I have a Baofeng UV-5r and was wondering what type of license do you have to have to use these? Is it an Amateur Radio License? A GMRS License? Where Can I get this License from? I am also hearing that it has to be a FCC License. Where can I get that from? Please post a link to where I can get the license.
Do you want to be a radio ham? Fancy the test and the little bit of learning you have to do?
Hams can only talk to other hams - is this what you would like to do?
As for the other licences, I’m in the UK, so can’t speak for that radio’s allowability on your bands. Here in the UK, it wouldn’t be legal on any band the public usually have access to. Our version of the licence free system you have in the US has rules that the baofengs cannot satisfy.
The Baofeng UV-5R is legal for amateur (ham) and business use in the US. It is FCC Part 90 type accepted for use as a business radio, so if you have a license for a business frequency or if you are a licensed ham operator the UV-5R is acceptable.
The UV-5R is not legal for use on FRS, GMRS or MURS in the US.
If you are in the US, you must pass a test to receive the ham license, however, the cost is very low (under $15). The test is administered by other licensed hams who are also authorized Volunteer Examiners (VE)s managed by Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (VECs). An example of a VEC is the Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL).
Many amateur radio clubs offer study classes and testing for ham radio licenses.
Episode 57 of The Two Way Radio Show Podcast covers the steps for obtaining a ham license in detail.
Rick, that means effectively the law in the US and UK is identical. Our business radio and the ham fraternity are the two OK systems, and we only have one ‘public’ system, PMR446, where the UV-5 is too powerful and has a detachable antenna - which rule it out. Our ham training system is similar, run by the RSGB, who organise the testing and training (although the training is optional, if you can find a club willing to just run the test for you). Nice we are reading the same hymn sheet!