RADIO FREQUENCY DEVICES

• Citation: 47 CFR Part 15
• Sections: 120

§ 15.1 Scope of this part.

(a) This part sets out the regulations under which an intentional, unintentional, or incidental radiator may be operated without an individual license. It also contains the technical specifications, administrative requirements and other conditions relating to the marketing of part 15 devices.

(b) The operation of an intentional or unintentional radiator that is not in accordance with the regulations in this part must be licensed pursuant to the provisions of section 301 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, unless otherwise exempted from the licensing requirements elsewhere in this chapter.

(c) Unless specifically exempted, the operation or marketing of an intentional or unintentional radiator that is not in compliance with the administrative and technical provisions in this part, including prior equipment authorization, as appropriate, is prohibited under section 302 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, and subpart I of part 2 of this chapter. The equipment authorization procedures are detailed in subpart J of part 2 of this chapter.

§ 15.3 Definitions.

(a) Auditory assistance device. An intentional radiator used to provide auditory assistance communications (including but not limited to applications such as assistive listening, auricular training, audio description for the blind, and simultaneous language translation) for:

(1) Persons with disabilities: In the context of part 15 rules (47 CFR part 15), the term “disability,” with respect to the individual, has the meaning given to it by section 3(2)(A) of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12102(2)(A)), i.e., a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individuals;

(2) Persons who require language translation; or

(3) Persons who may otherwise benefit from auditory assistance communications in places of public gatherings, such as a church, theater, auditorium, or educational institution.

(b) Biomedical telemetry device. An intentional radiator used to transmit measurements of either human or animal biomedical phenomena to a receiver.

(c) Cable input selector switch. A transfer switch that is intended as a means to alternate between the reception of broadcast signals via connection to an antenna and the reception of cable television service.

(d) Cable locating equipment. An intentional radiator used intermittently by trained operators to locate buried cables, lines, pipes, and similar structures or elements. Operation entails coupling a radio frequency signal onto the cable, pipes, etc. and using a receiver to detect the location of that structure or element.

(e) Cable system terminal device (CSTD). A TV interface device that serves, as its primary function, to connect a cable system operated under part 76 of this chapter to a TV broadcast receiver or other subscriber premise equipment. Any device which functions as a CSTD in one of its operating modes must comply with the technical requirements for such devices when operating in that mode.

(f) Carrier current system. A system, or part of a system, that transmits radio frequency energy by conduction over the electric power lines. A carrier current system can be designed such that the signals are received by conduction directly from connection to the electric power lines (unintentional radiator) or the signals are received over-the-air due to radiation of the radio frequency signals from the electric power lines (intentional radiator).

(g) CB receiver. Any receiver that operates in the Personal Radio Services on frequencies designated for CB Radio Service stations, as well as any receiver provided with a separate band specifically designed to receive the transmissions of CB stations in the Personal Radio Services. This includes the following:

(1) A CB receiver sold as a separate unit of equipment;

(2) The receiver section of a CB transceiver;

(3) A converter to be used with any receiver for the purpose of receiving CB transmissions; and

(4) A multiband receiver that includes a band labelled “CB” or “11-meter” in which such band can be separately selected, except that an Amateur Radio Service receiver that was manufactured prior to January 1, 1960, and which includes an 11-meter band shall not be considered to be a CB receiver.

(h) Class A digital device. A digital device that is marketed for use in a commercial, industrial or business environment, exclusive of a device which is marketed for use by the general public or is intended to be used in the home.

(i) Class B digital device. A digital device that is marketed for use in a residential environment notwithstanding use in commercial, business and industrial environments. Examples of such devices include, but are not limited to, personal computers, calculators, and similar electronic devices that are marketed for use by the general public.

Note:

The responsible party may also qualify a device intended to be marketed in a commercial, business or industrial environment as a Class B device, and in fact is encouraged to do so, provided the device complies with the technical specifications for a Class B digital device. In the event that a particular type of device has been found to repeatedly cause harmful interference to radio communications, the Commission may classify such a digital device as a Class B digital device, regardless of its intended use.

(j) Cordless telephone system. A system consisting of two transceivers, one a base station that connects to the public switched telephone network and the other a mobile handset unit that communicates directly with the base station. Transmissions from the mobile unit are received by the base station and then placed on the public switched telephone network. Information received from the switched telephone network is transmitted by the base station to the mobile unit.

Note:

The Domestic Public Cellular Radio Telecommunications Service is considered to be part of the switched telephone network. In addition, intercom and paging operations are permitted provided these are not intended to be the primary modes of operation.

(k) Digital device. (Previously defined as a computing device). An unintentional radiator (device or system) that generates and uses timing signals or pulses at a rate in excess of 9,000 pulses (cycles) per second and uses digital techniques; inclusive of telephone equipment that uses digital techniques or any device or system that generates and uses radio frequency energy for the purpose of performing data processing functions, such as electronic computations, operations, transformations, recording, filing, sorting, storage, retrieval, or transfer. A radio frequency device that is specifically subject to an emanation requirement in any other FCC Rule part or an intentional radiator subject to subpart C of this part that contains a digital device is not subject to the standards for digital devices, provided the digital device is used only to enable operation of the radio frequency device and the digital device does not control additional functions or capabilities.

Note:

Computer terminals and peripherals that are intended to be connected to a computer are digital devices.

(l) Field disturbance sensor. A device that establishes a radio frequency field in its vicinity and detects changes in that field resulting from the movement of persons or objects within its range. A radar operating pursuant to the definition for radiodetermination station in § 2.1 of this chapter is an example of a field disturbance sensor.

(m) Harmful interference. Any emission, radiation or induction that endangers the functioning of a radio navigation service or of other safety services or seriously degrades, obstructs or repeatedly interrupts a radiocommunications service operating in accordance with this chapter.

(n) Incidental radiator. A device that generates radio frequency energy during the course of its operation although the device is not intentionally designed to generate or emit radio frequency energy. Examples of incidental radiators are dc motors, mechanical light switches, etc.

(o) Intentional radiator. A device that intentionally generates and emits radio frequency energy by radiation or induction.

(p) Kit. Any number of electronic parts, usually provided with a schematic diagram or printed circuit board, which, when assembled in accordance with instructions, results in a device subject to the regulations in this part, even if additional parts of any type are required to complete assembly.

(q) Perimeter protection system. A field disturbance sensor that employs RF transmission lines as the radiating source. These RF transmission lines are installed in such a manner that allows the system to detect movement within the protected area.

(r) Peripheral device. An input/output unit of a system that feeds data into and/or receives data from the central processing unit of a digital device. Peripherals to a digital device include any device that is connected external to the digital device, any device internal to the digital device that connects the digital device to an external device by wire or cable, and any circuit board designed for interchangeable mounting, internally or externally, that increases the operating or processing speed of a digital device, e.g., “turbo” cards and “enhancement” boards. Examples of peripheral devices include terminals, printers, external floppy disk drives and other data storage devices, video monitors, keyboards, interface boards, external memory expansion cards, and other input/output devices that may or may not contain digital circuitry. This definition does not include CPU boards, as defined in paragraph (bb) of this section, even though a CPU board may connect to an external keyboard or other components.

(s) Personal computer. An electronic computer that is marketed for use in the home, notwithstanding business applications. Such computers are considered Class B digital devices. Computers which use a standard TV receiver as a display device or meet all of the following conditions are considered examples of personal computers:

(1) Marketed through a retail outlet or direct mail order catalog.

(2) Notices of sale or advertisements are distributed or directed to the general public or hobbyist users rather than restricted to commercial users.

(3) Operates on a battery or 120 volt electrical supply.

If the responsible party can demonstrate that because of price or performance the computer is not suitable for residential or hobbyist use, it may request that the computer be considered to fall outside of the scope of this definition for personal computers.

