CTCSS Tone Chart and DCS Code List (PL Tones), with GMRS Codes

Below is the full list of 50 standard CTCSS tones, with the privacy code number most FRS and GMRS radios use for each (codes 1 to 38) and Motorola's PL code. Under it are the 104 DCS codes. The one GMRS users ask about most is 141.3 Hz: privacy code 22 on many radios, Motorola PL 4A, and the "travel tone" some groups use on channel 20 (a convention, not an FCC rule).

CTCSS tone chart

Read across: if your radio shows privacy code 22, it's sending 141.3 Hz. "None" means the tone isn't in the common 38-code list, so a bubble-pack radio can't send it. Radios you program by computer usually let you pick any of the 50.

Tone (Hz)	Privacy code (38-code list)	Motorola PL code
67.0	1	XZ
69.3	none	WZ
71.9	2	XA
74.4	3	WA
77.0	4	XB
79.7	5	WB
82.5	6	YZ
85.4	7	YA
88.5	8	YB
91.5	9	ZZ
94.8	10	ZA
97.4	11	ZB
100.0	12	1Z
103.5	13	1A
107.2	14	1B
110.9	15	2Z
114.8	16	2A
118.8	17	2B
123.0	18	3Z
127.3	19	3A
131.8	20	3B
136.5	21	4Z
141.3	22	4A
146.2	23	4B
151.4	24	5Z
156.7	25	5A
159.8	none	-
162.2	26	5B
165.5	none	-
167.9	27	6Z
171.3	none	-
173.8	28	6A
177.3	none	-
179.9	29	6B
183.5	none	-
186.2	30	7Z
189.9	none	-
192.8	31	7A
196.6	none	-
199.5	none	-
203.5	32	M1
206.5	none	8Z
210.7	33	M2
218.1	34	M3
225.7	35	M4
229.1	none	9Z
233.6	36	M5
241.8	37	M6
250.3	38	M7
254.1	none	0Z

Tones and PL codes from Mike Morris WA6ILQ's CTCSS tone number chart at repeater-builder.com. The privacy code column matches the tables in the Midland GXT1000 owner's manual and the Rocky Talkie Expedition manual, both checked October 3, 2026. Some manuals list 67.0 as 67.1 and 69.3 as 69.4. A dash means no Motorola code is listed.

That 38-code privacy list is the EIA/TIA RS-220 standard's 37 tones plus 97.4 Hz, per the repeater-builder chart. It's common, but it isn't universal. Older radios and a few brands number differently, so check your manual before you trust a code number. Our GMRS privacy codes guide shows how Midland and Rocky Talkie numbers line up.

DCS code list

These are the 104 DCS codes in the Midland GXT1000 manual, sorted in order. Codes are octal numbers, written with a D in front in most programming software.

D023	D025	D026	D031	D032	D036	D043	D047
D051	D053	D054	D065	D071	D072	D073	D074
D114	D115	D116	D122	D125	D131	D132	D134
D143	D145	D152	D155	D156	D162	D165	D172
D174	D205	D212	D223	D225	D226	D243	D244
D245	D246	D251	D252	D255	D261	D263	D265
D266	D271	D274	D306	D311	D315	D325	D331
D332	D343	D346	D351	D356	D364	D365	D371
D411	D412	D413	D423	D431	D432	D445	D446
D452	D454	D455	D462	D464	D465	D466	D503
D506	D516	D523	D526	D532	D546	D565	D606
D612	D624	D627	D631	D632	D654	D662	D664
D703	D712	D723	D731	D732	D734	D743	D754

From the Midland GXT1000 owner's manual (11-5-25). The Rocky Talkie Expedition manual lists the same codes, split into codes 39 to 121 and repeater-only codes 135 to 155.

DCS numbering is where brands disagree. Midland numbers its DCS codes 1 to 104 in its own order, starting at 023. Rocky Talkie numbers the same 023 as code 39. Always match the three-digit code, never the menu number.

How tones work, in one diagram

The tone rides under the voice and the receiver filters it out of the speaker. FCC rules let sub-audible tones run for the whole conversation.

In FCC terms, these are "subaudible tones used for receiver squelch activation and selective calling" (47 CFR 95.1777). Tones at 300 Hz or lower may be sent continuously during a conversation, while audible tones above 300 Hz are limited to 15 seconds at a time (95.377). Every tone in the chart above is under 300 Hz.

