New ham radio operators in Cook County, Illinois
162 people earned their first amateur radio license here in the past 12 months. Updated weekly from FCC data.
At a glance · Data as of
- New hams · last 30 days
- 15
- New hams · last 12 months
- 162
- ▲ 8% vs prior 12 mo
- Active licensed hams
- 4,265
- Upgrades · 12 mo
- 74
- Vanity callsigns · 12 mo
- 58
- Address updates · 12 mo
- 60
- Often a move into the area
- Expiring · next 6 mo
- 239
About ham radio in Cook County
New licenses held steady in Cook County: 162 new hams in the past 12 months (up 8% from the year before). That puts it in the top 10% of Illinois counties for new hams (#1 of 102). Technicians make up 43% of local licensees, close to the Illinois average of 43%. 74 operators upgraded their license in the past year, the moment many buy their first HF rig. 239 licenses expire in the next six months, a chance for clubs to reconnect.
New hams by month
Show data table
| Month | New hams |
|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | 14 |
| Dec 2025 | 18 |
| Jan 2026 | 23 |
| Feb 2026 | 9 |
| Mar 2026 | 12 |
| Apr 2026 | 18 |
| May 2026 | 23 |
| Jun 2026 | 12 |
| Jul 2026 | 10 |
| Aug 2026 | 8 |
| Sep 2026 | 10 |
| Total | 159 |
License classes
| Class | Hams | Share | Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technician | 1,851 | 43% | 43% |
| General | 1,116 | 26% | 27% |
| Amateur Extra | 1,001 | 24% | 23% |
| Advanced | 188 | 4% | 4% |
| Novice / Other | 109 | 3% | 3% |
Bar = Cook County share · Tick = Illinois share
In the past 12 months, 29 operators upgraded to General and 39 to Amateur Extra.
How Cook County compares
#1 of 102 Illinois counties for new hams in the past 12 months
| Per 1,000 active hams | Cook | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| New hams, past 12 months | 38.0 | 34.6 | 33.3 |
| Upgrades, past 12 months | 17.4 | 16.2 | 15.3 |
| Expiring, next 6 months | 56.0 | 59.9 | 58.2 |
162 new hams in Cook County this past year. Get next month’s list free.
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Questions about new hams in Cook County
How many new ham radio operators were licensed in Cook County last year?
162 people in Cook County, Illinois received their first FCC amateur radio license in the 12 months ending Oct 12, 2026, up 8% from the year before.
How many licensed ham radio operators are in Cook County?
4,265 active amateur licensees: 43% Technician, 26% General, 24% Amateur Extra.
Where does this data come from?
From the FCC Universal Licensing System (ULS) public amateur license database, which we download every Monday. Addresses are matched to counties with the U.S. Census Bureau geocoder. This page shows totals only.
How can my club reach new hams in Cook County?
Create a free Ham Recruiter account and save a 5 to 25 mile search around your club. On the 1st of every month we email you a CSV of new hams, upgrades and other changes in and around Cook County. Sign up free.
Can I see the names or call signs on this page?
No. Public pages show totals only. Verified Ham Recruiter users can search and export lists for outreach; see how licensee information is handled.
About this data
Data as of . Source: FCC Universal Licensing System (ULS) weekly amateur license database; county from U.S. Census Bureau geocoding. Aggregates only, no individual licensee data is shown. Aggregate figures © Ham Recruiter, CC BY 4.0.
How we count
- New ham: an active licensee whose first license was granted in the period.
- Address updates: a change of FCC mailing address, often a move into the area.
- Counts use each licensee’s current FCC address. Someone licensed here who later moved is counted where they live now.
- Each license keeps only its most recent event of each type, so two upgrades in one year count once.
- PO-box-only addresses often can’t be matched to a county, so rural counties are slightly undercounted.