I have recently been looking at a spreadsheet that was released at the end of 2023 by a FOI request. To say I was shocked does not come close to expressing how I feel. Out of the 153959 licences on the spreadsheet, there are a total of 110580 expired licences. That only leaves 43359 licensed operators in the UK. The vast number of licensees have not revalidated since 2016!
Although we have a free licence these days (don't get me started on that one!), we still have to revalidate every 5 years. The revalidation procedure is rather arcane but it is simple to do. In order to revalidate, you MUST change something on your details. I know, stupid right?
So, the best thing to do is add a space in your address or something, revalidate and check.
With the upcoming changes that OFCOM are making, failure to do this may mean your callsign going back into the allocation pool and being issued to someone else! Try getting it back then!
So, please take the time to log onto the OFCOM licensing portal and validate that licence.
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/manage-your-licence/radiocommunication-licences/online-licensing-service
You will need to login or create an account. Any problems, simply contact OFCOM and they will provide help
There is also a really good bit of info on the RSGB site...
https://rsgb.org/main/operating/licensing-novs-visitors/uk-licensing/revalidation/