Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. We research rather than test, and commissions never change our rankings. This site is reader-supported: those commissions pay for hosting, research and keeping every guide up to date, so if a guide helped you, buying through our links is an easy way to support it. How we rank · Full disclosure
TL;DR
- A GMRS license costs $35, lasts 10 years and needs no exam. Apply online in the FCC's ULS with an FRN (FCC Form 605).
- You must be 18 or older. One license covers your immediate family, from spouse and children to in-laws, aunts and uncles, at any age.
- Licensed, you can run up to 50 W on the eight main channels and use repeaters. FRS radios stay license-free at 2 W or less.
- Say your call sign at the end of each transmission and at least every 15 minutes during long exchanges.
- Renew within 90 days before expiry. Once it lapses, you must apply for a new license.
This page summarizes the FCC's rules as of September 2026 for general information. It isn't legal advice, and the FCC can change fees and rules, so confirm current details at fcc.gov. 4x4 & Overlanding is not affiliated with the FCC and does not file applications for anyone.
What a GMRS License Covers
The General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) is a licensed radio service on channels around 462 and 467 MHz. The FCC says its most common use is short-distance two-way voice using handheld radios, mobile radios and repeaters, and that since 2017 it has also allowed short data messages such as text and GPS location. Under 47 CFR §95.1705, a valid individual license is required to operate a GMRS station. New licenses go only to individuals; some older non-individual systems licensed before July 31, 1987 are grandfathered.
A license covers a system, not a single radio. The FCC describes each licensee managing one or more transmitting units, so a handheld, a truck-mounted mobile and a home base station can all operate under one call sign. The licensee may authorize immediate family members to operate it. §95.1705 defines them as the licensee's spouse, children, grandchildren, stepchildren, parents, grandparents, stepparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and in-laws. The FCC says family members may operate at any age. Anyone may use the station to send an emergency message. The licensee has to decide who may operate and keep control of every station. Friends in the same trail group are not family, so each household needs its own license.
Eligibility, Fee and Term
| Item | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who can apply | An individual aged 18 or older who is not a representative of a foreign government | FCC; 47 CFR §95.1705 |
| Exam | None | FCC GMRS licensing rules |
| Fee | $35 for a new license or renewal (was $70 before April 19, 2022) | 47 CFR §1.1102; Midland |
| Term | 10 years (raised from 5 in 2017) | FCC; §95.1705 |
| Renewal window | From 90 days before expiration up to the expiration date | FCC |
| After expiration | Apply for a new license | FCC |
How to Apply, Step by Step
- Get an FCC Registration Number (FRN). Register in CORES, the FCC's registration system, if you don't already have an FRN. Every ULS filing and payment is tied to it.
- Log in to the Universal Licensing System (ULS) and start a new application. GMRS applications use FCC Form 605, and the GMRS radio service code is ZA.
- Complete and certify the application, then pay the $35 fee online through the FCC when you submit.
- Check your application status in ULS. Once granted, your license lists your call sign. You may transmit on GMRS only after the grant.
Channels and Power Limits Once Licensed
The FCC lists 30 GMRS channels. Section 95.1763 sorts them into four groups, and §95.1767 sets the power for each:
| Channel group | Count | Who may transmit | Power limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 462 MHz main | 8 | Mobile, handheld, repeater, base and fixed stations | 50 W output (fixed stations 15 W) |
| 462 MHz interstitial | 7 | Mobile, handheld and base stations | 5 W ERP |
| 467 MHz main (repeater inputs) | 8 | Mobile, handheld, control and fixed stations; mobiles and handhelds only through a repeater or for brief tests | 50 W output (fixed stations 15 W) |
| 467 MHz interstitial | 7 | Handheld units only | 0.5 W ERP |
The FCC puts typical GMRS range at one to twenty-five miles, depending on station class, terrain and repeater use. Repeaters are what extend range. Section 95.1763 reserves the 467 MHz main channels for repeater input. The FCC prohibits linking GMRS repeaters over the internet or other networks to carry traffic across a wide area.
FRS Radios: The License-Free Option
Family Radio Service (FRS) radios share many of the same channels and need no license, but the rules keep them low-power and fixed. Under §95.567, FRS power is capped at 2 watts ERP on channels 1–7 and 15–22 and 0.5 watt on channels 8–14. Section 95.587 requires the antenna to be a non-removable part of the radio. Since September 30, 2019, manufacturers may not make handheld radios that work as both FRS and another licensed service. A radio sold as GMRS, with a removable antenna or more than 2 watts, needs a license to use.
Identifying Your Station
Under §95.1751, each GMRS station must transmit its FCC call sign at the end of a single transmission or a series of transmissions. During a long exchange it must identify after 15 minutes and at least every 15 minutes after that, by voice in English or by Morse code tone. A repeater that only retransmits properly identified stations doesn't need to identify itself. Before transmitting, listen first: no GMRS channel is assigned to any one system, and the FCC expects users to share channels.
Renewing Before the License Expires
The FCC accepts renewals from 90 days before the expiration date up to the expiration date, filed in ULS with the same FRN. Renewal carries the same $35 fee under §1.1102. There is no grace period: once a GMRS license expires, the FCC says you must request a new one. Noting the expiration date from your ULS license record when it's granted avoids a lapse ten years later.
Related Reading
For choosing radios once you're licensed, see the GMRS radios and recovery comms hub. For the exam-based alternative with more bands and power, see our ham radio license guide.
Recommended gear
Radios for trail communication
Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Purchases through these links help keep this site running and up to date. Learn more
We research products from manufacturer specs and owner feedback; we don't test them ourselves. How we choose.
Sources
- FCC — General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) — License required; 10-year term (raised from 5 in 2017); renewal from 90 days before expiry to the expiration date, new license after that; 18+ and not a foreign-government representative; family members of any age may operate; individual-only new licenses; 30 channels; radio service code ZA; 1–25 mile typical range; ban on linking repeaters over the internet; data messaging since 2017.
- 47 CFR §95.1705 — GMRS individual licenses — Individual license required; applicant at least 18; 10-year term; immediate-family definition; emergency use by anyone; licensee controls who operates; pre-1987 non-individual licenses grandfathered.
- 47 CFR §1.1102 — Wireless Telecommunications Bureau application fees (Cornell LII) — $35 fee for personal license applications (new, renewal and amateur vanity call sign).
- Midland — FCC slashes GMRS license cost — Radio maker's note on the GMRS fee change from $70 to $35 effective April 19, 2022.
- FCC — ULS: Applying for a New License — Applications are filed online in ULS using an FCC Registration Number (FRN), and any fee is paid online.
- FCC — FCC Form 605 — Form 605 is the application used for GMRS licenses filed in ULS.
- 47 CFR §95.1763 — GMRS channels — Four channel groups: 462 MHz main (8), 462 interstitial (7), 467 main repeater inputs (8), 467 interstitial handheld-only (7), and which station types may use each.
- 47 CFR §95.1767 — GMRS transmitting power limits — 50 W output on main channels for mobile, repeater and base stations (15 W fixed); 5 W ERP on 462 interstitial; 0.5 W ERP on 467 interstitial.
- 47 CFR §95.1751 — GMRS station identification — Call sign at the end of a transmission or series and every 15 minutes during long exchanges, by English voice or Morse tone; repeater exception.
- 47 CFR §95.567 — FRS transmit power limit — FRS limited to 2 W ERP on channels 1–7 and 15–22 and 0.5 W on channels 8–14.
- 47 CFR §95.587 — FRS additional requirements — FRS antenna must be non-removable; no combined FRS/licensed-service handhelds manufactured after September 30, 2019.