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U.S. VHF Marine Radio Channels and Frequencies

HF Single Sideband Maritime Radiotelephone Channels

Channel Number	Ship Transmit MHz	Ship Receive MHz	Use
01A	156.050	156.050	Port Operations and Commercial. VTS in selected areas.
05A	156.250	156.250	Port Operations. VTS in selected areas.
06	156.300	156.300	Intership Safety
07A	156.350	156.350	Commercial
08	156.400	156.400	Commercial (Intership only)
09	156.450	156.450	Boater Calling. Commercial and Non-Commercial.
10	156.500	156.500	Commercial
11	156.550	156.550	Commercial. VTS in selected areas.
12	156.600	156.600	Port Operations. VTS in selected areas.
13	156.650	156.650	Intership Navigation Safety (Bridge-to-bridge). Ships >20m length maintain a listening watch on this channel in US waters.
14	156.700	156.700	Port Operations. VTS in selected areas.
15	--	156.750	Environmental (Receive only). Used by Class C EPIRBs.
16	156.800	156.800	International Distress, Safety and Calling. Ships required to carry radio, USCG, and most coast stations maintain a listening watch on this channel.
17	156.850	156.850	State Control
18A	156.900	156.900	Commercial
19A	156.950	156.950	Commercial
20	157.000	161.600	Port Operations (duplex)
20A	157.000	157.000	Port Operations
21A	157.050	157.050	U.S. Coast Guard only
22A	157.100	157.100	Coast Guard Liaison and Maritime Safety Information Broadcasts. Broadcasts announced on channel 16.
23A	157.150	157.150	U.S. Coast Guard only
24	157.200	161.800	Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)
25	157.250	161.850	Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)
26	157.300	161.900	Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)
27	157.350	161.950	Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)
28	157.400	162.000	Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)
63A	156.175	156.175	Port Operations and Commercial. VTS in selected areas.
65A	156.275	156.275	Port Operations
66A	156.325	156.325	Port Operations
67	156.375	156.375	Commercial. Used for Bridge-to-bridge communications in lower Mississippi River. Intership only.
68	156.425	156.425	Non-Commercial
69	156.475	156.475	Non-Commercial
70	156.525	156.525	Digital Selective Calling (voice communications not allowed)
71	156.575	156.575	Non-Commercial
72	156.625	156.625	Non-Commercial (Intership only)
73	156.675	156.675	Port Operations
74	156.725	156.725	Port Operations
77	156.875	156.875	Port Operations (Intership only)
78A	156.925	156.925	Non-Commercial
79A	156.975	156.975	Commercial. Non-Commercial in Great Lakes only
80A	157.025	157.025	Commercial. Non-Commercial in Great Lakes only
81A	157.075	157.075	U.S. Government only - Environmental protection operations.
82A	157.125	157.125	U.S. Government only
83A	157.175	157.175	U.S. Coast Guard only
84	157.225	161.825	Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)
85	157.275	161.875	Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)
86	157.325	161.925	Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)
87	157.375	161.975	Automatic Identification System duplex repeater
AIS 1	161.975	161.975	Automatic Identification System (AIS)
AIS 2	162.025	162.025	Automatic Identification System (AIS)
88	157.425	162.025	Public Correspondence only near Canadian border.
88A	157.425	157.425	Commercial, Intership only.

Data from the U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Telecommunications Information

NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies, in MHz

WX1	--	162.550
WX2	--	162.400
WX3	--	162.475
WX4	--	162.425
WX5	--	162.450
WX6	--	162.500
WX7	--	162.525

See the NOAA Weather Radio Homepage for more information.

Frequencies are in MHz. Modulation is 16KF3E or 16KG3E.

NOTE: USCG District 1 (Northeast US) is now reserving Channel 16 for Distress and International Hailing only. Channel 9 is now the recommended hailing channel. Once contact is made on a hailing frequency, boaters should switch to a working frequency to engage in conversation. This practice should keep the hailing frequencies relatively clear of "idle chatter".

