FCC Amateur Radio Rules
Power limits, station identification and the other Part 97 rules people ask about most, each with the section it comes from.
How much power can I use?
No more than 1,500 W PEP on any band, and only the minimum power needed to make the contact. Some bands and segments have lower limits:
| Where | Limit |
|---|---|
| Any band, any license class | 1,500 W PEP |
| 30 m (10.10–10.15 MHz) | 200 W PEP |
| Technician (and Novice) on 3.525–3.600, 7.025–7.125, 21.025–21.200 and 28.0–28.5 MHz | 200 W PEP |
| 60 m (General and above), 5351.5–5366.5 kHz | 9.15 W ERP |
| 60 m (General and above), channels centered on 5332, 5348, 5373 and 5405 kHz | 100 W ERP |
| 2200 m (135.7–137.8 kHz) | 1 W EIRP |
| 630 m (472–479 kHz) | 5 W EIRP |
| 1.25 m, 219–220 MHz | 50 W PEP |
Sections 97.313 and 97.301. In Alaska within 800 km of Russia, 630 m is limited to 1 W EIRP.
How often do I have to give my call sign?
At least every 10 minutes during a contact, and at the end of it. Use CW or phone in English (phonetics are encouraged); an automatic CW identifier must not send faster than 20 words per minute.
Section 97.119(a) and (b).
Who can operate my station?
Every station needs a control operator whenever it transmits: a person with an amateur license in the FCC’s database, or a visitor with reciprocal operating authority. The station can only use the privileges of the control operator’s license class.
If the control operator holds a higher class than you, they add their own call sign after yours.
Sections 97.7, 97.105 and 97.119(e).
Can someone without a license talk on my station?
Yes, as a third party, while you as control operator are present at the control point and supervising. They may talk to any station in the United States, but abroad only to countries with a third-party agreement with the United States, or in an emergency or disaster relief.
Section 97.115.
What am I not allowed to transmit?
Communications for hire or payment, or in which you have a financial interest, including on behalf of an employer (the rules list a few exceptions); music on a phone emission; messages encoded to hide their meaning; obscene or indecent language; and false or deceptive messages, signals or identification.
Section 97.113(a)(2) to (4).
Can I operate from a ship or aircraft?
Yes, with the approval of the ship’s master or the pilot in command. The station must be separate from the vessel’s other radio equipment, and on an aircraft it can’t be used under Instrument Flight Rules unless it meets the FAA’s rules.
Section 97.11.
Do I need an RF exposure evaluation?
Before transmitting from anywhere people could be exposed to RF fields above the FCC’s limits, you must make sure your station complies with them. Members of your own household may be evaluated against the occupational limits, if they have had the appropriate training and information.
Section 97.13(c), with the limits in Section 1.1310.
How long does a license last?
Normally 10 years. If it expires, you have a 2-year grace period to apply for renewal, but no privileges until it is renewed.
Sections 97.25 and 97.21(b).
Practice These Rules
The Commission’s rules are the first subelement of every exam. Practice just those questions: Technician · General · Amateur Extra
Source: 47 CFR Part 97 (eCFR, as of October 1, 2026). Band plans