PART 95 RULES

Part 95 rules cover the Family Radio Service (FRS), the General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS), the Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS), the Citizen Band Radio Service (CBRSbut usually just called CB), Radio Control Radio Services (used for model aircraft etc.) and several other radio services.

​

LICENSE

There are two types of ‘license’ to use radio frequencies; one is a license specific to the radio service and the other is ‘license-by-rule.’ A license is specific to the radio service, i.e., if you have an Amateur Radio (ham) license it does not give you permission to operate in any other non-ham frequencies.  Within Part 95 the FRS, MURS and CB are ‘license-by-rule’s you do not need a license to operation on those frequencies.  GMRS requires a license; this is a simple application, $70 fee and is valid for 10 years (was 5 years prior to the rule changes) for yourself and immediate family.  Immediate family members are the licensee’s spouse, children, grandchildren, stepchildren, parents, grandparents, stepparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and in-laws(as defined in 95.1705 (c).  The defining of who is an ‘immediate family member’ was an addition in the 2017 rule changes.

FCC approves new ham and GMRS license fees

The FCC has just approved new license fees for Amateur Radio and the GMRS. These fees are actually lower than the original fees proposed in August, which were highly contested by hams, but welcomed by GMRS licensees. While the new FCC license fees may alleviate some of the sticker shock from the original fees proposed by the Commission, it is welcome news for fans of the GMRS.

According to the FCC Report and Order released December 29, 2020, Amateur Radio license fees will now cost $35. This same fee will apply to new licenses, renewal licenses, and vanity call signs. Previously, no fees were collected for ham licenses or vanity call signs issued to amateur radio operators, so technically it is a significant change. However, it is considerably less than the $50 fees originally proposed by the Commission, so it should be of some comfort to hams.

On the brighter side, a GMRS license will now cost significantly less than before. Up to now the application fee for a GMRS license was $70. With this Report and Order, the new GMRS license fee will be only $35, which is $15 less than the proposed fee and half the cost of the fees previously charged by the FCC. The license is still valid for 10 years and covers an entire family.

 the fee is still $70 for GMRS service. The PROPOSED fee structure still has some hoops to jump thru with bureaucrats, congress, etc. before it if FINAL. He said it likely will be 60-90 days down the road for the changes to take effect.

​

GMRS Rules Have Been Amended

Effective 2/16/99 the GMRS rules have been amended and you may operate on any of the primary or interstitial channels shown in section 95.29. Exception: Licensees who operate North of Line A and East of Line C may not operate on channels 462.650 MHZ, 467.650 MHZ, 462.700 MHZ and 467.700 MHZ unless your previous license authorized such operations. 

​

Georgia Radio Amateur Fined $1000 for Failure to Properly Identify

“Failure to transmit call sign information undermines the purpose of the Amateur Radio Service by preventing licensed users from identifying a transmission’s source,” the FCC Enforcement Bureau Forfeiture Order said. The FCC said Tolassi did not deny that he transmitted on 14.313 MHz on the date in question, but argued that his comments were within the 10-minute window mandated by the rules. The FCC disagreed, however, noting that Tolassi never identified during 15 minutes of transmissions that agents had monitored.