(t) Power line carrier systems. An unintentional radiator employed as a carrier current system used by an electric power utility entity on transmission lines for protective relaying, telemetry, etc. for general supervision of the power system. The system operates by the transmission of radio frequency energy by conduction over the electric power transmission lines of the system. The system does not include those electric lines which connect the distribution substation to the customer or house wiring.

(u) Radio frequency (RF) energy. Electromagnetic energy at any frequency in the radio spectrum between 9 kHz and 3,000,000 MHz.

(v) Scanning receiver. For the purpose of this part, this is a receiver that automatically switches among two or more frequencies in the range of 30 to 960 MHz and that is capable of stopping at and receiving a radio signal detected on a frequency. Receivers designed solely for the reception of the broadcast signals under part 73 of this chapter, for the reception of NOAA broadcast weather band signals, or for operation as part of a licensed service are not included in this definition.

(w) Television (TV) broadcast receiver. A device designed to receive television pictures that are broadcast simultaneously with sound on the television channels authorized under part 73 of this chapter.

(x) Transfer switch. A device used to alternate between the reception of over-the-air radio frequency signals via connection to an antenna and the reception of radio frequency signals received by any other method, such as from a TV interface device.

(y) TV interface device. An unintentional radiator that produces or translates in frequency a radio frequency carrier modulated by a video signal derived from an external or internal signal source, and which feeds the modulated radio frequency energy by conduction to the antenna terminals or other non-baseband input connections of a television broadcast receiver. A TV interface device may include a stand-alone RF modulator, or a composite device consisting of an RF modulator, video source and other components devices. Examples of TV interface devices are video cassette recorders and terminal devices attached to a cable system or used with a Master Antenna (including those used for central distribution video devices in apartment or office buildings).

(z) Unintentional radiator. A device that intentionally generates radio frequency energy for use within the device, or that sends radio frequency signals by conduction to associated equipment via connecting wiring, but which is not intended to emit RF energy by radiation or induction.

(aa) Cable ready consumer electronics equipment. Consumer electronics TV receiving devices, including TV receivers, videocassette recorders and similar devices, that incorporate a tuner capable of receiving television signals and an input terminal intended for receiving cable television service, and are marketed as “cable ready” or “cable compatible.” Such equipment shall comply with the technical standards specified in § 15.118 and the provisions of § 15.19(d).

(bb) CPU board. A circuit board that contains a microprocessor, or frequency determining circuitry for the microprocessor, the primary function of which is to execute user-provided programming, but not including:

(1) A circuit board that contains only a microprocessor intended to operate under the primary control or instruction of a microprocessor external to such a circuit board; or

(2) A circuit board that is a dedicated controller for a storage or input/output device.

(cc) External radio frequency power amplifier. A device which is not an integral part of an intentional radiator as manufactured and which, when used in conjunction with an intentional radiator as a signal source, is capable of amplifying that signal.

(dd) Test equipment is defined as equipment that is intended primarily for purposes of performing measurements or scientific investigations. Such equipment includes, but is not limited to, field strength meters, spectrum analyzers, and modulation monitors.

(ee) Radar detector. A receiver designed to signal the presence of radio signals used for determining the speed of motor vehicles. This definition does not encompass the receiver incorporated within a radar transceiver certified under the Commission's rules.

(ff) Access Broadband over Power Line (Access BPL). A carrier current system installed and operated on an electric utility service as an unintentional radiator that sends radio frequency energy on frequencies between 1.705 MHz and 80 MHz over medium voltage lines or over low voltage lines to provide broadband communications and is located on the supply side of the utility service's points of interconnection with customer premises. Access BPL does not include power line carrier systems as defined in § 15.3(t) or In-House BPL as defined in § 15.3(gg).

(gg) In-House Broadband over Power Line (In-House BPL). A carrier current system, operating as an unintentional radiator, that sends radio frequency energy by conduction over electric power lines that are not owned, operated or controlled by an electric service provider. The electric power lines may be aerial (overhead), underground, or inside the walls, floors or ceilings of user premises. In-House BPL devices may establish closed networks within a user's premises or provide connections to Access BPL networks, or both.

(hh) Slant-Range distance. Diagonal distance measured from the center of the measurement antenna to the nearest point of the overhead power line carrying the Access BPL signal being measured. This distance is equal to the hypotenuse of the right triangle as calculated in the formula below. The slant-range distance shall be calculated as follows:

Where:

d slant is the slant-range distance, in meters (see Figure 1, below);

d h is the horizontal (lateral) distance between the center of the measurement antenna and the vertical projection of the overhead power line carrying the BPL signals down to the height of the measurement antenna, in meters;

h pwr_line is the height of the power line, in meters; and

h ant is the measurement antenna height, in meters.

D slant is the slant-range distance, in meters;

D h is the horizontal (lateral) distance between the center of the measurement antenna and the vertical projection of the overhead power line carrying the BPL signals down to the height of the measurement antenna, in meters;

D limit is the distance at which the emission limit is specified in Part 15 (e.g., 30 meters for frequencies below 30 MHz);

H pwr_line is the height of the power line, in meters; and

H ant is the measurement antenna height, in meters.

(ii) Level Probing Radar (LPR): A short-range radar transmitter used in a wide range of applications to measure the amount of various substances, mostly liquids or granulates. LPR equipment may operate in open-air environments or inside an enclosure containing the substance being measured.

§ 15.5 General conditions of operation.

(a) Persons operating intentional or unintentional radiators shall not be deemed to have any vested or recognizable right to continued use of any given frequency by virtue of prior registration or certification of equipment, or, for power line carrier systems, on the basis of prior notification of use pursuant to § 90.35(g) of this chapter.

(b) Operation of an intentional, unintentional, or incidental radiator is subject to the conditions that no harmful interference is caused and that interference must be accepted that may be caused by the operation of an authorized radio station, by another intentional or unintentional radiator, by industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) equipment, or by an incidental radiator.

(c) The operator of a radio frequency device shall be required to cease operating the device upon notification by a Commission representative that the device is causing harmful interference. Operation shall not resume until the condition causing the harmful interference has been corrected.

(d) Intentional radiators that produce Class B emissions (damped wave) are prohibited.

§ 15.9 Prohibition against eavesdropping.

Except for the operations of law enforcement officers conducted under lawful authority, no person shall use, either directly or indirectly, a device operated pursuant to the provisions of this part for the purpose of overhearing or recording the private conversations of others unless such use is authorized by all of the parties engaging in the conversation.

§ 15.11 Cross reference.

The provisions of subparts A, H, I, J and K of part 2 apply to intentional and unintentional radiators, in addition to the provisions of this part. Also, a cable system terminal device and a cable input selector switch shall be subject to the relevant provisions of part 76 of this chapter.

§ 15.13 Incidental radiators.

Manufacturers of these devices shall employ good engineering practices to minimize the risk of harmful interference.

§ 15.15 General technical requirements.

(a) An intentional or unintentional radiator shall be constructed in accordance with good engineering design and manufacturing practice. Emanations from the device shall be suppressed as much as practicable, but in no case shall the emanations exceed the levels specified in these rules.

(b) Except as follows, an intentional or unintentional radiator must be constructed such that the adjustments of any control that is readily accessible by or intended to be accessible to the user will not cause operation of the device in violation of the regulations. Access BPL equipment shall comply with the applicable standards at the control adjustment that is employed. The measurement report used in support of an application for Certification and the user instructions for Access BPL equipment shall clearly specify the user-or installer-control settings that are required for conformance with these regulations.

