| Citizens Band (CB) Service
Definition |
| 1-5 mile range two-way voice communication for use in
personal and business activities and for voice paging.
(47CFR95.401) |
| |
| Regulating Agency |
| Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulates
interstate and international communications by radio,
television, wire, satellite and cable covering 50
states, DC, and U.S. possessions. |
| |
| FCC Contact & Web |
|
(47CFR95.428) |
| |
| Federal Regulations |
| CB Radios are covered in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) under Title 47
- Telecommunication, Chapter I - Federal Communications Commission,
Part 95 - Personal Radio services. FCC rules and regulations are
initially published in the
Federal
Register. After updates are compiled in October,
they are published in the Code of Federal Regulations.
Refer to CFR laws regarding CB radios. |
| |
| Licensing Requirement |
| None. In early 1980's, the FCC stopped requiring
licenses.
(47CFR95.404) |
| |
| Age Requirement |
| None.
(47CFR95.403) |
| |
| Citizenship Requirement |
| None. Exceptions are if you are a foreign
government, a representative of a foreign government, or a
federal government agency; or the FCC has issued a cease and
desist order to you, and the order is still in effect. (47CFR95.403) |
| |
| Operating Requirement |
| You may operate an unmodified FCC certificated CB unit
in places where the FCC regulates radio communications.
(47CFR95.402) |
| |
| Equipment Requirement |
| An FCC certificated unit is required and identified by
manufacturer's label. The CB station transmitter power
output must not exceed AM (A3)--4 watts (carrier power) SSB--12
watts (peak envelope power).
(47CFR95.409), (47CFR95.410) |
| |
| Territorial Limits |
| CB's may be operated within or over any area of the
world where radio services are regulated by the FCC
including 50 states, DC, Caribbean Insular areas, and
Pacific Insular areas. If you operate a CB within
territorial limits of any foreign government or areas where
radio-communications are regulated by another agency of the
U.S. you are subject its rules. (47CFR95.402), (47CFR95.405),
(47CFR95.406) |
| |
| Travelers to US |
| Travelers to U.S. may operate an FCC certificated CB
unit within U.S. |
| |
| Travelers to Canada |
| Using a CB in Canada is subject to the rules of Industry
Canada. |
| |
| Linear Amplifier Ban |
| Users may not raise power output of CB units, attach a
"linear," "linear amplifier" or other type of power
amplifier, or modify the unit internally.
(47CFR95.409), (47CFR95.411), (47CFR95.425) |
| |
| Antenna Height Restrictions -
Vehicles & Hand-Held |
| None.
(47CFR95.408) |
| |
| Antenna Height Restrictions - Fixed
Locations |
| Highest point of an antenna must not be more than 20
feet above highest point of a building or tree on which it
is mounted or 60 feet above the ground. Lower height
limits apply if within 2 miles of an airport.
(47CFR95.408) |
| |
| Ten Codes Regulation |
| None. You may use a CB station to transmit 2-way
plain language communications (void of coded
messages). Operating signals such as ``ten codes'' are
not considered codes or coded messages.
Click Here for CB-10 Codes
(47CFR95.412) |
| |
| Channels |
| There are 40 shared CB channels. There are no
channels authorized in the CB Radio Service above 27.405 MHz
or below 26.965 MHz. No CB channel is assigned to any
specific individual or organization.
Your CB station may transmit only on the following
channels (frequencies):
Channel............................ Frequency
(megahertz--MHz)
1......................................................26.965
2......................................................26.975
3.....................................................
26.985
4.....................................................
27.005
5.....................................................
27.015
6.....................................................
27.025
7.....................................................
27.035
8.....................................................
27.055 9.................................................
\1\27.065
10....................................................
27.075
11....................................................
27.085
12....................................................
27.105
13....................................................
27.115
14....................................................
27.125
15....................................................
27.135
16....................................................
27.155
17....................................................
27.165
18....................................................
