VHF License?

[laura3740]

Taking a risk of feeling really stupid by asking this, but give me some slack as a very new owner. Don't we need to purchase a VHF license? Am I searching the wrong words online? I cannot find ANY information on how to do this.

[JBP]

No. Not in the US. If you go to a foreign country you are supposed to get one.

[nussbda]

There is no requirement for either a station license or an operator's license for a recreational boater in US waters.

Dave

[JBP]

If you want, you can get a ship's license and an operator's license (you are supposed to have both if you go to a foreign country) from the FCC.

Assuming you are not a big or commercial boat, for whom the rules are different.

https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/bureau-...radio-stations

[JBP]

Although you are supposed to have a license to go to Canada, I know that here on the Great Lakes the Canadian Coast Guard mostly turns a blind eye on small pleasure boaters as long as you don't abuse the radio.

[s/v Jedi]

If you ever plan to sail internationally then I recommend you register with the FCC and, for starters, get a real MMSI number, which needs to be programmed into the VHF and AIS transceivers.

Then when you are ready to sail outside the US you can simply pay for the station and operators license.

[Ziggy]

Also, if you ever need to send out a DSC distress call, you should have MMSI (Maritime Mobile Service Identity) number programmed into your VHF. You need to register with FCC ($$) or BoatUS (less money) to obtain one.

[Ziggy]

Look here: https://www.spinsheet.com/news/dsc-v...r-selling-boat


and here: https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/maritime...rvice-identity


for details

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Ziggy

Also, if you ever need to send out a DSC distress call, you should have MMSI (Maritime Mobile Service Identity) number programmed into your VHF. You need to register with FCC ($$) or BoatUS (less money) to obtain one.

The boatUS one cannot be used outside US waters.

[Ziggy]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

The boatUS one cannot be used outside US waters.

Correct. But it does give you a legal MMSI for use in US waters. But changing MMSI is a hassle, so if there is a possibility you might venture somewhere foreign, you might as well get the FCC version.It's good for 10 years, I believe.

[steve77]

Originally Posted by Ziggy

Correct. But it does give you a legal MMSI for use in US waters. But changing MMSI is a hassle, so if there is a possibility you might venture somewhere foreign, you might as well get the FCC version.It's good for 10 years, I believe.

Do I misunderstand you, or are you saying that the MMSI issued by the FCC is good for 10 years? I understand the ship's station license is issued for 10 years, but I don't understand the statement that the MMSI is only good for 10 years.

Cheers!

Steve

[Ziggy]

Originally Posted by steve77

Do I misunderstand you, or are you saying that the MMSI issued by the FCC is good for 10 years? I understand the ship's station license is issued for 10 years, but I don't understand the statement that the MMSI is only good for 10 years.

Cheers!

Steve

MMSI comes with the station license. When you renew the license, the MMSI stays the same.

[jmc42]

What you want is the FCC "Restricted Radiotelephone Operator Permit'.

Many counties require a radio operators license for using ship style VHF. The US does not require this of most boaters. If you decide to charter or travel in other countries, they may want you to have a radio operators license. The FCC will issue you one of these for a small fee ($35). You do not need to take an exam. You fill out a form (I think 605) and its addendum.

Your MMSI is a number used for for when a VHF radio issues a distress signal. This can be programmed to the mothership's VHF, the mothership's handheld, or even designated as an individual's handheld that can be moved from boat to boat.

[continuouswave]

For the VHF Marine Band, as a recreational boater you are NOT required to equip your boat with a VHF Marine Band radio. If you do install a radio, your status will be as voluntarily-equipped.

With regarding to licensing, the FCC issues two types of licenses:

--a STATION license, and
--an OPERATOR license.

An FCC-issued SHIP STATION LICENSE comes with an FCC CALLSIGN. The callsign is the official identifier of the radio station, and (technically) should be used to identify the station when transmitting.

The FCC regulations allow that boats with radios that are voluntarily-equipped--again that means there is no regulation that requires them to install a radio--to have an exemption and to NOT need an FCC-issued ship station license. Radio transmission by boats without a formal callsign are then identified by the boat's name.