Note that the letter "A" indicates simplex use of the ship station transmit side of an international duplex channel, and that operations are different than international operations on that channel. Some VHF transceivers are equipped with an "International - U.S." switch for that purpose. "A" channels are generally only used in the United States, and use is normally not recognized or allowed outside the U.S. The letter "B" indicates simplex use of the coast station transmit side of an international duplex channel. The U.S. does not currently use "B" channels for simplex communications in this band.

Boaters should normally use channels listed as Non-Commercial. Channel 16 is used for calling other stations or for distress alerting. Channel 13 should be used to contact a ship when there is danger of collision. All ships of length 20m or greater are required to guard VHF channel 13, in addition to VHF channel 16, when operating within U.S. territorial waters. Users may be fined by the FCC for improper use of these channels.

The chart below summarizes a portion of the FCC rules -- 47 CFR 80.371(c) and 80.373(f)
Data from the Federal Communications Commission - Marine Service Division
Type of Message	Appropriate channel(s)
DISTRESS SAFETY AND CALLING - Use this channel to get the attention of another station (calling) or in emergencies (distress and safety).	16
INTERSHIP SAFETY - Use this channel for ship-to-ship safety messages and for search and rescue messages and ships and aircraft of the Coast Guard.	6
COAST GUARD LIAISON - Use this channel to talk to the Coast Guard (but first make contact on Channel 16).	22
NONCOMMERCIAL - Working channels for voluntary boats. Messages must be about the needs of the ship. Typical uses include fishing reports, rendezvous,scheduling repairs and berthing information. Use Channels 67 and 72 only for ship-to-ship messages.	9(fn6), 68, 69, 71, 72, 78, 79(fn4), 80(fn4), 67(fn7).
COMMERCIAL - Working channels for working ships only. Messages must be about business or the needs of the ship. Use channels 8, 67, 72 and 88 only for ship-to-ship messages.	1(fn5), 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 18, 19, 63(fn5), 67, 72(fn7), 79, 80, 88(fn1)
PUBLIC CORRESPONDENCE (MARINE OPERATOR) - Use these channels to call the marine operator at a public coast station. By contacting a public coast station, you can make and receive calls from telephones on shore. Except for distress calls, public coast stations usually charge for this service.	24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88(fn2)
PORT OPERATIONS - These channels are used in directing the movement of ships in or near ports, locks or waterways. Messages must be about the operational handling movement and safety of ships. In certain major ports, Channels 11,12 and are not available for general port operations messages. Use channel 20 only for ship-to-coast messages. Channel 77 is limited to intership communications to and from pilots	1(fn5), 5(fn3), 12, 14, 20, 63(fn5), 65, 66, 73, 74, 77
NAVIGATIONAL - (Also known as the bridge-to-bridge channel.) This channel is available to all ships. Messages must be about ship navigation, for example, passing or meeting other ships. You must keep your messages short. Your power output must not be more than one watt. This is also the main working channel at most locks and drawbridges.	13, 67
MARITIME CONTROL - This channel may be used to talk to ships and coast stations operated by state or local governments. Messages must pertain to regulation and control, boating activities, or assistance to ships.	17
DIGITAL SELECTIVE CALLING - Use this channel for distress and safety calling and for general purpose calling using only digital selective calling techniques.	70
WEATHER - On these channels you may receive weather broadcasts of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. These channels are only for receiving. You cannot transmit on them.	Wx-1 162.55 Wx-2 162.4 Wx-3 162.475

Footnotes to table

Not available in the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence Seaway, or the Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca and its approaches.
Only for use In the Great Lakes, St Lawrence Seaway, and Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de fuca and its approaches.
Available only In the Houston and New Orleans areas.
Available only in the Great Lakes.
Available only In the New Orleans area.
Available for Intership, ship, and coast general purpose calling by noncommercial ships.
Available only In the Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

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