(c) Parties responsible for equipment compliance should note that the limits specified in this part will not prevent harmful interference under all circumstances. Since the operators of part 15 devices are required to cease operation should harmful interference occur to authorized users of the radio frequency spectrum, the parties responsible for equipment compliance are encouraged to employ the minimum field strength necessary for communications, to provide greater attenuation of unwanted emissions than required by these regulations, and to advise the user as to how to resolve harmful interference problems (for example, see § 15.105(b)).

§ 15.17 Susceptibility to interference.

(a) Parties responsible for equipment compliance are advised to consider the proximity and the high power of non-Government licensed radio stations, such as broadcast, amateur, land mobile, and non-geostationary mobile satellite feeder link earth stations, and of U.S. Government radio stations, which could include high-powered radar systems, when choosing operating frequencies during the design of their equipment so as to reduce the susceptibility for receiving harmful interference. Information on non-Government use of the spectrum can be obtained by consulting the Table of Frequency Allocations in § 2.106 of this chapter.

(b) Information on U.S. Government operations can be obtained by contacting: Director, Spectrum Plans and Policy, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, Department of Commerce, Room 4096, Washington, DC 20230.

§ 15.19 Labeling requirements.

(a) In addition to the requirements in part 2 of this chapter, a device subject to certification, or Supplier's Declaration of Conformity shall be labeled as follows:

(1) Receivers associated with the operation of a licensed radio service, e.g., FM broadcast under part 73 of this chapter, land mobile operation under part 90 of this chapter, etc., shall bear the following statement in a conspicuous location on the device:

This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the condition that this device does not cause harmful interference.

(2) A stand-alone cable input selector switch, shall bear the following statement in a conspicuous location on the device:

This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules for use with cable television service.

(3) All other devices shall bear the following statement in a conspicuous location on the device:

This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

(4) Where a device is constructed in two or more sections connected by wires and marketed together, the statement specified under paragraph (a) of this section is required to be affixed only to the main control unit.

(5) When the device is so small or for such use that it is impracticable to label it with the statement specified under paragraph (a) of this section in a font that is four-point or larger, and the device does not have a display that can show electronic labeling, then the information required by this paragraph shall be placed in the user manual and must also either be placed on the device packaging or on a removable label attached to the device.

(b)-(c) [Reserved]

(d) Consumer electronics TV receiving devices, including TV receivers, videocassette recorders, and similar devices, that incorporate features intended to be used with cable television service, but do not fully comply with the technical standards for cable ready equipment set forth in § 15.118, shall not be marketed with terminology that describes the device as “cable ready” or “cable compatible,” or that otherwise conveys the impression that the device is fully compatible with cable service. Factual statements about the various features of a device that are intended for use with cable service or the quality of such features are acceptable so long as such statements do not imply that the device is fully compatible with cable service. Statements relating to product features are generally acceptable where they are limited to one or more specific features of a device, rather than the device as a whole. This requirement applies to consumer TV receivers, videocassette recorders and similar devices manufactured or imported for sale in this country on or after October 31, 1994.

§ 15.21 Information to user.

The users manual or instruction manual for an intentional or unintentional radiator shall caution the user that changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment. In cases where the manual is provided only in a form other than paper, such as on a computer disk or over the Internet, the information required by this section may be included in the manual in that alternative form, provided the user can reasonably be expected to have the capability to access information in that form.

§ 15.23 Home-built devices.

(a) Equipment authorization is not required for devices that are not marketed, are not constructed from a kit, and are built in quantities of five or less for personal use.

(b) It is recognized that the individual builder of home-built equipment may not possess the means to perform the measurements for determining compliance with the regulations. In this case, the builder is expected to employ good engineering practices to meet the specified technical standards to the greatest extent practicable. The provisions of § 15.5 apply to this equipment.

§ 15.25 Kits.

Link to an amendment published at 91 FR 3069, Jan. 26, 2026.

A TV interface device, including a cable system terminal device, which is marketed as a kit shall comply with the following requirements:

(a) All parts necessary for the assembled device to comply with the technical requirements of this part must be supplied with the kit. No mechanism for adjustment that can cause operation in violation of the requirements of this part shall be made accessible to the builder.

(b) At least two units of the kit shall be assembled in exact accordance with the instructions supplied with the product to be marketed. If all components required to fully complete the kit (other than those specified in paragraph (a) of this section that are needed for compliance with the technical provisions and must be included with the kit) are not normally furnished with the kit, assembly shall be made using the recommended components. The assembled units shall be certified or authorized under Supplier's Declaration of Conformity, as appropriate, pursuant to the requirements of this part.

(1) The measurement data required for a TV interface device subject to certification shall be obtained for each of the two units and submitted with an application for certification pursuant to subpart J of part 2 of this chapter.

(2) The measurement data required for a TV interface device subject to Supplier's Declaration of Conformity shall be obtained for the units tested and retained on file pursuant to the provisions of subpart J of part 2 of this chapter.

(c) A copy of the exact instructions that will be provided for assembly of the device shall be submitted with an application for certification. Those parts that are not normally furnished shall be detailed in the application for certification.

(d) In lieu of the label required by § 15.19, the following label, along with the label bearing the FCC identifier and other information specified in §§ 2.925 and 2.926, shall be included in the kit with instructions to the builder that it shall be attached to the completed kit:

(Name of Grantee)

(FCC Identifier)

This device can be expected to comply with part 15 of the FCC Rules provided it is assembled in exact accordance with the instructions provided with this kit. Operation is subject to the following conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received including interference that may cause undesired operation.

(e) For the purpose of this section, circuit boards used as repair parts for the replacement of electrically identical defective circuit boards are not considered to be kits.

§ 15.27 Special accessories.

(a) Equipment marketed to a consumer must be capable of complying with the necessary regulations in the configuration in which the equipment is marketed. Where special accessories, such as shielded cables and/or special connectors, are required to enable an unintentional or intentional radiator to comply with the emission limits in this part, the equipment must be marketed with, i.e., shipped and sold with, those special accessories. However, in lieu of shipping or packaging the special accessories with the unintentional or intentional radiator, the responsible party may employ other methods of ensuring that the special accessories are provided to the consumer, without additional charge, at the time of purchase. Information detailing any alternative method used to supply the special accessories shall be included in the application for a grant of equipment authorization or retained in the Supplier's Declaration of Conformity records, as appropriate. The party responsible for the equipment, as detailed in § 2.909 of this chapter, shall ensure that these special accessories are provided with the equipment. The instruction manual for such devices shall include appropriate instructions on the first page of the text concerned with the installation of the device that these special accessories must be used with the device. It is the responsibility of the user to use the needed special accessories supplied with the equipment. In cases where the manual is provided only in a form other than paper, such as on a computer disk or over the Internet, the information required by this section may be included in the manual in that alternative form, provided the user can reasonably be expected to have the capability to access information in that form.

(b) If a device requiring special accessories is installed by or under the supervision of the party marketing the device, it is the responsibility of that party to install the equipment using the special accessories. For equipment requiring professional installation, it is not necessary for the responsible party to market the special accessories with the equipment. However, the need to use the special accessories must be detailed in the instruction manual, and it is the responsibility of the installer to provide and to install the required accessories.

(c) Accessory items that can be readily obtained from multiple retail outlets are not considered to be special accessories and are not required to be marketed with the equipment. The manual included with the equipment must specify what additional components or accessories are required to be used in order to ensure compliance with this part, and it is the responsibility of the user to provide and use those components and accessories.

(d) The resulting system, including any accessories or components marketed with the equipment, must comply with the regulations.

§ 15.29 Inspection by the Commission.

(a) Any equipment or device subject to the provisions of this part, together with any certificate, notice of registration or any technical data required to be kept on file by the operator, supplier or party responsible for compliance of the device shall be made available for inspection by a Commission representative upon reasonable request.

