Marine Radio Station Laws

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Am I required to have a radio on board?

We must first define compulsory equipped and voluntary equipped vessels. This is pretty easy to figure out: If you are required by law to have a radio station on board, you are compulsory equipped. If you are not required by law to have a radio station on board, but choose to do so anyway you are a voluntary equipped vessel.

Most recreational boaters in the U.S. have voluntary equipped vessels. This means for the most part they are not required by law to have a licensed marine radio station except under certain cicumstances.

Here is a simple table to illustrate who is required by law have a radio station on board:

Marine Radio Stations
At any point in this table you answer YES, you are required to have a licensed radio station.
Is your vessel any one of the following:
  1. A cargo ship over 300 gross tons navigating in the open sea;
  2. Certified by the U.S. Coast Guard to carry more than 6 passengers for hire in the open sea or tidewaters of the U.S.;
  3. A power driven vessel over 20 meters in length on navigable waterways;
  4. More than 100 gross tons certified by the U.S. Coast Guard to carry at least one passenger on navigable waterways;
  5. A tow boat of more than 7.8 meters in length on navigable waterways;
  6. An uninspected commercial fishing industry vessel required to carry a VHF radio;
  7. Required to carry an Automatic Identification System (AIS) transceiver by U.S. Coast Guard regulation?
If You Answered YES to any of the above -   If You Answered NO to all of the above -
 
You are a compulsory equipped vessel and are required by law to have a licensed radio station on board.   You are a voluntary equipped vessel and are not required by law to have a licensed radio station on board.
-END-  
    Is your vessel sailing foreign or communicating with foreign radio stations?
    -AND / -OR-
    You use MF/HF single sideband radio, sat comm, or telegraphy.
   
    If you answered YES to either statement above -
   
    You are voluntary equipped, but still required to have a licensed radio station on board.
    -END-