If you have landed on aprs.world without an amateur radio licence — maybe through a search for live tracking, ham radio frequencies, or "what is APRS" — and you want to actually transmit, this guide is for you. Listening to APRS, watching the live map, reading every guide on this site is all free and requires no licence. But the moment you want to put a packet on the air with your own callsign, you need a ticket.
The good news: in nearly every country, the entry-level amateur licence is reachable in a few weeks of casual study, costs less than dinner for two, and unlocks lifetime access to a worldwide hobby. The exam is multiple-choice in most jurisdictions; there is no Morse code requirement in any modern licence regime (Morse was dropped in the U.S. in 2007 and in most other countries around the same time).
This guide covers six countries with the largest English-language search interest, plus a general path that adapts to any country not specifically named. Regulations change. Every detail in this guide should be confirmed against the linked official agency before you sit an exam. We have tried to be accurate as of late 2026 but offer no warranty against rule changes.
A short detour into the "why" before the "how". Amateur radio uses chunks of valuable radio spectrum — VHF (2 m), UHF (70 cm), HF (40 m, 20 m, 15 m, 10 m and others) — that is shared internationally under ITU treaty. Governments allocate this spectrum to amateurs on the condition that operators demonstrate basic technical knowledge: how their equipment works, how to avoid interfering with other services, basic safety, and the regulations that apply to their station.
The exam exists to make sure transmitters on those frequencies are operated by people who understand they are sharing a finite resource with maritime, aeronautical, satellite, and other amateur stations worldwide. Once you pass it, you receive a callsign — a unique identifier issued by your national regulator — and a printed (or electronic) authorisation to transmit. The callsign is yours for life in most jurisdictions, renewable on a long cycle (typically 5-10 years).
The U.S. amateur licence has three classes: Technician (entry), General (most HF privileges), and Amateur Extra (full privileges including all HF sub-bands). Each is a separate written exam administered by Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (VECs) authorised by the FCC. There is no Morse code requirement at any level.
The Technician class is the entry point and is sufficient for full VHF/UHF privileges — which is everything APRS needs on 144.390 MHz (the U.S. APRS frequency). The Technician exam is 35 multiple-choice questions drawn from a published pool of around 400 questions. Pass mark: 26/35 (~74%).
Study path:
Once you have your call you can transmit immediately on all Technician privileges. The General and Extra exams are separate later upgrades.
Official agency: Federal Communications Commission.
The U.K. amateur licence has three levels: Foundation (entry), Intermediate (mid-tier with additional power), and Full (all privileges). The regulator is Ofcom and the exams are administered by the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB).
The Foundation licence is sufficient for VHF/UHF APRS (144.800 MHz in the U.K.) at the Foundation power limit (25 W maximum). The Foundation exam is 26 multiple-choice questions, pass mark 19/26.
Study path:
Official agencies: Ofcom (regulator) and RSGB (exam administration).
The German amateur licence is administered by the Bundesnetzagentur (BNetzA) and tested by clubs licensed by the BNetzA. Since 2024 there are three classes: N (Newcomer), E (entry, formerly "Class E"), and A (full, formerly "Class A").
The N class is a recent introduction (2024) aimed at very-easy entry, with reduced syllabus and lower power limit. The E class is the traditional entry licence and is widely held. The A class is the full licence including all HF privileges.
For APRS (144.800 MHz in Germany), the E class is comfortably sufficient. The E exam covers technical principles, regulations, and operating procedure across three written subtests.
Study path:
Official agency: Bundesnetzagentur.
Japan has the world's largest amateur population by some counts. The licence is administered by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC, 総務省) and exams are run by the Japan Amateur Radio League (JARL).
There are four classes: Fourth Class (4級, entry), Third Class (3級), Second Class (2級), and First Class (1級, full HF privileges). The Fourth Class licence is sufficient for VHF APRS in Japan (144.640 / 144.660 MHz) at the Fourth Class power limit.
The Fourth Class exam is multiple-choice and covers basic electronics, operating procedure, and law. Many test sessions are run regularly across the country; some online options have been introduced in recent years.
Study path:
Official agency: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (the JARL is the volunteer society, not the regulator).
Turkey's amateur licence is administered by Bilgi Teknolojileri ve İletişim Kurumu (BTK), the national telecommunications authority. There are three classes: TAY-C (entry), TAY-B (mid), TAY-A (full). The associated volunteer society is TRAC (Telsiz Radyo Amatörleri Cemiyeti).
The TAY-C licence is sufficient for VHF APRS in Turkey (144.800 MHz) at the entry-level power limit. The exam covers basic technical concepts, operating procedure, and Turkish radio regulations.
Study path:
Official agency: BTK. Society: TRAC.
Australia's amateur licence is administered by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) with exams delivered by the Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) and other approved assessors.
The three classes are Foundation, Standard, and Advanced. The Foundation licence is sufficient for VHF APRS in Australia (145.175 MHz) at the Foundation power limit (10 W maximum).
Study path:
Official agency: ACMA. Society: WIA.
Canada has two licence classes: Basic (entry) and Advanced (full HF privileges). The regulator is Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) and the society is Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC).
The Basic licence is sufficient for VHF APRS in Canada (144.390 MHz). A Basic licence with "Honours" mark (80%+ on the exam) unlocks HF privileges as well.
Study path:
Official agency: ISED. Society: RAC.
If your country is not in the list above, the path is structurally the same in nearly every jurisdiction:
Across nearly every entry-level amateur exam worldwide, the syllabus covers similar ground:
None of this is hard. It is roughly the level of a high-school physics chapter on electricity, with some specific rules layered on top. Many beginners pass after a few weekends of study.
Once you have your callsign, the next steps for APRS specifically:
Welcome in advance. The amateur radio community is, in the experience of most who have joined it, one of the friendliest technical communities anywhere.
The licence is the smallest hurdle in this hobby. Clear it and the rest of amateur radio opens up — APRS included.