Ham radio operators in Rhode Island: new licenses by county
1,873 licensed amateur radio operators; 46 new in the past 12 months. Updated weekly from FCC data.
At a glance · Data as of
- New hams · last 30 days
- 2
- New hams · last 12 months
- 46
- ▼ 15% vs prior 12 mo
- Active licensed hams
- 1,873
- Upgrades · 12 mo
- 30
- Vanity callsigns · 12 mo
- 20
- Address updates · 12 mo
- 20
- Often a move into the area
- Expiring · next 6 mo
- 99
About ham radio in Rhode Island
46 people earned a first license in Rhode Island over the past 12 months, a 15% drop from the prior year. Rhode Island ranks tied for #50 of 52 states and territories for new licenses. Providence County leads the state with 24 new hams. Technicians make up 42% of the state’s licensees, below the U.S. average of 48%, pointing to an experienced, HF-heavy community. 30 operators upgraded their license in the past year, the moment many buy their first HF rig.
New hams by month
Show data table
| Month | New hams |
|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 0 |
| Nov 2025 | 5 |
| Dec 2025 | 6 |
| Jan 2026 | 5 |
| Feb 2026 | 5 |
| Mar 2026 | 8 |
| Apr 2026 | 3 |
| May 2026 | 3 |
| Jun 2026 | 4 |
| Jul 2026 | 2 |
| Aug 2026 | 2 |
| Sep 2026 | 3 |
| Total | 46 |
License classes
| Class | Hams | Share | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technician | 793 | 42% | 48% |
| General | 467 | 25% | 25% |
| Amateur Extra | 466 | 25% | 21% |
| Advanced | 77 | 4% | 3% |
| Novice / Other | 70 | 4% | 2% |
Bar = Rhode Island share · Tick = U.S. share
In the past 12 months, 17 operators upgraded to General and 9 to Amateur Extra.
How Rhode Island compares
Tied for #50 of 52 states and territories for new hams in the past 12 months
| Per 1,000 active hams | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| New hams, past 12 months | 24.6 | 32.3 |
| Upgrades, past 12 months | 16.0 | 14.7 |
| Expiring, next 6 months | 52.9 | 57.3 |
46 new hams in Rhode Island this past year. Get next month’s list free.
Sign Up Free →Top 4 Rhode Island counties for new hams
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| # | County | New hams 12 mo | Change vs prior year | Active hams | New per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Providence County | 24 | ▲ 26% | 757 | 31.7 |
| 2 | Washington County | 7 | ▼ 36% | 321 | 21.8 |
| 3 | Kent County | 6 | ▼ 45% | 387 | 15.5 |
| 4 | Newport County | 5 | — | 292 | 17.1 |
— in Change means fewer than 10 new hams the year before.
All Rhode Island counties
4 counties with their own page. Numbers are new hams in the past 12 months.
- Kent County6 new hams in 12 months
- Newport County5 new hams in 12 months
- Providence County24 new hams in 12 months
- Washington County7 new hams in 12 months
Smaller Rhode Island counties
This 1 county has 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Bristol County | 113 | 1 |
Neighboring states
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Figures may be reused with credit to Ham Recruiter (CC BY 4.0).
Questions about hams in Rhode Island
How many ham radio operators are in Rhode Island?
1,873 active amateur radio licensees are on file for Rhode Island as of Oct 1, 2026.
How many new hams were licensed in Rhode Island last year?
46 people in Rhode Island received their first FCC amateur radio license in the 12 months ending Oct 1, 2026.
Which Rhode Island counties have the most new hams?
In the past 12 months: Providence County (24), Washington County (7) and Kent County (6).
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 Rhode Island licensees could be matched to a county.