In the USA amateur radio licenses are, like the UK, free of charge but now the FCC is proposing imposing a charge of $50 for a new license or a renewal

This charge could act as a deterrent to young people wishing to get started in the hobby and adversely affect retirees and those on low-incomes.

The FCC's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) MD Docket 20-270 says:

"As such, several services in the personal licenses category will be subject to new fees. One such example is Amateur Radio Service licenses, which were not listed on the fee schedule in section 8 of the Act, but are now subject to fees under the broader mandate of the RAY BAUM’s Act."

“The Act requires that the FCC switch from a Congressionally-mandated fee structure to a cost-based system of assessment. In its NPRM, the FCC proposed application fees for a broad range of services that use the FCC’s Universal Licensing System (ULS), including the Amateur Radio Service that had been excluded by an earlier statute.

Deadlines for comments and reply comments will be determined once the NPRM appears in the Federal Register. File comments by using the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS), posting to MD Docket No. 20-270. This docket is already open for accepting comments even though deadlines have not yet been set.”

— ARRL

Download the FCC Notice of Proposed Rulemaking - https://www.fcc.gov/document/amendment-schedule-applications-fees