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GMRS

Your easiest upgrade from walkie-talkies — $35, no test, real power and range.

What it is

GMRS (the General Mobile Radio Service) is a licensed UHF radio service built for families, groups, overlanding, and neighborhood or emergency comms. It shares some channels with the bubble-pack FRS radios you already know — but adds far more power and the ability to use repeaters for serious range.

The license is the friendliest in radio: $35, no exam, and a single license covers your entire immediate family for ten years. It’s the perfect first step if “getting licensed” sounds intimidating.

Band462 / 467 MHz

License$35, no test

Term10 years

CoversYour whole family

Channels30

PowerUp to 50 W

RepeatersAllowed

// hardware

Three kinds of radio

Start with a handheld; grow into mobiles and repeaters as you go.

portable

Handheld (HT)

Grab-and-go radios for hikes, events, and the car. Look for a true GMRS-certified handheld, not an unlocked import.

base / vehicle

Mobile

Higher-power radios for the truck or a home base — the muscle to hit distant repeaters and cover real ground.

range multiplier

Repeater

A GMRS repeater mounted up high can cover a whole region — talk across town on a handheld.

Not sure what to buy? Ask in #gmrs — folks will steer you to radios that are actually worth it.

// get licensed

Licensed in about 20 minutes

Make an FCC account

Register in the FCC’s CORES system to get an FRN (FCC Registration Number) — you’ll use it to apply.
Apply & pay $35

File for the GMRS license and pay the fee. There’s no test — approval often lands in minutes to a few business days.
Get your call sign

It arrives with your license. Use it on the air — it covers your whole family for ten years.
Get on the air

Program your radios, find nearby repeaters on myGMRS, and come say hi in #gmrs.