Jump to content

Amateur radio licensing in the United Kingdom

From HamWiki
(Redirected from Ofcom)
Amateur radio licensing in the United Kingdom
RegulatorOfcom
LevelsFoundation, Intermediate, Full
ExamsRun by the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB)
License termLifetime, revalidated at least every five years
Power and fees
Foundation25 W PEP on most bands
Intermediate100 W PEP on most bands
Full1,000 W PEP where amateurs have a primary allocation
FeeFree online; £20 on paper
Call signs
FoundationM3, M6, M7
IntermediateM8, M9 (formerly 2E0, 2E1 and similar)
FullG and M series, such as G4 and M0
Regional locatorsE, M, W, I, D, J, U

Amateur radio licensing in the United Kingdom is the responsibility of Ofcom, the national communications regulator. Ofcom issues licenses at three levels, Foundation, Intermediate and Full, each earned by passing an exam run by the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB).[1] A UK license lasts for life, provided the holder revalidates it at least every five years.[1] Ofcom overhauled the license in February 2024, raising power limits and loosening many restrictions, and made further call sign changes in October 2025.[2] For how the UK compares with other countries, see Amateur radio licensing around the world.

License levels

Level Maximum power (PEP) Notes
Foundation 25 W on most bands Entry level; may build equipment and use 2.4 GHz and parts of 5 GHz at up to 2 W[3]
Intermediate 100 W on most bands More technical knowledge and practical skills
Full 1,000 W where amateurs have a primary allocation; 400 W on most others Widest privileges; meets the European HAREC exam standard[4]

Some bands have their own limits. On the 4-meter band, 70.0 to 70.5 MHz, a Full holder may run 160 watts, and on 1.850 to 2.000 MHz, the upper part of 160 meters, Intermediate and Full holders are held to 32 watts.[3] Only Full holders may use the 472–479 kHz band and the UK's 60-meter allocations, a series of segments between 5258.5 and 5406.5 kHz with a limit of 100 watts.[3] Ofcom also requires licensees to check RF exposure compliance before running more than 10 watts EIRP.[1]

The 2024 and 2025 changes

Ofcom published its decisions in December 2023 after a public consultation,[5] and the new license terms took effect in February 2024.[6] Before then the most a Full holder could use was 400 watts.[7] The main changes were:

  • Higher power at every level, to the figures in the table above.
  • Foundation holders may build their own equipment and use 2.4 GHz and parts of 5 GHz.
  • Remote operation over the internet is open to all levels.[8]
  • Supervised use: a licensee may let an unlicensed person operate the station under direct supervision.[8]
  • Fewer special permissions: several activities that once needed a separate Notice of Variation (NoV), such as some beacons and gateways, became part of the license itself.[7]
  • Lifetime licenses were kept.

A second stage followed in October 2025, when Ofcom's online licensing portal began handling call sign changes. Licensees can now propose a call sign of their choice, subject to availability, but may change their personal call sign only once every five years.[2] A surrendered or revoked call sign is not reissued for five years. Going forward each person holds a single personal license, and moving up a level revokes the lower one.[2]

Exams and applying

The exams are administered by the RSGB. The Foundation exam has 26 multiple-choice questions and lasts an hour; most candidates take it online, either at home with a remote invigilator (supervisor) watching over video or at a club.[9] Candidates normally pass each level in turn, but anyone may instead take a two-part "Direct to Full" exam, passed in a single sitting.[10] It is designed mainly for people who already have technical training.[11] A successful candidate receives a pass certificate and candidate number from the RSGB, then applies to Ofcom.

Applying online is free; a paper or email application costs £20, except for applicants over 75.[1] Revalidation is done through the same online system by confirming or updating contact details. If a licensee fails to revalidate within five years, Ofcom may revoke the license.[12]

Call signs

UK call signs begin with G, M or 2, and the prefix shows the license level. Foundation calls begin M3, M6 or M7, and new Foundation licensees receive M7 calls.[1] Intermediate holders were long issued calls in the 2 series, such as 2E0 and 2E1; since October 2025 new Intermediate licensees receive M8 or M9 calls, and existing holders may switch to the matching M8 or M9 call.[2] Full calls include the G series and M0, M1 and M5, and some very old calls have only two letters after the digit.[1]

A regional secondary locator (RSL) is a letter inserted as the second character to show where the station is. Since 2024 it is optional, except on Intermediate calls in the 2 series, which must always include one.[1]

Area RSL Example
England E 2E0, GE, ME
Scotland M GM, MM
Wales W GW, MW
Northern Ireland I GI, MI
Isle of Man D GD, MD
Jersey J GJ, MJ
Guernsey U GU, MU

Club stations held under a Full license use different letters, such as S for Scotland and C for Wales.[1] Special event stations use calls beginning GB.[1] See Call signs.

Revalidating takes a few minutes online. Keep your email address up to date with Ofcom, because a license that goes five years without being revalidated can be revoked.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Amateur Radio Guidance, Ofcom, February 2024.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Implementing Phase 2 and 3 of the Amateur Radio Review, Ofcom, October 2025.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Amateur Radio Wireless Telegraphy Licence Conditions Booklet (OFW611), Ofcom, February 2024.
  4. ↑ Recommendation T/R 61-02: Harmonised Amateur Radio Examination Certificate, CEPT.
  5. ↑ Statement: Updating the amateur radio licensing framework, Ofcom.
  6. ↑ Information for amateur radio licensees, Ofcom.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Updating the Amateur Radio licensing framework: overview of key changes, Ofcom.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Updating the amateur radio licensing framework: statement, Ofcom, December 2023.
  9. ↑ Foundation Licence, RSGB.
  10. ↑ Exams: candidates, RSGB.
  11. ↑ Direct to Full Licence, RSGB.
  12. ↑ UK amateur licensing, RSGB.
Retrieved from "https://hamwiki.org/index.php?title=Amateur_radio_licensing_in_the_United_Kingdom&oldid=3151"