UK amateur radio licence path for mesh users

Most people who run Meshtastic or MeshCore in the UK need no licence at all. A UK amateur licence is for people who want to use amateur bands, such as 70 cm, or run amateur data networks like AREDN. This guide explains what it changes and what it does not.

Do you need a licence?

The practical upside of a licence for a LoRa user is operating on an amateur band with Meshtastic's ITU1_70CM region (430.0 to 440.0 MHz, 100% duty cycle and a 30 dBm ceiling in Meshtastic's table), within the OFW611 limits below. Meshtastic says its listed power limit is the ceiling the firmware applies, not your national limit.

The three tiers and the exam

UK amateur licences come in Foundation, Intermediate and Full levels. Ofcom changed the framework on 21 February 2024: all licences were effectively varied that day, and the changes include higher maximum powers in most bands, optional Regional Secondary Locators, and allowing anyone to operate under a licensee's supervision. Ofcom's plan document gave maximum powers of 25 W PEP for Foundation, 100 W PEP for Intermediate "in bands where the Full licence currently permits operation at 400 Watts PEP", and 1000 W PEP for Full "in bands where amateur radio has a primary allocation". Those are headline figures from the plan document. We could not reliably read the per-class limits for 430 to 440 MHz from OFW611, so check the table for your class and band in the booklet rather than relying on this page.

Exam fees from the RSGB, as read 29 October 2026 (fees in effect from 1 May 2024):

From the RSGB's candidate FAQ:

• Applying for the Ofcom licence online is free. A paper application carries a processing fee.
• Your pass certificate carries a candidate number that you need for the Ofcom application. Ofcom can take up to five working days.
• Online Full exam results are immediate; paper results take about a week.
• If you fail a lower exam you cannot progress, and you forfeit the higher-exam fees if you sat several the same day.
• Under-21s in full-time education can apply to the Radio Communications Foundation for help with exam fees.

We could not confirm the Foundation exam's format (number of questions or pass mark) or whether exams for all three levels are available online, so we state neither. Ask the RSGB or a local club.

The licence continues until revoked or surrendered, but clause 1(g) of OFW611 says contact details must be confirmed every five years or Ofcom may revoke it.

What the licence allows for mesh

Clauses of OFW611 (published 21 February 2024) relevant to a LoRa or data mesh:

• Clause 4: use is for self-training, technical investigation or leisure, "not for commercial purposes of any kind".
• Clause 5: you may assist communications "in times of disaster or local, national, international emergency", support user services, or take part in exercises.
• Data Station (clauses 17 and 18): a Data Station may be operated, but not controlled, by other radio amateurs without supervision at no more than 5 W ERP. Intermediate, Full, Full (Club) and Full (Temporary Reciprocal) licensees may use more than 5 W up to 25 W ERP if the station is identified with a call sign allocated and published by the RSGB (or another body Ofcom names), can show reasonable steps to minimise interference, can close down within two hours of Ofcom's request, and takes all reasonable steps to ensure only an amateur uses it.
• Clause 19: unless the Radio Equipment is being used for the purposes of clause 5 (disaster or emergency assistance), transmissions may be addressed only to amateur stations and must not be encrypted "for the purpose of obscuring their meaning" (with an exception for amateur-satellite control).
• Clause 20: no transmissions for general reception, except initial calls, nets of three or more amateurs and beacon or data-station messages "for reception by Amateurs".
• Clause 21: your station must be clearly identifiable at all times; send your call sign as frequently as is practicable.

Ofcom's plan document lists "RF mesh networks" among Data Station uses. Note the units. The Data Station caps are in ERP (5 W or 25 W), while the class limits are in PEP. A Full licence's 1000 W PEP in a primary band is not a licence to run LoRa at 1 kW; the Data Station clause caps it at 25 W ERP. ERP includes antenna gain, so count the antenna when you set transmit power.

Some 70 cm segments have restrictions. In the table we read for one class, 438 to 440 MHz was not available within 100 km of Charing Cross. Read OFW611 for your class before choosing a frequency.

Meshtastic licensed mode

Meshtastic's docs say the ITU1_*, ITU2_* and ITU3_* regions are amateur radio allocations and can only be selected in licensed mode. Do not use them without an amateur licence. Encryption is not permitted and you must transmit your call sign. In the user configuration, "Is Licensed (ham)" is the flag; the long name should be your call sign, and the channel PSK should be empty, which removes encryption.

The trade-off is real. A licensed-mode node sends unencrypted traffic addressed to amateurs, so you lose private channels and the public mesh. In our reading of clauses 19 and 20, a ham-mode node forwarding encrypted traffic from unlicensed users on an amateur band would be at odds with the licence, because transmissions must be addressed to amateur stations only. Neither Ofcom nor Meshtastic settles this in what we read, so we recommend a separate amateur-only mesh and not mixing it with the public 868 MHz mesh. Do not treat "ham mode on the normal mesh" as settled.

For Wi-Fi-based amateur meshes, see AREDN and AREDN vs community Wi-Fi mesh. For the privacy rules around these, see privacy and encryption.

Next steps

1. Decide whether you need amateur bands at all. If you only want 868 MHz, start with flash Meshtastic.
2. Find a local radio club and check the RSGB's exam pages for how to book; we did not research course providers.
3. Read OFW611 and Ofcom's information for licensees before transmitting.

FAQ

Do I need a licence to use Meshtastic in the UK?

Not on 868 MHz (EU_868) within Ofcom's limits. You need an amateur licence only to use amateur bands such as 70 cm.

Does a ham licence let me use more power on 868 MHz?

No. There is no amateur allocation at 868 MHz, so the licence-exempt 500 mW e.r.p. and duty-cycle limits still apply.

How much does the UK amateur exam cost?

As read on 29 October 2026, the RSGB lists Foundation at £35.50, Intermediate £39.00, Full £45.00 and Direct to Full £95.00. Applying to Ofcom online is free.

Can I use encryption on an amateur radio mesh?

Not to obscure meaning. OFW611 clause 19 bars it, with an exception for amateur-satellite control and a carve-out for use under clause 5 (disaster or emergency assistance), which clause 19 does not apply to. Meshtastic's licensed mode removes encryption.