(b) The owner or operator of a radio frequency device subject to this part shall promptly furnish to the Commission or its representative such information as may be requested concerning the operation of the radio frequency device.

(c) The party responsible for the compliance of any device subject to this part shall promptly furnish to the Commission or its representatives such information as may be requested concerning the operation of the device, including a copy of any measurements made for obtaining an equipment authorization or demonstrating compliance with the regulations.

(d) The Commission, from time to time, may request the party responsible for compliance, including an importer, to submit to the FCC Laboratory in Columbia, Maryland, various equipment to determine that the equipment continues to comply with the applicable standards. Shipping costs to the Commission's Laboratory and return shall be borne by the responsible party. Testing by the Commission will be performed using the measurement procedure(s) that was in effect at the time the equipment was authorized.

§ 15.31 Measurement standards.

(a) The following measurement procedures are used by the Commission to determine compliance with the technical requirements in this part. Except where noted, copies of these procedures are available from the Commission's current duplicating contractor whose name and address are available from the Commission's Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322).

(1) FCC/OET MP-2: Measurement of UHF Noise Figures of TV Receivers.

(2) Unlicensed Personal Communications Service (UPCS) devices are to be measured for compliance using ANSI C63.17-2013: “American National Standard Methods of Measurement of the Electromagnetic and Operational Compatibility of Unlicensed Personal Communications Services (UPCS) Devices” (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38).

(3) Other intentional radiators must be measured for compliance using the following procedure: ANSI C63.10-2020 (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38).

(4) Unintentional radiators are to be measured for compliance using the following procedure excluding clauses 4.5.3, 4.6, 6.2.13, 8.2.2, 9, and 13: ANSI C63.4-2014 (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38).

Note 1 to paragraph ( a )(4):

Digital devices tested to show compliance with the provisions of § 15.109(g)(2) must be tested following the ANSI C63.4-2014 procedure described in paragraph (a)(4) of this section.

(b) All parties making compliance measurements on equipment subject to the requirements of this part are urged to use these measurement procedures. Any party using other procedures should ensure that such other procedures can be relied on to produce measurement results compatible with the FCC measurement procedures. The description of the measurement procedure used in testing the equipment for compliance and a list of the test equipment actually employed shall be made part of an application for certification or included with the data required to be retained by the party responsible for devices authorized pursuant to Supplier's Declaration of Conformity.

(c) Except as otherwise indicated in §§ 15.255 and 15.256, for swept frequency equipment, measurements shall be made with the frequency sweep stopped at those frequencies chosen for the measurements to be reported.

(d) Field strength measurements shall be made, to the extent possible, on an open area test site. Test sites other than open area test sites may be employed if they are properly calibrated so that the measurement results correspond to what would be obtained from an open area test site. In the case of equipment for which measurements can be performed only at the installation site, such as perimeter protection systems, carrier current systems, and systems employing a “leaky” coaxial cable as an antenna, measurements for Supplier's Declaration of Conformity or for obtaining a grant of equipment authorization shall be performed at a minimum of three installations that can be demonstrated to be representative of typical installation sites.

(e) For intentional radiators, measurements of the variation of the input power or the radiated signal level of the fundamental frequency component of the emission, as appropriate, shall be performed with the supply voltage varied between 85% and 115% of the nominal rated supply voltage. For battery operated equipment, the equipment tests shall be performed using a new battery.

(f) To the extent practicable, the device under test shall be measured at the distance specified in the appropriate rule section. The distance specified corresponds to the horizontal distance between the measurement antenna and the closest point of the equipment under test, support equipment or interconnecting cables as determined by the boundary defined by an imaginary straight line periphery describing a simple geometric configuration enclosing the system containing the equipment under test. The equipment under test, support equipment and any interconnecting cables shall be included within this boundary.

(1) At frequencies at or above 30 MHz, measurements may be performed at a distance other than what is specified provided: measurements are not made in the near field except where it can be shown that near field measurements are appropriate due to the characteristics of the device; and it can be demonstrated that the signal levels needed to be measured at the distance employed can be detected by the measurement equipment. Measurements shall not be performed at a distance greater than 30 meters unless it can be further demonstrated that measurements at a distance of 30 meters or less are impractical. When performing measurements at a distance other than that specified, the results shall be extrapolated to the specified distance using an extrapolation factor of 20 dB/decade (inverse linear-distance for field strength measurements; inverse-linear-distance-squared for power density measurements).

(2) At frequencies below 30 MHz, measurements may be performed at a distance closer than that specified in the regulations; however, an attempt should be made to avoid making measurements in the near field. Pending the development of an appropriate measurement procedure for measurements performed below 30 MHz, when performing measurements at a closer distance than specified, the results shall be extrapolated to the specified distance by either making measurements at a minimum of two distances on at least one radial to determine the proper extrapolation factor or by using the square of an inverse linear distance extrapolation factor (40 dB/decade). This paragraph (f) shall not apply to Access BPL devices operating below 30 MHz.

(3) For Access BPL devices operating below 30 MHz, measurements shall be performed at the 30-meter reference distance specified in the regulations whenever possible. Measurements may be performed at a distance closer than that specified in the regulations if circumstances such as high ambient noise levels or geographic limitations are present. When performing measurements at a distance which is closer than specified, the field strength results shall be extrapolated to the specified distance by using the square of an inverse linear distance extrapolation factor ( i.e., 40 dB/decade) in conjunction with the slant-range distance defined in § 15.3(hh) of this part. As an alternative, a site-specific extrapolation factor derived from a straight line best fit of measurements of field strength in dBµV/m vs. logarithmic distance in meters for each carrier frequency, as determined by a linear least squares regression calculation from measurements for at least four distances from the power line, may be used. Compliance measurements for Access BPL and the use of site-specific extrapolation factors shall be made in accordance with the Measurement Guidelines for Access BPL systems specified by the Commission. Site-specific determination of the distance extrapolation factor shall not be used at locations where a ground conductor is present within 30 meters if the Access BPL signals are on the neutral/grounded line of a power system.

(4) The applicant for a grant of certification shall specify the extrapolation method used in the application filed with the Commission. For equipment subject to Supplier's Declaration of Conformity, this information shall be retained with the measurement data.

(5) When measurement distances of 30 meters or less are specified in the regulations, the Commission will test the equipment at the distance specified unless measurement at that distance results in measurements being performed in the near field. When measurement distances of greater than 30 meters are specified in the regulations, the Commission will test the equipment at a closer distance, usually 30 meters, extrapolating the measured field strength to the specified distance using the methods shown in this section.

(6) Measurements shall be performed at a sufficient number of radials around the equipment under test to determine the radial at which the field strength values of the radiated emissions are maximized. The maximum field strength at the frequency being measured shall be reported in the equipment authorization report. This paragraph shall not apply to Access BPL equipment on overhead medium voltage lines. In lieu thereof, the measurement guidelines established by the Commission for Access BPL shall be followed.

(g) Equipment under test shall be positioned and adjusted, using those controls that are readily accessible to or are intended to be accessible to the consumer, in such a manner as to maximize the level of the emissions. For those devices to which wire leads may be attached by the operator, tests shall be performed with wire leads attached. The wire leads shall be of the length to be used with the equipment if that length is known. Otherwise, wire leads one meter in length shall be attached to the equipment. Longer wire leads may be employed if necessary to interconnect to associated peripherals.

(h) A composite system, as defined in § 2.947(f) of this chapter, that incorporates a carrier current system shall be tested as if the carrier current system were incorporated in a separate device; that is, the device shall be tested for compliance with whatever rules would apply to the device were the carrier current system not incorporated, and the carrier current system shall be tested for compliance with the rules applicable to carrier current systems.

