An introduction to
GMRS, FRS, and MURS

Overview

The Family Radio Service (FRS) is a private, two-way, short-distance voice and data communications service for facilitating family and group activities. The most common use for FRS channels is short-distance, two-way voice communications using small hand-held radios that are similar to walkie-talkies.

Other services that allow similar communications include the General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) and the Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS).

The FRS is authorized 22 channels in the 462 MHz and 467 MHz range, all of which are shared with GMRS.

Licensing

No license or age limit, provided you are not a representative of a foreign government. You are, however, required to follow the guidelines (rules) set forth by the FCC. It may be used for business or personal use.

Operation

You can operate a FRS transmitter at any place where the FCC regulates radio communications, subject to certain limitations. A FRS transmitter may not be modified and must be certified by the FCC.  Operational bandwidth is 12.5 MHz

None of the FRS channels are assigned for the exclusive use of any user. You must cooperate in the selection and use of the channels in order to make the most effective use of them and to reduce the possibility of interference.

The usual range of an FRS device on channels 8-14 is less than one-half mile, but longer range communications can be achieved on channels 1-7 and 15-22, depending on conditions. You may not interconnect FRS transmitters and radios with the telephone system.

More Info

Some manufacturers received approval to market radios that were certified under both FRS and GMRS, which allowed users to use one device to operate on FRS channels, which does not require a license, and GMRS, which requires an FCC license.  In 2017, the FCC changed its rules to stop equipment authorization of FRS dual-service radios and it changed the rules for both FRS and GMRS such that existing radios would be reclassified as either FRS or GMRS to remove the confusion of whether a license was needed for legal operation.

Specifically, if you have a radio that was sold as a dual-service FRS/GMRS radio and it is limited to the channels and power limits provided under the chart below, then that device can be operated as an FRS device without a licensing requirement.  However, if the device exceeds the limits under the those limits or includes any of the following channels (467.5500, 467.5750, 467.6000, 467.6250, 467.6500, 467.6750, 467.7000, and 467.7250 MHz), then it is a GMRS device and an individual FCC license is needed to operate the device other than on the channels and with the bandwidth and power limits shown in the chart.

Channels

Overview

The Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS) uses channels in the 151 – 154 MHz spectrum range. The most common use of MURS channels is for short-distance, two-way communications using small, portable hand-held radios that function similar to walkie-talkies. 

Licensing

MURS is licensed by rule. This means an individual license is not required for an entity to operate a MURS transmitter if it is not a representative of a foreign government and if it uses the transmitter in accordance with the MURS rules outlined in 47 C.F.R. Part 95 Subpart J. There is no age restriction regarding who may operate a MURS transmitter. 

Operation

You may operate a MURS transmitter at any location the FCC regulates radio communications, subject to certain restrictions. A MURS transmitter must be certified by the FCC. 

None of the MURS channels are assigned for the exclusive use of any user. You must cooperate in the selection and use of the channels in order to make the most effective use of them and to reduce the possibility of interference.

No MURS transmitter shall, under any condition of modulation, transmit more than 2 watts transmitter power output.

Please note that the Chinese handheld radios are not type-accepted for use on these frequencies. But you can use them to legally monitor those frequencies. Just as a note, Walmart primarily uses the "Blue Dot" frequency.

The usual range of communications between MURS stations is less than a few miles; connecting a MURS radio to an external antenna can extend the range to ten miles or more. MURS stations are not allowed to be interconnected with the public switched telephone network. A station identification announcement is not required to be transmitted. Other restrictions on the use of MURS stations also apply.

Channels

There are five MURS channels and the channels are either 11.25 kHz or 20.00 kHz each.
The channel frequencies and (bandwidth) are:

151.820 MHz (11.25 kHz)
151.880 MHz (11.25 kHz)
151.940 MHz (11.25 kHz)
154.570 MHz (20.00 kHz) *Blue Dot*
154.600 MHz (20.00 kHz) *Green Dot*