition to defer payment due 
to financial hardship that is fully supported by the required documentation of the financial hardship.  
If the licensee pays the fee, and a waiver is granted, the Commission will return the paid fee.  The 
Commission will dismiss any petition for waiver of a regulatory fee that does not include a payment 
or the required petition for deferral and supporting documentation, and under 47 U.S.C. 159(c) and 
31 U.S.C. 3717, the Commission is required to impose the 25% penalty and other relevant charges.  
A request for waiver, reduction or deferral must be received before the fee due date.  If the licensee 
submits a request for a waiver or reduction with payment of the fee, the fee payment must be 
submitted to the Commission’s lockbox bank at the appropriate address set forth in the Commission’s 
rules.  If licensee requests a waiver of the fee and petitions to defer payment, the request with the 
2required supporting financial documentation must be filed with the Commission’s Secretary.  The 
Commission will dismiss a waiver request filed by a delinquent debtor or a petition that does not have 
the required financial documentation.  The Commission’s website at 
http://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/electronic-and-hard-copy-filing-address provides the addresses for 
filing hardcopy documents.  Requests for waiver of a regulatory fee should be clearly marked Attn: 
Office of the Managing Director, Regulatory Fee Waiver/Reduction Request, e.g.:
Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary
Federal Communications Commission
Attn: Office of the Managing Director, Regulatory Fee Waiver/Reduction Request
445 12th Street, S.W., Room TW-B204
Washington, D.C.  20554
All requests for waiver accompanied by a petition for deferral of payment must be received by the 
deadline, September 20, 2013.  Any request for waiver and deferral received after that date will 
be dismissed and licensee will be responsible for paying the full amount of the fee, a penalty 
equal to 25% of the amount of the fee not paid in a timely manner, charges of collection, and 
accrued payable interest and other penalties.    
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