(i) If the device under test provides for the connection of external accessories, including external electrical input signals, the device shall be tested with the accessories attached. The device under test shall be fully exercised with these external accessories. The emission tests shall be performed with the device and accessories configured in a manner that tends to produce maximized emissions within the range of variations that can be expected under normal operating conditions. In the case of multiple accessory external ports, an external accessory shall be connected to one of each type of port. Only one test using peripherals or external accessories that are representative of the devices that will be employed with the equipment under test is required. All possible equipment combinations do not need to be tested. The accessories or peripherals connected to the device being tested shall be unmodified, commercially available equipment.

(j) If the equipment under test consists of a central control unit and an external or internal accessory(ies) (peripheral) and the party declaring compliance of the equipment or applying for a grant of equipment authorization manufactures or assembles the central control unit and at least one of the accessory devices that can be used with that control unit, testing of the control unit and/or the accessory(ies) must be performed using the devices manufactured or assembled by that party, in addition to any other needed devices which the party does not manufacture or assemble. If the party declaring compliance of the equipment or applying for a grant of equipment authorization does not manufacture or assemble the central control unit and at least one of the accessory devices that can be used with that control unit or the party can demonstrate that the central control unit or accessory(ies) normally would be marketed or used with equipment from a different entity, testing of the central control unit and/or the accessory(ies) must be performed using the specific combination of equipment which is intended to be marketed or used together. Only one test using peripherals or accessories that are representative of the devices that will be employed with the equipment under test is required. All possible equipment combinations are not required to be tested. The accessories or peripherals connected to the device being tested shall be unmodified, commercially available equipment.

(k) Composite systems ( i.e., systems that incorporate different devices contained in a single enclosure or in separate enclosures connected by wire or cable) shall be measured for compliance with the technical standards of this part in accordance with the procedures in § 2.947(f) of this chapter. For digital devices that consist of a combination of Class A and Class B devices, the total combination of which results in a Class A digital device, it is only necessary to demonstrate that the equipment combination complies with the limits for a Class A device. This equipment combination may not be employed for obtaining a grant of equipment authorization or declaring compliance of a Class B digital device. However, if the digital device combination consists of a Class B central control unit, e.g., a personal computer, and a Class A internal peripheral(s), it must be demonstrated that the Class B central control unit continues to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device with the Class A internal peripheral(s) installed but not active.

(l) Measurements of radio frequency emissions conducted to the public utility power lines shall be performed using a 50 ohm/50 uH line-impedance stabilization network (LISN).

(m) Measurements on intentional radiators or receivers, other than TV broadcast receivers, shall be performed and, if required, reported for each band in which the device can be operated with the device operating at the number of frequencies in each band specified in the following table:

Frequency range over which device operates

Number of frequencies

Location in the range of operation

1 MHz or less

1

Middle.

1 to 10 MHz

2

1 near top and 1 near bottom.

More than 10 MHz

3

1 near top, 1 near middle and 1 near bottom.

(n) Measurements on TV broadcast receivers shall be performed with the receiver tuned to each VHF frequency and also shall include the following oscillator frequencies: 520, 550, 600, 650, 700, 750, 800, 850, 900 and 931 MHz. If measurements cannot be made on one or more of the latter UHF frequencies because of the presence of signals from licensed radio stations or for other reasons to be detailed in the measurement report, measurements shall be made with the receiver oscillator at a nearby frequency. If the receiver is not capable of receiving channels above 806 MHz, the measurements employing the oscillator frequencies 900 and 931 MHz may be omitted.

(o) The amplitude of spurious emissions from intentional radiators and emissions from unintentional radiators which are attenuated more than 20 dB below the permissible value need not be reported unless specifically required elsewhere in this part.

(p) In those cases where the provisions in this section conflict with the measurement procedures in paragraph (a) of this section and the procedures were implemented after June 23, 1989, the provisions contained in the measurement procedures shall take precedence.

(q) As an alternative to § 15.256, a level probing radar (LPR) may be certified as an intentional radiator by showing compliance with the general provisions for operation under part 15 subpart C of this chapter, provided that the device is tested in accordance with the provisions in either paragraphs (q)(1) or (2) of this section. Compliance with the general provisions for an intentional radiator may require compliance with other rules in this part, e.g., §§ 15.5, 15.31, and 15.35, etc., when referenced.

(1) An LPR device intended for installation inside metal and concrete enclosures may show compliance for radiated emissions when measured outside a representative enclosure with the LPR installed inside, in accordance with the measurement guidelines established by the Commission for these devices. LPR devices operating inside these types of enclosures shall ensure that the enclosure is closed when the radar device is operating. Care shall be taken to ensure that gaskets, flanges, and other openings are sealed to eliminate signal leakage outside of the structure. The responsible party shall take reasonable steps to ensure that LPR devices intended for use in these types of enclosures shall not be installed in open-air environments or inside enclosures with lower radio-frequency attenuating characteristics (e.g., fiberglass, plastic, etc.). An LPR device approved under this subsection may only be operated in the type of enclosure for which it was approved.

(2) Except as provided in paragraph (q)(1) of this section, an LPR device shall be placed in testing positions that ensure the field strength values of the radiated emissions are maximized, including in the main beam of the LPR antenna.

§ 15.32 Test procedures for CPU boards and computer power supplies.

Power supplies and CPU boards used with personal computers and for which separate authorizations are required to be obtained shall be tested in accordance with the specific procedures published or otherwise authorized by the Commission.

§ 15.33 Frequency range of radiated measurements.

(a) For an intentional radiator, the spectrum shall be investigated from the lowest radio frequency signal generated in the device, without going below 9 kHz, up to at least the frequency shown in this paragraph:

(1) If the intentional radiator operates below 10 GHz: to the tenth harmonic of the highest fundamental frequency or to 40 GHz, whichever is lower.

(2) If the intentional radiator operates at or above 10 GHz and below 30 GHz: to the fifth harmonic of the highest fundamental frequency or to 100 GHz, whichever is lower.

(3) If the intentional radiator operates at or above 30 GHz: to the fifth harmonic of the highest fundamental frequency or to 200 GHz, whichever is lower, unless specified otherwise elsewhere in the rules.

(4) If the intentional radiator operates at or above 95 GHz: To the third harmonic of the highest fundamental frequency or to 750 GHz, whichever is lower, unless specified otherwise elsewhere in the rules.

(5) If the intentional radiator contains a digital device, regardless of whether this digital device controls the functions of the intentional radiator or the digital device is used for additional control or function purposes other than to enable the operation of the intentional radiator, the frequency range shall be investigated up to the range specified in paragraphs (a)(1) through (4) of this section or the range applicable to the digital device, as shown in paragraph (b)(1) of this section, whichever is the higher frequency range of investigation.

(b) For unintentional radiators:

(1) Except as otherwise indicated in paragraphs (b)(2) or (b)(3) of this section, for an unintentional radiator, including a digital device, the spectrum shall be investigated from the lowest radio frequency signal generated or used in the device, without going below the lowest frequency for which a radiated emission limit is specified, up to the frequency shown in the following table:

Highest frequency generated or used in the device or on which the device operates or tunes (MHz)

Upper frequency of measurement range (MHz)

Below 1.705

30.

1.705-108

1000.

108-500

2000.

500-1000

5000.

Above 1000

5th harmonic of the highest frequency or 40 GHz, whichever is lower.

