PMR446 is Europe's licence-free two-way radio standard: 16 analogue channels around 446 MHz, maximum 500 milliwatts of power, and a fixed (non-removable) antenna. Any radio meeting those limits can be used in the UK — and across the EU — by anyone, with no licence or registration.

Can PMR446 be used across Europe?

Yes. PMR446 is harmonised across the EU and most of wider Europe, which is why the same handsets work licence-free on a UK campsite and a French ski slope alike.

Do privacy codes make PMR446 private?

No. CTCSS/DCS 'privacy codes' only stop your radio playing transmissions that don't carry your code — everyone on the channel can still hear you. For genuine privacy you need digital licensed radio or network radio.

PMR446 Explained: The UK's Licence-Free Walkie Talkie Standard

Those £30 twin-packs work without paperwork because of one European standard. PMR446 sets three limits — frequency, power, antenna — and understanding them tells you exactly what these radios can and can't do.

The rules of the band

PMR446 gives everyone shared, free access to sixteen channels around 446 MHz (446.0–446.2 MHz), at a maximum of 500 milliwatts, from a fixed antenna. Meet all three limits and no licence is needed — in the UK or anywhere in the EU, which is why the same handset is legal on a Cornish campsite and an Alpine piste. The band began with eight analogue channels in the late 1990s; the extension to sixteen became UK-wide in 2018. Digital PMR446 (dPMR446 and DMR Tier I) shares the allocation, offering crisper audio at the same power limit.

Why those limits exist: 500 mW and a fixed antenna deliberately cap range so thousands of users can share sixteen channels without coordinating. Licence-free works because it's short-range — that's the design, not a flaw.

What the limits mean in practice

Range is modest by design. Realistically 0.5–2 km in towns, more line-of-sight — the full picture (and why the box says 10 km) is in the range guide.
Channels are shared. In a busy town or at an event you will hear other people, and they'll hear you. Channel-plus-code combinations reduce annoyance, not eavesdropping.
"Privacy codes" filter, they don't encrypt. CTCSS/DCS codes stop your speaker playing other groups' chatter — nothing more. Anyone tuned to the channel hears everything.
The antenna can't be upgraded. A fixed antenna is part of the standard — radios with removable antennas advertising PMR446 use are a red flag import.

Analogue or digital PMR446?

Analogue remains the default and every PMR446 radio speaks it — maximum compatibility, lowest price. Digital PMR446 sounds cleaner at the edge of range and holds quality until the link drops rather than fading into hiss, but different digital flavours don't interoperate with each other, and digital handsets cost more. For mixed groups and casual use, analogue is still the sensible answer; for a small business standardising on one fleet, digital PMR446 is a genuine step up without the licence.

Where PMR446 stops making sense

Three signals you've outgrown the band: you need coverage across a large or steel-heavy site (power limit says no); strangers on your channels have become a working problem (shared band says tough); or radios have become operationally critical for a business (build quality and accountability say upgrade). The next steps are either an Ofcom licensed system — £75 for five years buys power, coordinated channels and business-grade kit — or a network radio if your team is spread across town rather than one site.

Quick answers

What is PMR446?

Europe's licence-free radio standard: 16 channels at 446 MHz, 500 mW max, fixed antenna. Meet the limits, skip the licence.

Does PMR446 work abroad?

Across the EU and most of Europe, yes — the band is harmonised, which is exactly why ski-trip radios are legal in France.

Are privacy codes private?

No — they're squelch filters. Everyone on the channel can hear you; the codes just keep your speaker quiet when others talk.

PMR446: the standard behind every licence-free walkie talkie