FRS is license free but low power on shared channels. GMRS needs a $35 license and is built around personal and family use. Part 90 business licensing is the route for commercial operations that need coordinated frequencies nobody else in the area is using. For most businesses the real choice is between FRS, which you can deploy today, and Part 90, which costs more to set up and delivers interference free operation.
The short version
| FRS | GMRS | Part 90 business | |
|---|---|---|---|
| License required | No | Yes | Yes |
| Cost | None | $35 for ten years | FCC fee plus frequency coordination |
| Exam | None | None | None |
| Power | 2 W on channels 1 to 7 and 15 to 22, 0.5 W on 8 to 14 | Up to 50 W on the main 462 MHz channels | Set by your license |
| Antenna | Fixed to the radio | Removable permitted | Removable permitted |
| Repeaters | Not permitted | Permitted | Permitted |
| Channels | 22 shared | 30 | Assigned to you |
| Business use | Permitted | Structured for family use | Designed for it |
| Interference risk | High, shared with everyone | Moderate | Low, coordinated |
FRS: license free, shared, immediate
FRS operates on 22 channels in the 462 and 467 MHz range. It is licensed by rule, meaning that if you follow the operating rules you are authorized, with no application and no fee. Effective radiated power is capped at 2 watts on channels 1 to 7 and 15 to 22, and 0.5 watts on channels 8 to 14, and antennas must be fixed to the radio.
Since the FCC's rule changes, FRS may be used for business as well as personal purposes. That matters, because a large number of small businesses run legitimately on FRS radios and do not need to go further.
What you give up: exclusivity. Those 22 channels are shared with every other FRS and GMRS user in range. In a quiet industrial estate that is a non issue. In a shopping center, a dense retail park or a busy hospital campus, you will hear other businesses on your channel and they will hear you, including anything your staff say. You also cannot use a repeater, so your coverage ceiling is whatever handheld to handheld reaches.
Buy FRS when: your site is compact, your comms are routine coordination rather than sensitive, and you want radios working the day they arrive. Our license-free two-way radios range covers these models, with the Motorola CLS series radios and Motorola CLP series radios being the usual choices for retail and hospitality floors.
GMRS: licensed, more power, family oriented
GMRS shares frequencies with FRS but permits substantially more: up to 50 watts on the main 462 MHz channels for mobile, base and repeater stations, removable antennas, and repeater operation. The license costs $35, runs ten years, and requires no exam. Application takes a few minutes through the FCC's Universal Licensing System.
The catch for businesses: a GMRS license is issued to an individual and covers that person's immediate family under one call sign. It is not structured for a company issuing radios to employees. A business that needs licensed operation should be looking at Part 90, not GMRS.
Choose GMRS when: the use is genuinely personal or family, such as an owner operator, a family run property, or recreational use alongside the business.
Part 90: the commercial answer
Part 90 covers private land mobile radio, which is what professional two-way radio systems run on. The license is issued to your business and authorizes specific frequencies, at a specified power, across a defined area. Terms run ten years.
The value is coordination. Applications go through a frequency coordinator who checks what is already in use in your area and assigns you frequencies that are not saturated. You are not sharing 22 channels with the whole neighbourhood, which means your system still works during your busiest hour, when shared channels are at their worst.
You also unlock the full commercial hardware range: higher power handhelds, repeaters, mobile and base stations, and the digital feature set that makes larger deployments manageable.
Choose Part 90 when: communications are operationally important, your site is large or multi building, you need a repeater, you handle anything sensitive over the air, or you have already tried FRS and been beaten by congestion. Our business two-way radios and MOTOTRBO digital two-way radios ranges cover the Part 90 capable hardware, and we can arrange the coordination and filing with you.
The fourth option people forget
Nationwide LTE radios sidestep the entire question. Devices such as the WAVE PTX line push to talk over cellular networks rather than over frequencies you must be licensed to use, so no FCC license is required and coverage is wherever the carrier reaches, not wherever your antenna reaches.
They carry an ongoing subscription rather than a license, and they depend on cellular coverage, so they are the wrong answer deep inside a steel warehouse and the right answer for teams spread across a city or a region. See our nationwide LTE radios.
Worth noting alongside these: the Motorola Curve DLR110 operates license free but adds Wi-Fi connectivity, which extends what a license-free radio can do without pulling you into licensing.
How to decide
- Is your site one compact building or floor? If yes, and the airwaves in your area are not congested, FRS is likely sufficient. Start there.
- Do you need a repeater to cover the site? If yes, FRS is out. Repeaters are not permitted on FRS.
- Is anything said over the radio sensitive? Security incidents, medical information, cash movements. If yes, shared channels are a poor fit and you want licensed frequencies.
- Are your teams beyond one site? If they are spread across a region, LTE radios beat any licensed RF system on cost and simplicity.
- Is this personal or family use? Only then is GMRS the right fit.
If you are still unsure whether you need a license at all, our guide on whether you need an FCC license covers the question directly. Or tell us your building type and headcount and we will scope it with you.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use FRS radios for my business?
Yes. Following the FCC's rule changes, FRS radios may be used for business purposes as well as personal ones, with no license required.
Is GMRS better than FRS?
GMRS permits far more power, removable antennas and repeaters, so it is more capable. It also requires a license, and that license is structured around personal and family use rather than business deployment.
What is the difference between GMRS and a business radio license?
GMRS is licensed to an individual and covers their immediate family on shared channels. A Part 90 business license is issued to a company and provides coordinated frequencies assigned specifically to that business.
Do FRS radios interfere with GMRS radios?
They share the same frequencies, so yes, FRS and GMRS users hear each other. This is the main practical limitation of staying license free in a busy area.
Can I use a repeater with FRS radios?
No. Repeater operation is not permitted on FRS. If your site needs a repeater to achieve coverage, you need GMRS or a Part 90 business license.
How long does it take to get a business radio license?
GMRS licenses are typically granted within a few business days of filing. Part 90 takes longer because frequency coordination happens before the application is submitted to the FCC.
Which service do most businesses end up on?
Small single site operations frequently run well on FRS. Larger sites, multi building operations and anyone needing a repeater or handling sensitive traffic move to Part 90. Teams spread across a region increasingly go to nationwide LTE radios instead.