(2) A unintentional radiator, excluding a digital device, in which the highest frequency generated in the device, the highest frequency used in the device and the highest frequency on which the device operates or tunes are less than 30 MHz and which, in accordance with § 15.109, is required to comply with standards on the level of radiated emissions within the frequency range 9 kHz to 30 MHz, such as a CB receiver or a device designed to conduct its radio frequency emissions via connecting wires or cables, e.g., a carrier current system not intended to radiate, shall be investigated from the lowest radio frequency generated or used in the device, without going below 9 kHz (25 MHz for CB receivers), up to the frequency shown in the following table. If the unintentional radiator contains a digital device, the upper frequency to be investigated shall be that shown in the table below or in the table in paragraph (b)(1) of this section, as based on both the highest frequency generated and the highest frequency used in the digital device, whichever range is higher.

Highest frequency generated or used in the device or on which the device operates or tunes (MHz)

Upper frequency of measurement range (MHz)

Below 1.705

30

1.705-10

400

10-30

500

(3) Except for a CB receiver, a receiver employing superheterodyne techniques shall be investigated from 30 MHz up to at least the second harmonic of the highest local oscillator frequency generated in the device. If such receiver is controlled by a digital device, the frequency range shall be investigated up to the higher of the second harmonic of the highest local oscillator frequency generated in the device or the upper frequency of the measurement range specified for the digital device in paragraph (b)(1) of this section.

(c) The above specified frequency ranges of measurements apply to the measurement of radiated emissions and, in the case of receivers, the measurement to demonstrate compliance with the antenna conduction limits specified in § 15.111. The frequency range of measurements for AC power line conducted limits is specified in §§ 15.107 and 15.207 and applies to all equipment subject to those regulations. In some cases, depending on the frequency(ies) generated and used by the equipment, only signals conducted onto the AC power lines are required to be measured.

(d) Particular attention should be paid to harmonics and subharmonics of the fundamental frequency as well as to those frequencies removed from the fundamental by multiples of the oscillator frequency. Radiation at the frequencies of multiplier states should also be checked.

§ 15.35 Measurement detector functions and bandwidths.

The conducted and radiated emission limits shown in this part are based on the following, unless otherwise specified in this part:

(a) On any frequency or frequencies below or equal to 1000 MHz, the limits shown are based on measuring equipment employing a CISPR quasi-peak detector function and related measurement bandwidths, unless otherwise specified. The specifications for the measuring instrumentation using the CISPR quasi-peak detector can be found in ANSI C63.4-2014, clause 4 (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38). As an alternative to CISPR quasi-peak measurements, the responsible party, at its option, may demonstrate compliance with the emission limits using measuring equipment employing a peak detector function as long at the same bandwidth as indicated for CISPR quasi-peak measurements are employed.

(b) Unless otherwise specified, on any frequency or frequencies above 1000 MHz, the radiated emission limits are based on the use of measurement instrumentation employing an average detector function. Unless otherwise specified, measurements above 1000 MHz shall be performed using a minimum resolution bandwidth of 1 MHz. When average radiated emission measurements are specified in this part, including average emission measurements below 1000 MHz, there also is a limit on the peak level of the radio frequency emissions. Unless otherwise specified, e.g., see §§ 15.250, 15.252, 15.253(d), 15.255, 15.256, and 15.509 through 15.519, the limit on peak radio frequency emissions is 20 dB above the maximum permitted average emission limit applicable to the equipment under test. This peak limit applies to the total peak emission level radiated by the device, e.g., the total peak power level. Note that the use of a pulse desensitization correction factor may be needed to determine the total peak emission level. The instruction manual or application note for the measurement instrument should be consulted for determining pulse desensitization factors, as necessary.

(c) Unless otherwise specified, e.g., §§ 15.255 and 15.256(l)(5), when the radiated emission limits are expressed in terms of the average value of the emission, and pulsed operation is employed, the measurement field strength shall be determined by averaging over one complete pulse train, including blanking intervals, as long as the pulse train does not exceed 0.1 seconds. As an alternative (provided the transmitter operates for longer than 0.1 seconds) or in cases where the pulse train exceeds 0.1 seconds, the measured field strength shall be determined from the average absolute voltage during a 0.1 second interval during which the field strength is at its maximum value. The exact method of calculating the average field strength shall be submitted with any application for certification or shall be retained in the measurement data file for equipment subject to Supplier's Declaration of Conformity.

§ 15.37 Transition provisions for compliance with this part.

Link to an amendment published at 91 FR 3069, Jan. 26, 2026.

(a) The manufacture or importation of scanning receivers, and frequency converters designed or marketed for use with scanning receivers, that do not comply with the provisions of § 15.121 shall cease on or before October 25, 1999. Effective July 26, 1999, the Commission will not grant equipment authorization for receivers that do not comply with the provisions of § 15.121. This paragraph does not prohibit the sale or use of authorized receivers manufactured in the United States, or imported into the United States, prior to October 25, 1999.

(b) Effective October 16, 2002, an equipment approval may no longer be obtained for medical telemetry equipment operating under the provisions of § 15.241 or § 15.242. The requirements for obtaining an approval for medical telemetry equipment after this date are found in subpart H of part 95 of this chapter.

(c) All radio frequency devices that are authorized on or after July 12, 2004 under the certification, or Supplier's Declaration of Conformity procedures (or the prior verification or declaration of conformity procedures, as applicable) shall comply with the conducted limits specified in § 15.107 or § 15.207 as appropriate. All radio frequency devices that are manufactured or imported on or after July 11, 2005 shall comply with the conducted limits specified in § 15.107 or § 15.207, as appropriate. Equipment authorized, imported or manufactured prior to these dates shall comply with the conducted limits specified in § 15.107 or § 15.207, as appropriate, or with the conducted limits that were in effect immediately prior to September 9, 2002.

(d) Radar detectors manufactured or imported after August 28, 2002 and marketed after September 27, 2002 shall comply with the regulations specified in this part. Radar detectors manufactured or imported prior to January 27, 2003 may be labeled with the information required by § 2.925 of this chapter and § 15.19(a) on the individual equipment carton rather than on the device, and are exempt from complying with the requirements of § 15.21.

(e) U-NII equipment operating in the 5.25-5.35 GHz band for which applications for certification are filed on or after July 20, 2006 shall comply with the DFS and TPC requirements specified in § 15.407. U-NII equipment operating in the 5.25-5.35 GHz band that are imported or marketed on or after July 20, 2007 shall comply with the DFS and TPC requirements in § 15.407.

(f) All Access BPL devices that are manufactured, imported, marketed or installed on or after July 7, 2006, shall comply with the requirements specified in subpart G of this part, including certification of the equipment.

(g) The manufacture or importation of auditory assistance devices that operate in the 72.0-73.0 MHz, 74.6-74.8 MHz, and 75.2-76.0 MHz bands that do not comply with the requirements of § 15.237(c) shall cease on or before July 11, 2016. Effective January 12, 2015, equipment approval will not be granted for auditory assistance devices that operate in the 72.0-73.0 MHz, 74.6-74.8 MHz, and 75.2-76.0 MHz bands that do not comply with the requirements of § 15.237(c). These rules do not prohibit the sale or use of authorized auditory assistance devices that operate in the 72.0-73.0 MHz, 74.6-74.8 MHz, and 75.2-76.0 MHz bands manufactured in the United States, or imported into the United States, prior to July 11, 2016.

(h) Effective June 2, 2015 devices using digital modulation techniques in the 5725-5850 MHz bands will no longer be certified under the provisions of § 15.247. The technical requirements for obtaining certification after this date for digitally modulated devices and the digitally modulated portion of hybrid devices are found in subpart E of this part. The provisions for the frequency hopping spread spectrum portion of hybrid devices will remain in § 15.247. Effective June 2, 2016 systems using digital modulation techniques in the 5725-5850 MHz band certified under the provisions of § 15.247 may no longer be imported or marketed within the United States.

