How to Licence Two Way Radios in Canada
Information about Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), formerly Industry Canada, radio licences
The short version: you do not have to deal with ISED yourself.
B.C. Communications applies for the licence on your behalf: choosing a frequency, working out antenna height, power and effective radiated power, completing the forms and dealing with the department directly. Most of our customers never speak to ISED at all. Tell us where the radios will be used and how many you have, and we will quote the licence and the paperwork together.
Just as it is important to have a licence plate on a car, a land mobile/base (LMR) radio must have a radio frequency licence to be legally operated. It is unlawful to transmit without a valid licence unless the transmitter is licence-exempt. Significant fines can be levied to users of LMR radios that are not licenced.
LMR radios are different from marine radios. A person must be licenced to operate a marine radio (Radio Operators Certificate). This is similar to having a driver’s licence. However, LMR radios do not require an individual to have a licence. Rather, the company or organization must licence and pay for a frequency, along with the number and types of radios in use.
The larger the area that you want to use licenced radios, the more difficult it is to get a licence. This is because there is very little radio spectrum available and it must be shared amongst tens of thousands of users. ISED has special software to figure out what frequency to issue you so it won’t interfere with other radios. Note that most licences are for radios to be used at a specific geographic location and radius. A one-kilometre radius is common. Unlicenced radios cause huge problems for licenced radios they interfere with.
Handheld portable radios and vehicle mounted radios (both considered “mobile radios”) are licenced differently than fixed base stations. As of April 2024, the cost per mobile is $49.17 per year regardless of the number of individual frequencies on the licence.
Fixed stations (e.g. base stations, repeaters, etc.) cost a lot more per year to licence and are more complex in their rates. Each frequency programmed into each fixed station is subject to its own fee. The fixed station frequency fee varies by region and other factors. This is true even if the base station has a small antenna and is used for low power applications. For larger organizations, sophisticated trunking systems such as Motorola’s Capacity Plus/Max can save yearly ISED fees because they are more spectrally efficient. Ask us to work out which is cheaper over five years for your fleet.
Radio licences for a specific location are usually issued as low power assignments. This means that the radio output is limited to 4 or 5 watts. This is important to know, since the default setting on vehicle and base radios is commonly 25-45 watts.
Low power fixed base station licences also limit antenna height to 5 metres above the ground. Indoor antennas are allowed up to 30 metres from ground level. Above this height the output is limited to 1 watt. External antennas can only be a maximum of 15 metres above ground at 1 watt. Low power is used to allow ISED to reuse assigned channels for other companies just out of range.
Licensing is the responsibility of B.C. Communications when you rent radio equipment (unless specified otherwise) and is shown separately as a licence fee, also called airtime. When renting radios, you are renting frequency that is licenced to B.C. Communications. This avoids you having to go through the hassle of getting your own licence.
Licences are issued by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), the government body responsible for radio spectrum. Typically, licences are issued April 1 to March 31, which is the common billing cycle for ISED.
Licence fees are due by March 31st each year. If we hold or manage your licence, call us first at 604-985-0340 with any billing or renewal question. We deal with the department every week and can usually sort it out faster than you can on your own. ISED’s own Lower Mainland line is 604-930-8691 if you would rather go direct.
It is very important not to let your radio licences lapse. If you do, you will have to go through the hassle of re-licensing all your radios and probably won’t get your specific frequency back. This has the additional effect of requiring you to re-program your entire fleet of radios when your replacement licence is issued. For this reason, it is always best to pay your fee annually and on time, so you don’t have to go through another licence application process. We can put your renewal on our calendar so it does not get missed.
Let us file the application for you
For a service fee, B.C. Communications can apply to ISED for a licence on your behalf. It takes two to three hours to fill out the necessary forms, which includes navigating the complexities of antenna beam width, decibels and effective radiated power. Better to leave it to the experts. Our administrative service fee depends on the complexity of the application.
Talk to us before you talk to ISED.
Tell us where the radios will be used, how many you have and whether any of them are base stations or repeaters. We will tell you what ISED charges per year, what the application involves and what our service fee comes to, usually in the same phone call. If you buy or rent radios from us, licensing is simply part of the job.
Or call 604-985-0340 · Toll free 1-800-663-9342 · Unit 106, 1515 Barrow Street, North Vancouver · Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm
Once we have spoken: the Agent Retention Form
In order for us to access your profile and complete the application on your behalf, you will need to complete an Agent Retention Form.
Download the Agent Retention Form using the link below, complete it, sign it and scan it back to us. Note: you will need to download the form and open it with Acrobat Reader to view it. If you open it in a web browser you will not be able to view it. If you have any questions or need assistance, contact us and we will walk you through it.
Download the Agent Retention Form (PDF)
Radios we licence
Every radio we sell can be supplied licensed and programmed, ready to use. Browse portable two-way radios and mobile radios and base-stations, or see the current ISED fee schedule for what a licence will cost you per year. Not sure what you need? Tell us about your site and we will put together radios, programming and the licence as one quote.