License privileges by class: Technician, General and Extra
Every band segment, every class, in one table.
The short answer
Technician holds all amateur privileges above 30 MHz, plus CW on portions of 80, 40 and 15 metres and CW, voice and data on 28.0 to 28.5 MHz. General adds most of the HF bands. Amateur Extra adds the lowest segments of 80, 40, 20 and 15 metres, which are the parts contest and DX operators use most.
- Classes issued
- Three
- Technician above 30 MHz
- Full privileges
- General HF
- Most of every band
- Extra adds
- The lowest segments
- Maximum power
- 1,500 W PEP
- License term
- 10 years
United States amateur privileges are defined band segment by band segment in Part 97.301 and 97.305. This page is the practical summary, arranged the way an operator actually needs it: what can I use, on which band, with which licence.
The authoritative source is the FCC rules themselves, published at the electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Where this page and the rules disagree, the rules are correct.
HF privileges by band
HF bands
Frequency segments in MHz by license class
| Band | Technician | General | Extra |
|---|---|---|---|
| 160 m | None | 1.800 to 2.000, all modes | Same as General |
| 80 m CW and data | 3.525 to 3.600 | 3.525 to 3.600 | 3.500 to 3.600 |
| 80 m phone | None | 3.800 to 4.000 | 3.600 to 4.000 |
| 60 m | None | Five channels, 100 W ERP | Same as General |
| 40 m CW and data | 7.025 to 7.125 | 7.025 to 7.125 | 7.000 to 7.125 |
| 40 m phone | None | 7.175 to 7.300 | 7.125 to 7.300 |
| 30 m | None | 10.100 to 10.150, CW and data | Same as General |
| 20 m CW and data | None | 14.025 to 14.150 | 14.000 to 14.150 |
| 20 m phone | None | 14.225 to 14.350 | 14.150 to 14.350 |
| 17 m | None | 18.068 to 18.168 | Same as General |
| 15 m CW and data | 21.025 to 21.200 | 21.025 to 21.200 | 21.000 to 21.200 |
| 15 m phone | None | 21.275 to 21.450 | 21.200 to 21.450 |
| 12 m | None | 24.890 to 24.990 | Same as General |
| 10 m | 28.000 to 28.500, CW, phone and data | 28.000 to 29.700 | Same as General |
Segment edges shown are the practical amateur allocations and the divisions between CW, data and phone. Some bands have narrower sub-allocations for specific modes, and 60 metres is channelised with a power limit expressed as effective radiated power. Always check the current rules for the exact edges before operating near one.
VHF, UHF and above
Above 30 MHz
All three classes have identical privileges here
| Band | Frequency range | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 6 m | 50.0 to 54.0 MHz | Sporadic E, weak signal, FM |
| 2 m | 144.0 to 148.0 MHz | Repeaters, simplex, satellites, weak signal |
| 1.25 m | 222.0 to 225.0 MHz | Repeaters, quiet in most areas |
| 70 cm | 420.0 to 450.0 MHz | Repeaters, digital voice, satellites |
| 33 cm | 902 to 928 MHz | Data, repeaters, experimentation |
| 23 cm | 1240 to 1300 MHz | Satellites, ATV, weak signal |
| 13 cm and above | 2.3 GHz upward | Microwave experimentation |
A Technician license grants full amateur privileges on every band above 30 MHz. That includes satellite operation, moonbounce, meteor scatter, amateur television and all repeater and digital voice work. It is a complete license for everything in this table.
Power limits
- The general maximum is 1,500 W peak envelope power output, on almost every band and mode.
- Technicians are limited to 200 W PEP on their HF segments, specifically on 80, 40, 15 and 10 metres.
- The 30 metre band is limited to 200 W PEP for every class.
- The 60 metre channels are limited to 100 W effective radiated power relative to a dipole, which is a different measure and includes antenna gain.
- Part 97 also requires you to use the minimum power necessary to carry out the desired communications, which is a genuine rule rather than advice.
- Every power level requires an RF exposure evaluation. See the RF exposure limits chart.
What each class is worth in practice
- Technician
- A complete license for everything above 30 MHz, which covers repeaters, digital voice, satellites, packet, and VHF and UHF weak signal work. On HF it is limited but not nothing: 10 metre voice during high solar activity is genuinely productive worldwide. See the Technician license.
- General
- The license that makes HF practical. Most of every HF band on voice, data and CW, which means 40 metres every evening and 20 metres every afternoon regardless of the solar cycle. This is the upgrade that changes what a station does. See the General license.
- Amateur Extra
- Adds the lowest segments of 80, 40, 20 and 15 metres. Those slices are where contest operation and rare DX stations concentrate, so the value depends entirely on whether you chase either. It also grants the shortest available callsigns. See Amateur Extra.
Studying for the next class
Manuals for each exam
The question pools are public. What a manual buys you is the explanation behind the answers.
ARRL
ARRL Ham Radio License Manual, Technician
The Technician manual, walking the pool in a sensible order with the reasoning attached.
Check price$32.95
ARRL
ARRL General Class License Manual
The General manual, which spends real time on propagation and antennas because that is where the exam moves.
Check price$32.95
ARRL
ARRL Extra Class License Manual
The Extra manual, covering the circuit theory and rules detail the top class asks about.
Check price$28.71
ARRL
ARRL Handbook for Radio Communications
The general reference behind all three exams, worth owning regardless of which one you are sitting.
Check price$30.99
ARRL
ARRL Operating Manual for Radio Amateurs
What to do with the privileges once you have them, which no exam covers.
Check price$24.95
Wiley
Ham Radio For Dummies
A lighter introduction to the hobby itself, useful alongside a pool manual.
Check price$18.79
Common questions
Questions people ask about this
What can a Technician do on HF?
CW on portions of 80, 40 and 15 metres, and CW, voice and data on 28.0 to 28.5 MHz within the 10 metre band, at up to 200 W. During periods of high solar activity, 10 metre voice is genuinely productive worldwide and many Technicians make their first long-distance contacts there. When the solar cycle is low, that path largely disappears.
What does Amateur Extra actually add?
The lowest segments of 80, 40, 20 and 15 metres, which amount to a modest slice of spectrum in absolute terms. Their value is disproportionate because contest operation and rare DX stations concentrate there. If you chase either, the upgrade matters. If you mostly hold conversations and check into nets, a General licence covers everything you will do.
What is the maximum power I can run?
Fifteen hundred watts peak envelope power output on most bands and modes. Technicians are limited to 200 W on their HF segments, the 30 metre band is 200 W for everybody, and 60 metres is limited to 100 W effective radiated power relative to a dipole. The rules also require using the minimum power necessary, which is a genuine requirement rather than a suggestion.
Are VHF and UHF privileges the same for all classes?
Yes. Every amateur licence class holds identical privileges on every band above 30 MHz. A Technician can work satellites, bounce signals off the moon, run amateur television and use every repeater and digital voice system. The differences between classes exist entirely below 30 MHz.
How long does a license last and does renewal need an exam?
Ten years, and renewal requires no exam and no fee for the licence itself. There is a grace period after expiry during which you may renew but may not transmit. Keep your address current, since official correspondence goes to the address on file and an out-of-date address is itself a rule violation.
Keep going
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