(i) As of December 26, 2017, wireless microphones for which an application for certification is filed must comply with the requirements of § 15.236. Manufacturing and marketing of wireless microphones that would not comply with the rules for operation in § 15.236 must cease no later than September 24, 2018. Only wireless microphones certified for operation under this part may be operated under this part as of July 13, 2020.

(j) White space devices which are approved by Telecommunication Certification Bodies beginning [six months after the effective date of the rules] shall comply with the database re-check requirements in § 15.711(h) of this part. White space devices that are in operation, imported or marketed beginning [six months after the effective date of the rules] shall also comply with these requirements.

(k) Disclosure requirements for unlicensed wireless microphones capable of operating in the 600 MHz service band. Any person who manufactures, sells, leases, or offers for sale or lease, unlicensed wireless microphones that are capable of operating in the 600 MHz service band, as defined in this part, on or after July 13, 2017, is subject to the following disclosure requirements:

(1) Such persons must display the consumer disclosure text, as specified by the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, at the point of sale or lease of each such unlicensed wireless microphone. The text must be displayed in a clear, conspicuous, and readily legible manner. One way to fulfill the requirement in this section is to display the consumer disclosure text in a prominent manner on the product box by using a label (either printed onto the box or otherwise affixed to the box), a sticker, or other means. Another way to fulfill this requirement is to display the text immediately adjacent to each unlicensed wireless microphone offered for sale or lease and clearly associated with the model to which it pertains.

(2) If such persons offer such unlicensed wireless microphones via direct mail, catalog, or electronic means, they shall prominently display the consumer disclosure text in close proximity to the images and descriptions of each such unlicensed wireless microphone. The text should be in a size large enough to be clear, conspicuous, and readily legible, consistent with the dimensions of the advertisement or description.

(3) If such persons have Web sites pertaining to these unlicensed wireless microphones, the consumer disclosure text must be displayed there in a clear, conspicuous, and readily legible manner (even in the event such persons do not sell unlicensed wireless microphones directly to the public).

(4) The consumer disclosure text described in paragraph (k)(1) of this section is set forth in Figure 1 to this paragraph.

(l) The certification of wideband vehicular radars designed to operate in the 23.12-29 GHz band under § 15.252 and ultra-wideband vehicular radars designed to operate in the 22-29 GHz band under § 15.515 shall not be permitted on or after September 20, 2018.

(m) The manufacture, importation, marketing, sale, and installation of wideband or ultra-wideband vehicular radars that are designed to operate in the 23.12-29 GHz band under § 15.252 and/or in the 22-29 GHz band under § 15.515 shall not be permitted after January 1, 2022. Notwithstanding the foregoing, sale and installation of such radars is permitted, for the life of the vehicle, when the following conditions have been met:

(1) The sale and installation is for the exclusive purpose of repairing or replacing defective, damaged, or potentially malfunctioning radars that are designed to operate in the 23.12-29 GHz band under § 15.252 and/or in the 22-29 GHz band under § 15.515;

(2) The equipment being repaired or replaced has been installed in the vehicle on or before January 1, 2022; and

(3) It is not possible to replace the vehicular radar equipment designed to operate in the 23.12-29 GHz and/or 22-29 GHz bands with vehicular radar equipment designed to operate in the 76-81 GHz band.

(n) Wideband or ultra-wideband vehicular radars operating in the 23.12-29 GHz band under § 15.252 and/or in the 22-29 GHz band under § 15.515 that are already installed or in use may continue to operate in accordance with their previously obtained certification. Class II permissive changes for such equipment shall not be permitted after January 1, 2022.

(o) Applicable July 13, 2017, the certification, manufacture, importation, marketing, sale, and installation of field disturbance sensors that are designed to operate in the 16.2-17.7 GHz and 46.7-46.9 GHz bands shall not be permitted. Field disturbance sensors already installed or in use in the 16.2-17.7 GHz band may continue to operate in accordance with their previously obtained certification. Class II permissive changes shall not be permitted for such equipment.

(p) Effective October 20, 2017, the certification under this part of vehicular radars and fixed radar systems used in airport air operations areas that are designed to operate in the 76-77 GHz band shall not be permitted. Vehicular radars and fixed radar systems used in airport air operations areas operating in the 76-77 GHz band that are already installed or in use may continue to operate in accordance with their previously obtained certification. Any future certification, or any change of already issued certification and operations of such equipment, shall be under part 95, subpart M, of this chapter.

(q) All fixed white space devices which are approved by Telecommunication Certification Bodies on or after February 19, 2020 or that are marketed on or after February 19, 2021 shall comply with the requirements of § 15.711(c). Fixed white space devices which are approved or marketed before the dates in the preceding sentence shall comply with either the requirements of § 15.711(c) or the requirements of § 15.711(c) as in effect prior to August 19, 2019 (see 47 CFR part 15 as revised October 1, 2018).

(r) Field disturbance sensor/radar devices being marketed or operating in the frequency band 57-64 GHz approved by Telecommunication Certification Bodies as being in compliance with previously adopted rules or waivers thereof on or before [six months after the effective date of the rules] may continue to be marketed and operate in accordance with their certifications. All other field disturbance sensor/radar devices shall comply with the requirements in § 15.255.

(s) Prior to October 30, 2025, measurements for intentional radiators subject to § 15.31(a)(3) must be made using the procedures in ANSI C63.10-2013 or ANSI C63.10-2020 (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38). On or after October 30, 2025, measurements for intentional radiators subject to § 15.31(a)(3) must be made using the procedures in ANSI C63.10-2020 (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38).

§ 15.38 Incorporation by reference.

Certain material is incorporated by reference into this part with the approval of the Director of the Federal Register under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. To enforce any edition other than that specified in this section, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) must publish a document in the Federal Register and the material must be available to the public. All approved incorporation by reference (IBR) material is available for inspection at the FCC and at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Contact FCC at the address indicated in 47 CFR 0.401(a); phone: [phone]. For information on the availability of this material at NARA, visit www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations or email [email protected]. The material may be obtained from the following sources:

(a) The IBR material may be obtained from the sources in the following paragraphs of this section or from one or more private resellers listed in this paragraph (a).

(1) Accuris Standards Store, 321 Inverness Drive, South Englewood, CO 80112; phone: [phone]; website: https://accuristech.com.

(2) American National Standards Institute (ANSI), see paragraph (b) of this section.

(3) GlobalSpec, 257 Fuller Road, Suite NFE 1100, Albany, NY 12203-3621; phone: [phone]; website: https://standards.globalspec.com.

(4) Nimonik Document Center, 401 Roland Way, Suite 224, Oakland, CA 94624; phone [phone]; email: [email protected]; website: www.document-center.com.

(b) American National Standards Institute (ANSI), 25 West 43rd Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10036; phone: [phone]; email [email protected]; website: https://webstore.ansi.org/.

(1) ANSI C63.17-2013, American National Standard for Methods of Measurement of the Electromagnetic and Operational Compatibility of Unlicensed Personal Communications Services (UPCS) Devices, approved August 12, 2013; IBR approved for § 15.31.

(2) Third Edition of the International Special Committee on Radio Interference (CISPR), Pub. 22, Information Technology Equipment-Radio Disturbance Characteristics-Limits and Methods of Measurement, 1997; IBR approved for § 15.09.

(c) Cable Television Laboratories, Inc., 858 Coal Creek Circle, Louisville, Colorado 80027; phone: [phone]; website: www.cablelabs.com/.

(1) M-UDCP-PICS-I04-080225, Uni-Directional Cable Product Supporting M-Card: Multiple Profiles; Conformance Checklist: PICS, February 25, 2008; IBR approved for § 15.123(c).

(2) TP-ATP-M-UDCP-I05-20080304, Uni-Directional Digital Cable Products Supporting M-Card; M-UDCP Device Acceptance Test Plan, March 4, 2008; IBR approved for § 15.123(c).