In general, ANY radio transmitter requires the operator to have an appropriate OPERATOR'S LICENSE, but in the case of voluntarily-equipped boats , an operator license is not mandatory.

The term for omission of mandatory station license and operator license is "licensed by rule." Note that being licensed by rule does not exempt the owner or operator from complying with all rules regulating the radio service. You need to know the rules and obey them.

The RULES for the MARITIME SERVICE are given in CFR Title 47 Part 80. You can read the rules on-line at

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-4.../part-80?toc=1

The rule requiring a station license is stated in paragraph 80.13. Subpart (c) creates the exemption. It says:

A ship station is licensed by rule and does not need an individual license issued by the FCC if the ship station is not subject to the radio equipment carriage requirements of any statute, treaty or agreement to which the United States is signatory, the ship station does not travel to foreign ports, and the ship station does not make international communications. A ship station licensed by rule is authorized to transmit radio signals using a marine radio operating in the 156–162 MHz band, any type of AIS, any type of EPIRB, and any type of radar installation. All other transmissions must be authorized under a ship station license. Even though an individual license is not required, a ship station licensed by rule must be operated in accordance with all applicable operating requirements, procedures, and technical specifications found in this part.

If you are not exempted by the above paragraph, then you need to acquire a STATION LICENSE from the FCC.

You do not "buy" a license. You are "granted" a license by the FCC. The FCC assess a fee based on two elements:

--a fee for use of the radio spectrum; the fee to use the VHF Marine Band spectrum is not particularly steep;

--an administrative fee for processing the application, creating the license grant, and handling all the paperwork involved.

The grant of a ship station license is for a certain TERM, usually ten years. The license expires at the end of the term of the license grant, unless renewed.

Regarding fees, the last time I renewed the SHIP STATION LICENSE for my boat I believe the fee was about $230. Some boaters react to this with upset, but I look at the $230 over ten years as a $23-per-year cost associated with boating.

Regarding Operator's Licensing, you do not need an operator's license when operating "domestically" on a boat with a voluntarily-equipped radio.

If operating a radio on a boat required to have a radio, or operating in foreign waters, or making international radio contacts, an operator's license is needed; this is due to reciprocal licensing agreements with other nations.

The MINIMUM category of authorization needed is the RESTRICTED RADIOTELEPHONE OPERATOR PERMIT. This is the LOWEST level of operator category needed. If you already hold a higher class FCC operator's license, you do not need to apply for a RESTRICTED RADIOTELEPHONE OPERATOR PERMIT. There are about a dozen other classes of radio operator's license issued by the FCC which are superior to the RESTRICTED RADIOTELEPHONE OPERATOR PERMIT. When someone says, "you NEED a RESTRICTED RADIOTELEPHONE OPERATOR PERMIT, that is not quite correct. The permit is the lowest level authorization with the most limited allowed usage of a radiotelephone.

Note that an Amateur Radio Operator License is not valid for the Maritime Service. See 47-CFR-80.151 Operator Requirements for details.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-4...pter-D/part-80

Unlike the other categories of operator licensing which required passing exams, no examination is needed to obtain the RESTRICTED RADIOTELEPHONE OPERATOR'S PERMIT. The applicants just avows he has read the rules, understands, the rules, and will comply with the rules. And the permit is good for the lifetime of the applicant. I believe the cost is about $60

Also, regarding your statement that you could not find out anything about ship station licensing or operator licensing for the Maritime Radio Service using on-line resource, I am astonished. Let me help you:

Visit the the FCC.GOV website and read at this page:

https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/bureau-...radio-stations

Finally, I suggest you get information about federal regulations from the federal government, and not from on-line forums or blogs. The actual regulatoins are all available on-line, you just have to read them.

[FatBear]

Originally Posted by laura3740

Taking a risk of feeling really stupid by asking this, but give me some slack as a very new owner.

See all those complex answers? Not stupid at all.