Ham radio operators in Maryland: new licenses by county
10,628 licensed amateur radio operators; 346 new in the past 12 months. Updated weekly from FCC data.
At a glance · Data as of
- New hams · last 30 days
- 21
- New hams · last 12 months
- 346
- ▼ 8% vs prior 12 mo
- Active licensed hams
- 10,628
- Upgrades · 12 mo
- 137
- Vanity callsigns · 12 mo
- 98
- Address updates · 12 mo
- 157
- Often a move into the area
- Expiring · next 6 mo
- 560
About ham radio in Maryland
Maryland added 346 new amateur radio operators in the past 12 months, about the same as the year before (down 8%). Maryland ranks #26 of 52 states and territories for new licenses. Montgomery County leads the state with 52 new hams. Among larger counties, Baltimore County is growing fastest. Technicians make up 43% of the state’s licensees, below the U.S. average of 48%, pointing to an experienced, HF-heavy community.
New hams by month
Show data table
| Month | New hams |
|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 1 |
| Nov 2025 | 35 |
| Dec 2025 | 33 |
| Jan 2026 | 28 |
| Feb 2026 | 28 |
| Mar 2026 | 29 |
| Apr 2026 | 48 |
| May 2026 | 41 |
| Jun 2026 | 34 |
| Jul 2026 | 25 |
| Aug 2026 | 23 |
| Sep 2026 | 22 |
| Total | 347 |
License classes
| Class | Hams | Share | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technician | 4,575 | 43% | 48% |
| General | 2,747 | 26% | 25% |
| Amateur Extra | 2,654 | 25% | 21% |
| Advanced | 416 | 4% | 3% |
| Novice / Other | 236 | 2% | 2% |
Bar = Maryland share · Tick = U.S. share
In the past 12 months, 62 operators upgraded to General and 64 to Amateur Extra.
How Maryland compares
#26 of 52 states and territories for new hams in the past 12 months
| Per 1,000 active hams | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| New hams, past 12 months | 32.6 | 32.3 |
| Upgrades, past 12 months | 12.9 | 14.7 |
| Expiring, next 6 months | 52.7 | 57.3 |
346 new hams in Maryland this past year. Get next month’s list free.
Sign Up Free →Top 10 Maryland counties for new hams
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| # | County | New hams 12 mo | Change vs prior year | Active hams | New per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montgomery County | 52 | ▼ 4% | 1,800 | 28.9 |
| 2 | Anne Arundel County | 43 | ▼ 28% | 1,665 | 25.8 |
| 3 | Baltimore County | 31 | ▲ 7% | 1,062 | 29.2 |
| 4 | Howard County | 30 | ▼ 23% | 941 | 31.9 |
| 5 | Prince George's County | 30 | ▲ 76% | 763 | 39.3 |
| 6 | Carroll County | 25 | ▲ 4% | 591 | 42.3 |
| 7 | Harford County | 20 | ▼ 29% | 525 | 38.1 |
| 8 | City of Baltimore | 17 | ▲ 6% | 328 | 51.8 |
| 9 | Frederick County | 17 | ▼ 37% | 705 | 24.1 |
| 10 | St. Mary's County | 11 | ▼ 35% | 357 | 30.8 |
All Maryland counties
19 counties with their own page. Numbers are new hams in the past 12 months.
- Allegany County3 new hams in 12 months
- Anne Arundel County43 new hams in 12 months
- Baltimore County31 new hams in 12 months
- Calvert County8 new hams in 12 months
- Carroll County25 new hams in 12 months
- Cecil County9 new hams in 12 months
- Charles County5 new hams in 12 months
- City of Baltimore17 new hams in 12 months
- Frederick County17 new hams in 12 months
- Garrett County4 new hams in 12 months
- Harford County20 new hams in 12 months
- Howard County30 new hams in 12 months
- Montgomery County52 new hams in 12 months
- Prince George's County30 new hams in 12 months
- Queen Anne's County2 new hams in 12 months
- St. Mary's County11 new hams in 12 months
- Washington County5 new hams in 12 months
- Wicomico County5 new hams in 12 months
- Worcester County1 new hams in 12 months
Smaller Maryland counties
These 5 counties have too few licensees or too little recent activity for a page of their own, so their numbers are listed here.
| County | Active hams | New hams · 12 mo |
|---|---|---|
| Caroline County | 45 | 2 |
| Dorchester County | 32 | 0 |
| Kent County | 89 | 2 |
| Somerset County | 46 | 0 |
| Talbot County | 93 | 0 |
Neighboring states
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Figures may be reused with credit to Ham Recruiter (CC BY 4.0).
Questions about hams in Maryland
How many ham radio operators are in Maryland?
10,628 active amateur radio licensees are on file for Maryland as of Oct 1, 2026.
How many new hams were licensed in Maryland last year?
346 people in Maryland received their first FCC amateur radio license in the 12 months ending Oct 1, 2026.
Which Maryland counties have the most new hams?
In the past 12 months: Montgomery County (52), Anne Arundel County (43) and Baltimore County (31).
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.
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.
100% of Maryland licensees could be matched to a county.