GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) is a licensed two-way radio service for individuals and their families, using 30 channels around 462 and 467 MHz. One $35 FCC license covers you and your immediate family for 10 years. There is no exam. Compared with license-free walkie-talkies, it adds power (up to 50 W on the main channels), radios with removable antennas, and repeaters.
The FCC's own definition, from 47 CFR 95.1703: "A mobile two-way voice communication service, with limited data applications, for facilitating activities of individual licensees and their family members."
How we checked this
We read 47 CFR Part 95 Subpart E in the eCFR (up to date as of October 13, 2026) and the FCC's GMRS page and fee filing guide on October 15, 2026. Each row in the table below names the rule it comes from, so you can check it yourself. Brand blogs often say GMRS handhelds are "limited to 5 watts" or quote old fees; where they disagree with the rule text, we went with the rule.
"How we pick" is our honest label for research from official sources and listings. We didn't run tests for this page. How we research.
GMRS in one table
| Question | Answer | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Band | UHF, 462.5500-462.7250 and 467.5500-467.7250 MHz | 95.1763 |
| Channels | 30: 16 main and 14 interstitial | 95.1763 |
| License needed? | Yes, an individual license | 95.1705 |
| Exam? | No | FCC GMRS page |
| Who can apply | Anyone 18 or older who isn't a representative of a foreign government | 95.1705(a), FCC GMRS page |
| Cost | $35 application fee (new or renewal) | FCC fee guide |
| Term | Ten years | 95.1705(e) |
| Who it covers | You plus immediate family, any age | 95.1705(c)(2) |
| Max power | 50 W on main channels (mobile, base, repeater); 5 W ERP on 462 interstitials; 0.5 W ERP on 467 interstitials | 95.1767 |
| Repeaters | Allowed, on the eight main channel pairs | 95.1763(c) |
| Texting and GPS | Short data from handhelds | 95.1731(d) |
Every channel and its power limit is on our GMRS channels and frequencies chart. In short: GMRS is UHF, which is why it works well around buildings and trees but stops at hills (is GMRS VHF or UHF explains the trade).
The four kinds of GMRS station
The power you're allowed depends on the kind of station and the channel, not on the box. A GMRS "station" is any radio transmitting under your license.
That "5 W handheld limit" you'll read elsewhere isn't in 95.1767 for the main channels. It's a practical ceiling: battery size and heat keep handhelds such as the BTECH GMRS-PRO in the 5 W class. Real 15 to 50 W comes from a vehicle or base radio, like the 15 W Midland MXT275 micromobile.
What people use GMRS for
The FCC's wording is "activities of individual licensees and their family members," which is broader than it sounds. Typical uses:
- keeping two or more vehicles together on a road trip or an off-road trail
- talking across a campground, a hunting property or a farm, where phones are spotty
- family check-ins during a storm or outage (the rules give emergency traffic priority on every channel, 95.1731(a))
- reaching a local repeater for 20-plus miles of coverage around town
- sending a short text or a GPS position from one handheld to another
How far it reaches: the FCC's GMRS page says users "can expect a communications range of one to twenty-five miles depending on station class, terrain, and repeater use." Box claims of 36 or 50 miles describe a mountaintop, not your neighborhood. Our GMRS radio range guide works through realistic numbers.
GMRS next to the other services
| Service | License | Power | Pick it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| FRS | None | 2 W max, 0.5 W on some channels | Short range, kids, no paperwork |
| GMRS | $35, no exam, family | Up to 50 W, repeaters | Family and convoy range beyond FRS |
| CB | None | 4 W AM | Truckers and older off-road groups |
| Ham | Exam per person | Up to 1,500 W, many bands | The hobby itself, long distance |
The full comparison, with channel overlap, is in GMRS vs FRS and GMRS vs FRS vs CB vs ham. A GMRS radio and an FRS walkie-talkie can talk to each other on the shared channels.
Five rules new users miss
- Say your call sign at the end of a conversation and every 15 minutes during a long one (95.1751). English voice or Morse.
- No coded messages meant to hide the meaning, and no music or ads (95.1733). Ten-codes are fine. "Privacy codes" only filter what you hear; anyone can still listen (how privacy codes work).
- Using someone's repeater needs their OK. Under 95.1705(d) the owner may open it to anyone or limit it to specific people (how to find and use GMRS repeaters).
- Repeaters can't be linked over the internet to stretch coverage. The FCC's GMRS page says that violates 95.1733(a)(8) and 95.1749.
- Your license doesn't cover friends. Family members are covered under 95.1705(c)(2); a friend on your channel needs their own license, unless it's an emergency message.
One more, about renewal. The FCC says you can renew from 90 days before expiration up to the expiration date, and "After a license expires, an individual must request a new GMRS license." There's no grace period like the one ham licenses get, so put the date in your calendar.
Do you need GMRS? Pick your next page
| If you... | Read this next |
|---|---|
| want the license | How to get a GMRS license (five steps, all online) or the GMRS license hub |
| aren't sure FRS isn't enough | Is GMRS worth it? |
| need radios | Best GMRS radios, or the beginner picks |
| want the channel list | GMRS channels and frequencies |
If you only want something simple for the family, a set of handhelds like the Midland GXT1000 3-pack (50 channels, NOAA weather alerts) covers a campground or a convoy. Get the license first; it's $35 and covers everyone in the house.
Rules checked against 47 CFR Part 95 Subpart E (eCFR, up to date as of October 13, 2026) and the FCC's GMRS page and fee filing guide on October 15, 2026. Product features from each Amazon listing, checked the same day. How we research · Affiliate disclosure