Key Changes to FIRST Robotics Competition Registration: What’s New
June 17, 2026
September 24, 2026, is a big day for FIRST® Robotics Competition teams. Not only does event preference selection for the BIOCORE™ presented by Haas season open, but teams will also be able to make payments through the FIRST® Storefront.
We have important updates for our teams related to opt-outs, checkout processes, deadlines, kit shipping, and grants. Please carefully review these updates prior to completing your season registration payment.
Updates Summary
- Teams will now add the season registration to their cart within the FIRST Storefront. Veteran teams will choose which registration to add to their FIRST Storefront cart based on their opt-out selections. Registration options that include the opt-outs will only be available until the payment due date, November 17, 2026.
- Teams who are registered to attend a Kickoff event and pay for their registration ahead of the payment due date will have the ability to select their Kickoff event as the “ship-to” address when purchasing their registration. Teams may also elect to ship their kit to a non-Kickoff location and pay the associated shipping fees based on the weight of their kit(s) and ship-to location.
- Awarded grants will not be restricted to registration beginning with the 2027 season. This means, depending on sponsor requirements, teams can view and utilize funding until the expiration date – potentially spanning multiple seasons.
Recommended team registration steps.
To help guide your team through the updated process, here’s a sample walkthrough of how we recommend teams approach their registration this season. Continue reading for more details.
STEP 1: Review your Team Finance tab to verify financial guarantor set up (if applicable)
All teams planning to use a sales tax-exempt certificate or purchase order must associate their team with an approved financial guarantor.
FIRST has updated its sales tax collection practices following a review by an independent tax consultant. Registrations that include physical items will be taxed based on the shipping address in applicable jurisdictions. Registration fees that do not include physical items, including event registrations, may also be subject to sales tax in certain areas. As a result, teams who were not previously taxed may see sales tax applied to their 2026-2027 registrations and purchases.
If your team previously paid the season registration fee directly to a district, you will have the ability to purchase your registration directly through the FIRST Storefront or utilize your district’s* process and have them complete your registration by adding them as your financial guarantor.
*District teams in Ontario or Israel should contact their FIRST Program Delivery Partner for more information. Pacific Northwest District teams will now register through the FIRST Storefront and pay an additional fee to their District.
STEP 2: Select your Kickoff location
If your team is planning to attend a Kickoff event and pick up your Kickoff Kit at that event, select your Kickoff from the Kickoff Selection button under the Team Events and Awards tab in the FIRST Dashboard. This will unlock the ability for your team to select the Kickoff event as the “ship to” address when purchasing the team registration. See STEP 5 for more information on kit shipping options.
STEP 3: Review any awarded grants
From within the FIRST Storefront, your team will be able to see funding available on their account. New this season, grant funding will not be restricted to registration and will include an expiration date. This means funding may remain on a team’s account and utilized for multiple seasons.
Teams located within the United States can also apply to regrant funds to cover travel, tools, and other program-related expenses.
Any unutilized funding remaining on team accounts after the grant funding expiration date will be removed and redirected to FIRST collective team funding.
STEP 4: Choose your registration option based on opt-out selections (veterans only)
This season, veteran teams will choose which registration to add to their FIRST Storefront cart based on their opt-out selections. Before completing your purchase, confirm with your team which registration option best meets your team’s needs.
Veteran Teams can select from the following options:
- Registration with Season-specific box ONLY, NO Drive Base or Black Tote.
- Registration with Black Tote and Season-specific box, NO Drive Base.
- Registration with Drive Base and Season-specific box, NO Black Tote.
- Full registration, with Drive Base, Black Tote, and Season-specific box.
In order to opt-out of the Drive Base or Black Tote, your team must select the appropriate registration option and purchase your team registration prior to the payment due date, 5:00 p.m. ET, November 17, 2026. After this date, opt-out vouchers will not be available and teams can only select the full registration option. Vouchers in exchange of the Drive Base and Black Tote will be available with the Virtual Kit Kickoff release.
STEP 5: Select your kit shipping option during checkout
Free Kickoff Kit shipping to a Kickoff location will be available to teams through at least the payment due date, November 17, 2026. After this date, teams may not be able to select their Kickoff and will be responsible for associated kit shipping fees, which are determined by the weight of the kit(s) and ship-to location.
Once your team selects a Kickoff from the Team Events and Awards Tab in the FIRST Dashboard, you will have the ability to select that Kickoff as the “ship to” address in the FIRST Storefront. Teams shipping their kit to a Kickoff will not be charged a shipping fee.
As we get ready for the season, we encourage teams to take a few moments now to review these updates and prepare for event preference selection and registration opening on September 24. We can’t wait for another exciting year of learning, teamwork, and competition during BIOCORE.
Before September 24, make sure you also log into the FIRST Dashboard and review your team’s event ready requirements. In order to submit event preferences, your team’s lead coaches will need to complete the Youth Protection Program Clearances.