GMRS power limits: how many watts on which channels?

The power limits at a glance

Section 95.1767 says the maximum transmitting power depends on which channels are in use and the type of station. There are three tiers. On the 462 MHz main channels and the 467 MHz main channels, the transmitter output power of mobile, repeater and base stations must not exceed 50 watts, and fixed stations must not exceed 15 watts. On the 462 MHz interstitial channels, the effective radiated power (ERP) of mobile, hand-held portable and base stations must not exceed 5 watts. On the 467 MHz interstitial channels, the ERP of hand-held portable units must not exceed 0.5 watt, and a radio capable of transmitting on those channels must be designed so that ERP cannot exceed 0.5 watt.

The rule makes two parties responsible. Each GMRS transmitter type must be capable of operating within the allowable range on the main channels, and GMRS licensees remain responsible for making sure their own stations comply.

Output power versus ERP

The rule uses two different measures and they are not interchangeable. The main-channel limits are written as transmitter output power, the power the transmitter delivers. The interstitial limits are written as effective radiated power, which accounts for the antenna: a transmitter delivering 5 watts into an antenna with gain radiates more than 5 watts ERP. So a hand-held on a 467 interstitial channel is held to 0.5 watt ERP at the antenna, not just 0.5 watt at the radio's output connector. The rule text read here does not give a formula for converting between the two, so use the antenna manufacturer's data or a measurement when you are close to a limit.

Gaps the text leaves open

Not every station type appears under every channel group. The main-channel paragraph lists mobile, repeater, base and fixed stations; hand-held units are not listed there. The 462 interstitial paragraph lists mobile, hand-held and base stations; repeater and fixed stations are not listed. The 467 interstitial paragraph lists hand-held units only. The widget above says so when you pick one of those combinations instead of guessing. Which stations may use which channels is set by the channel rule in section 95.1763, which this page did not read in full.

Authorized bandwidth by channel

Section 95.1773 requires each transmitter type to be designed so that its occupied bandwidth does not exceed the authorized bandwidth for the channels used. The authorized bandwidth is 20 kHz on the 462 MHz main channels, the 467 MHz main channels and the 462 MHz interstitial channels, and 12.5 kHz on the 467 MHz interstitial channels. Digital data transmissions are limited to the 462 MHz main channels and interstitial channels in the 462 MHz and 467 MHz bands, in the words of paragraph (c).

Emission types

Every GMRS transmitter type must have the capability to transmit F3E or G3E emissions (narrowband FM voice), under section 95.1771. Only emission types A1D, F1D, G1D, H1D, J1D, R1D, A3E, F3E, G3E, H3E, J3E, R3E, F2D and G2D are authorized. A radio may include other emission types intended for other services, but only if they can be deactivated when the equipment is used in GMRS.

The unwanted-emission mask

Section 95.1779 limits power outside the authorized bandwidth, measured below the transmitter output power P in watts. Which limits apply depends on the emission type and whether the radio has the audio filter required by section 95.1775(e). For voice and data types with the audio filter, the limits are 25 dB beyond 50 percent and up to 100 percent of the authorized bandwidth from center, 35 dB beyond 100 percent and up to 250 percent, and 43 + 10 log(P) dB beyond 250 percent. Without the filter, the near-in limits are an 83 log(fd divided by 5) dB slope from 5 to 10 kHz, then 116 log(fd divided by 6.1) dB or 50 + 10 log(P) dB, whichever is the lesser attenuation, out to 250 percent, and again 43 + 10 log(P) dB beyond. Single-sideband and related types (H1D, J1D, R1D, H3E, J3E, R2E) use 25 dB out to 150 percent, 35 dB from 150 to 250 percent, and 43 + 10 log(P) dB beyond.

Measurements use a 300 Hz reference bandwidth for the near-in limits and at least 30 kHz for the single-sideband 25 dB limit, and the mask applies with and without permitted attachments such as an external speaker, microphone, power cord or antenna. Unwanted emission power may be measured as mean power or peak envelope power, as long as the transmitter output power is measured the same way.

Why it matters to a user

The mask and the bandwidth are design requirements on the radio, which is why certified equipment matters. The practical limits you control are the channel you pick, the station type, and the antenna: because the interstitial caps are written as ERP, a higher-gain antenna on an interstitial channel can push ERP over the cap even when the radio itself is within spec. The same family of rules governs MURS, where the cap is a flat 2 watts, and amateur stations, where limits are set per band in the ham radio power page.

Sources

• 47 CFR 95.1767, GMRS transmitting power limits (eCFR). Read November 2, 2026.
• 47 CFR 95.1779, GMRS unwanted emissions limits (eCFR). Read November 2, 2026.
• 47 CFR 95.1771, GMRS emission types (eCFR). Read November 2, 2026.
• 47 CFR 95.1773, GMRS authorized bandwidths (eCFR). Read November 2, 2026.

Text read: the eCFR (Electronic Code of Federal Regulations) text of Title 47 as it stood on October 29, 2026, retrieved through the eCFR versioner API on November 2, 2026. The eCFR is an editorial compilation and is not the official legal edition; the Federal Register and the annual CFR are. Rules change, so confirm the current wording on the eCFR before relying on it. This page paraphrases the rule and does not replace it.