27.175
19....................................................
27.185
20....................................................
27.205
21....................................................
27.215
22....................................................
27.225
23....................................................
27.255
24....................................................
27.235
25....................................................
27.245
26....................................................
27.265
27....................................................
27.275
28....................................................
27.285
29....................................................
27.295
30....................................................
27.305
31....................................................
27.315
32....................................................
27.325
33....................................................
27.335
34....................................................
27.345
35....................................................
27.355
36....................................................
27.365
37....................................................
27.375
38....................................................
27.385
39....................................................
27.395
40....................................................
27.405 (47CFR95.407) |
| |
| Length of Communications |
| Users must never talk with another station for more than
5 minutes continuously and then must wait at least one
minute before starting another communication.
(47CFR95.416), (47CFR95.418) |
| |
| Operating a CB Station Transmitter
by Remote Control |
| You are not allowed to operate a CB transmitter from any
place other than location of CB transmitter.
Direct mechanical or electrical control by
wire from some point on the same premises, craft, or vehicle
as CB transmitter is not considered remote control. You
may operate a CB transmitter by wireline remote control if
you obtain approval in writing from FCC.
(47CFR95.419) |
| |
| Connecting a CB station transmitter
to a telephone |
| Allowed within guidelines such as having someone present
at CB station to manually make the connection and
using a phone patch device which has been registered with
FCC if you connect your CB transmitter to a telephone.
(47CFR95.420) |
| |
| Prohibited Communications |
There are prohibited communications. Examples
include:
- Transmitting one-way communications other than for
emergencies, traveler assistance, radio checks, or voice
paging.
- Transmitting profanity
- Advertising
- Transmitting sound effects for the sole purpose of
attracting attention.
- You may not communicate with stations in other
countries except for General Radio Service stations in
Canada
- You may not communicate with any CB station more
than 250 kilometers (155.3 miles) away.
(47CFR95.412), (47CFR95.413) |
| |
| Emergency or Traveler Assistance |
| You must always
give priority to emergency communications on all channels. Channel 9 may be used only for emergency communications
or for traveler assistance. However, you may use any
channel for this purpose. When you are directly
participating in emergency communications, you do not have
to comply with rule on length of
transmissions. You may also use your CB station to transmit one-way
communications concerning highway conditions to assist travelers.
(47CFR95.407), (47CFR95.412), (47CFR95.418) |
| |
| Trucker's Channel |
| No channel has been designated for truckers by the FCC.
Channel 19 is commonly used as an unofficial trucker's
channel. Channels 10, 17, 21 are a few others that are
regionally used for this purpose. |
| |
| Servicing CB Station
Transmitter |
| You may adjust an antenna to your CB transmitter and
make radio checks. You must have all internal
repairs/adjustments to CB transmitter made in accordance
with Technical Regulations (subpart E). They should be
performed by or under immediate supervision and
responsibility of a person certified as technically
qualified to perform transmitter maintenance and repair
duties in the private land mobile services and fixed
services by an organization or committee representative of
users in those services.
(47CFR95.424), (47CFR95.425) |
| |
| Reporting Violations |
FCC Enforcement Bureau's Divisions:
- Investigations &
Hearing Division - handles matters involving
non-technical broadcast issues such as transmission of
prohibited communications.
- The Spectrum
Enforcement Division - handles issues regarding unlicensed operations and
violations of the Commission's technical rules such as
operation of non-FCC certificated equipment.
|
| |
| Penalties for Violating Rules |
- If FCC find you willfully or repeatedly
violated Communications Act or FCC Rules, you may have to
pay $10,000 a violation up to
$75,000.
- For willfully and knowingly violating any FCC Rule,
a Federal court may impose a fine up to $500 per day for
each day a violation is committed.
- For willfully and knowingly violating any provision
of Communications Act, you may be fined by a Federal
court up to $10,000 or imprisoned for one year, or both.
(47CFR95.421) |
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