Ham, GMRS and CB all get called “two-way radio,” but they are three different services with different rules, costs and uses. This guide compares them so you can pick the one that matches what you want to do. All three are described on the FCC’s own pages, which are linked below.
The three services in one table
| Amateur (ham) | GMRS | CB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| License | FCC operator license, earned by passing an exam given by volunteer examiners | Individual FCC license, no exam; $35 for ten years | No individual license |
| Who may transmit | The licensed operator | The licensee and immediate family | Anyone eligible, of any age |
| Frequencies | Many bands set aside for amateur use, including VHF and UHF bands used by handhelds | 30 channels near 462 and 467 MHz | 40 channels, 26.965 to 27.405 MHz |
| Equipment | FCC equipment authorization does not generally apply to amateur transmitters | Transmitters must be FCC-certified for GMRS | Transmitters must be FCC-certified; you may not raise power or add a linear amplifier |
| Typical use | Hobby, experimenting, emergency communication, long-distance contact | Family, groups, vehicles, repeaters | Vehicles, trucks, short-distance chat and business use |
| FCC range comment | Depends on band and setup | One to twenty-five miles depending on station class, terrain and repeaters | Described as short-distance |
Sources: FCC pages for amateur radio, GMRS and the Citizens Band Radio Service.
Amateur (ham) radio
Ham radio is a hobby and a service with its own culture. The FCC describes it as for people interested in radio technique “solely with a personal aim and without pecuniary interest.” You must pass an exam before you can transmit. The exam is administered by volunteer examiners in your community, and most newcomers begin with the Technician class, then may move up to General or Amateur Extra. The question pools are public and study guides are widely available.
What you get is flexibility: access to many bands, the ability to build and modify your own equipment, and a large community of repeaters and clubs. The FCC’s fee guide lists a $35 application fee for a new amateur license as of May 23, 2025, and exam sessions may have their own charges set by the examiners, so ask the team you plan to test with.
Ham radios are not the same as GMRS radios. GMRS rules require GMRS transmitters to be certified, and they bar certification of a radio that can also operate in services such as amateur radio. A ham handheld, even if it can tune to GMRS frequencies, is not a certified GMRS radio. If you use ham frequencies you need a ham license, and if you want GMRS you need a GMRS license and a certified radio.
GMRS
GMRS is the practical middle ground for families and groups. There is no test, and one $35 license covers your immediate family for ten years. It allows higher power than FRS, repeaters and vehicle and base radios. You need a call sign, which you say at the end of transmissions and every 15 minutes during long ones. Our post on choosing a two-way radio for your vehicle compares GMRS, CB and ham for cars and trucks.
CB (Citizens Band)
CB is the oldest and simplest of the three. The FCC says anyone, regardless of age, can operate a CB station, with a few exceptions such as foreign governments. No individual license is required, and the FCC no longer renews formerly issued CB licenses. CB has 40 channels, and channel 9 is reserved for emergency communications or traveler assistance. Rules to know:
- The transmitter must be FCC-certified.
- You may not raise the power output or attach a linear amplifier.
- You can talk for no more than five minutes continuously, and then must wait at least one minute before another communication.
- You must give priority to emergency communications on all channels.
CB’s frequencies are far lower than GMRS or ham handheld frequencies, which changes how it behaves. A CB radio usually needs a longer antenna, so it is more common in vehicles than as a pocket radio.
Which should you get?
- You want something for the family with no exam: GMRS, or FRS if you only need short distances.
- You drive trucks or want to hear road chatter: CB, since it needs no license.
- You enjoy learning radio, want many bands or want to build things: ham.
- You want to use a repeater without a test: GMRS.
- You have a budget radio from overseas: read its listing carefully to see which service it is made for.
Many people end up with more than one. A family might carry GMRS or FRS radios on trips, and one member may also hold a ham license.
Examples from the store
For GMRS, the Midland GXT1000 two-pack is a GMRS handheld, so you need the GMRS license to use it. For ham, the store lists a Baofeng UV-5R dual-band handheld. It is a ham-band radio and requires an amateur license; it is not a GMRS or CB radio. Our post on the Baofeng UV-5R and the license it needs goes through the details.
Top image: Recreational Walkie Talkies by Wtshymanski, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
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