Tones are not encryption. Anyone on the channel with tones off hears you. GMRS rules prohibit coded messages or messages with hidden meanings (95.1733(a)(3)).

An oscilloscope showing a slow sine wave beside a handheld radio — A CTCSS tone is a plain low-frequency sine wave. Your speaker filters it out.

How GMRS users use tones

Use	Tone	Status
Repeater access	Whatever the repeater owner sets	Set by the owner; listed in repeater directories
Travel tone on channel 20 (462.675 MHz)	141.3 Hz (privacy code 22 on many radios)	Convention, not an FCC rule
Your family or group	Any tone everyone's radio can send	Your choice; codes 1 to 38 are the safest across brands
Listening for emergencies	Tones off	Practical advice: a tone mutes callers who don't use it

The 141.3 Hz convention shows up on various GMRS websites as a "national calling" or traveler-assistance setup, as the Wikipedia GMRS article notes. Nothing in the FCC's GMRS rules designates a tone or a channel for it. Our GMRS emergency channel guide explains what the rules actually say about emergency traffic.

Repeater antennas on a steel tower against a blue sky — Most GMRS repeaters ignore you unless you send the right tone.

Tones and repeaters

A repeater listens on a 467 MHz input and retransmits on the matching 462 MHz output (95.1763). Put another way, your radio transmits 5 MHz above the frequency it listens on. Most repeaters require an input tone, and some also send a tone on the output so your radio's squelch only opens for the repeater. Three settings have to be right:

Receive frequency: the 462 MHz output, for example 462.675 for channel 20.
Transmit offset: +5 MHz, so you transmit on 467.675.
Transmit tone: the CTCSS tone or DCS code the owner publishes. Receive tone is optional.

Our guide to finding and using GMRS repeaters covers permission and directories. If you program with a computer, how to program a GMRS radio with CHIRP shows where the tone and offset columns go.

Tips that save a trip back to the trailhead

Tell people the tone in hertz, not the code number. "141.3" works on every radio; "code 22" works on most.
Check the mode. A radio set to DCS won't talk to one set to CTCSS, even if the numbers match.
Use the monitor button. It opens the squelch so you can hear whether the channel is busy before you transmit.
Write it down. The printable GMRS frequency chart has a line for your group's channel and tone.

A glovebox with a folded sheet, a radio and a notebook — A printed tone list in the glovebox beats trying to remember whether it was code 22 or 23.

Sources: 47 CFR 95.1777, 95.377, 95.1733, 95.1763 (eCFR, up to date as of October 1, 2026); repeater-builder.com CTCSS chart; Midland GXT1000 and Rocky Talkie Expedition manuals; Wikipedia GMRS article (conventions). Rules checked: October 3, 2026. How we research · Affiliate disclosure

Questions people ask

What is a CTCSS tone?

A continuous sub-audible tone, between 67.0 and 254.1 Hz on the standard list, sent under your voice. A receiver set to the same tone opens its speaker; set to a different tone, it stays quiet. FRS and GMRS radios call them privacy codes, Motorola calls them PL (Private Line), and repeaters use them for access.

Is a PL tone the same as CTCSS?

Yes. PL (Private Line) is Motorola's name for CTCSS. Motorola also gives each tone a two-character code, such as 4A for 141.3 Hz. The tone in hertz is what has to match between radios.

What is the GMRS travel tone?

141.3 Hz, usually used on channel 20. It's a convention that some GMRS websites list, not an FCC rule. On many FRS and GMRS handhelds, including the Midland GXT1000 and Rocky Talkie Expedition, 141.3 Hz is privacy code 22.

What is the difference between CTCSS and DCS?

CTCSS sends a steady analog tone. DCS sends a repeating digital code, written as three digits like 023. Both do the same job, opening the squelch only for matching radios. CTCSS numbering is more consistent across brands, so it's the easier choice for mixed groups.

How many CTCSS tones are there?

The list in this chart has 50, which matches the 50-tone list newer Yaesu radios use. Most FRS and GMRS bubble-pack radios offer 38 of them as privacy codes 1 to 38. The older EIA/TIA RS-220 standard lists 37.

Which tone should I use for a repeater?

The one the repeater owner publishes. There's no standard GMRS repeater tone, and some repeaters use one tone on the input and a different one, or none, on the output. Directories such as myGMRS list each repeater's tone.