(d) Consumer Technology Association (formerly Consumer Electronics Association), 1919 S. Eads St., Arlington, VA 22202; phone: [phone]; email: [email protected] ; website: www.cta.tech/ .

(1) CEA-542-B, CEA Standard: Cable Television Channel Identification Plan, July 2003; IBR approved for § 15.118.

(2) CEA-766-A, U.S. and Canadian Region Rating Tables (RRT) and Content Advisory Descriptors for Transport of Content Advisory Information using ATSC A/65-A Program and System Information Protocol (PSIP), April 2001; IBR approved for § 15.120.

(3) EIA-608, Recommended Practice for Line 21 Data Service, 1994; IBR approved for § 15.120.

(4) EIA-744, Transport of Content Advisory Information Using Extended Data Service (XDS), 1997; IBR approved for § 15.120.

(5) Uni-Dir-PICS-I01-030903, Uni-Directional Receiving Device: Conformance Checklist: PICS Proforma, September 3, 2003; IBR approved for § 15.123(c).

(6) Uni-Dir-ATP-I02-040225, Uni-Directional Receiving Device, Acceptance Test Plan, February 25, 2004; IBR approved for § 15.123(c).

(e) European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), 650 Route des Lucioles, F-06921 Sophia Antipolis Cedex, France; phone: [phone]; email: [email protected]; website: www.etsi.org/.

(1) ETSI EN 300 422-1 V2.2.1 (2021-11), Wireless Microphones; Audio PMSE up to 3 GHz; Part 1: Audio PMSE Equipment up to 3 GHz; Harmonised Standard for access to radio spectrum, published November 2021; IBR approved for § 15.236(g). (Available at: www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_en/300400_300499/30042201/02.02.01_60/en_30042201v020201p.pdf. )

(2) [Reserved]

(f) Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), 3916 Ranchero Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48108; phone: [phone]; email: [email protected]; website: www.ieee.org/.

(1) ANSI C63.4-2014: American National Standard for Methods of Measurement of Radio-Noise Emissions from Low-Voltage Electrical and Electronic Equipment in the Range of 9 kHz to 40 GHz, ANSI approved June 13, 2014; IBR approved for § 15.35(a).

(2) ANSI C63.4-2014, American National Standard for Methods of Measurement of Radio-Noise Emissions from Low-Voltage Electrical and Electronic Equipment in the Range of 9 kHz to 40 GHz, ANSI approved June 13, 2014 (excluding clauses 4.5.3, 4.6, 6.2.13, 8.2.2, 9, and 13); IBR approved for § 15.31(a).

(3) ANSI C63.10-2013, American National Standard of Procedures for Compliance Testing of Unlicensed Wireless Devices, ANSI approved June 27, 2013; IBR approved for §§ 15.31(a); 15.37(s).

(4) ANSI C63.10-2020, American National Standard of Procedures for Compliance Testing of Unlicensed Wireless Devices, ANSI-approved September 10, 2020; IBR approved for §§ 15.31(a); 15.37(s).

(g) Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE), 140 Philips Rd., Exton, PA 19341; phone: [phone]; email: [email protected]; website: www.scte.org.

(1) SCTE 28 2003 (formerly DVS 295): “Host-POD Interface Standard,” 2003; IBR approved for § 15.123.

(2) SCTE 40 2003 (formerly DVS 313): “Digital Cable Network Interface Standard,” 2003; IBR approved for § 15.123.

(3) SCTE 41 2003 (formerly DVS 301): “POD Copy Protection System,” 2003; IBR approved for § 15.123.

(4) ANSI/SCTE 54 2003 (formerly DVS 241): “Digital Video Service Multiplex and Transport System Standard for Cable Television,” 2003; IBR approved for § 15.123.

(5) ANSI/SCTE 65 2002 (formerly DVS 234): “Service Information Delivered Out-of-Band for Digital Cable Television,” 2002; IBR approved for § 15.123.

§ 15.101 Equipment authorization of unintentional radiators.

(a) Except as otherwise exempted in §§ 15.23, 15.103, and 15.113, unintentional radiators shall be authorized prior to the initiation of marketing, pursuant to the procedures for certification or Supplier's Declaration of Conformity (SDoC) given in subpart J of part 2 of this chapter, as follows:

Table 1 to Paragraph ( a )

Type of device

Equipment authorization required

TV Broadcast Receiver

SDoC or Certification.

FM Broadcast Receiver

SDoC or Certification.

CB Receiver

SDoC or Certification.

Superregenerative Receiver

SDoC or Certification.

Scanning Receiver

Certification.

Radar Detector

Certification.

All other receivers subject to Part 15

SDoC or Certification.

TV Interface Device

SDoC or Certification.

Cable System Terminal Device

SDoC or Certification.

Stand-alone Cable input selector switch

SDoC or Certification.

Class B personal computers and peripherals

SDoC or Certification.

CPU boards and internal power supplies used with Class B personal computers

SDoC or Certification.

Class B personal computers assembled using authorized CPU boards or power supplies

SDoC or Certification.

Class B external switching power supplies

SDoC or Certification.

Other Class B digital devices & peripherals

SDoC or Certification.

Class A digital devices, peripherals & external switching power supplies

SDoC or Certification.

Access Broadband over Power Line (Access BPL)

Certification.

All other devices

SDoC or Certification.

(b) Only those receivers that operate (tune) within the frequency range of 30-960 MHz, CB receivers and radar detectors are subject to the authorizations shown in paragraph (a) of this section. Receivers operating above 960 MHz or below 30 MHz, except for radar detectors and CB receivers, are exempt from complying with the technical provisions of this part but are subject to § 15.5.

(c) Personal computers shall be authorized in accordance with one of the following methods:

(1) The specific combination of CPU board, power supply and enclosure is tested together and authorized under Supplier's Declaration of Conformity or a grant of certification;

(2) The personal computer is authorized under Supplier's Declaration of Conformity or a grant of certification, and the CPU board or power supply in that computer is replaced with a CPU board or power supply that has been separately authorized under Supplier's Declaration of Conformity or a grant of certification; or

(3) The CPU board and power supply used in the assembly of a personal computer have been separately authorized under Supplier's Declaration of Conformity or a grant of certification; and

(4) Personal computers assembled using either of the methods specified in paragraphs (c)(2) or (c)(3) of this section must, by themselves, also be authorized under Supplier's Declaration of Conformity if they are marketed. However, additional testing is not required for this Supplier's Declaration of Conformity, provided the procedures in § 15.102(b) are followed.

(d) Peripheral devices, as defined in § 15.3(r), shall be authorized under Supplier's Declaration of Conformity, or a grant of certification, as appropriate, prior to marketing. Regardless of the provisions of paragraphs (a) or (c) of this section, if a CPU board, power supply, or peripheral device will always be marketed with a specific personal computer, it is not necessary to obtain a separate authorization for that product provided the specific combination of personal computer, peripheral device, CPU board and power supply has been authorized under Supplier's Declaration of Conformity or a grant of certification as a personal computer.

(1) No authorization is required for a peripheral device or a subassembly that is sold to an equipment manufacturer for further fabrication; that manufacturer is responsible for obtaining the necessary authorization prior to further marketing to a vendor or to a user.

(2) Power supplies and CPU boards that have not been separately authorized and are designed for use with personal computers may be imported and marketed only to a personal computer equipment manufacturer that has indicated, in writing, to the seller or importer that they will obtain Supplier's Declaration of Conformity or a grant of certification for the personal computer employing these components.

(e) Subassemblies to digital devices are not subject to the technical standards in this part unless they are marketed as part of a system in which case the resulting system must comply with the applicable regulations. Subassemblies include:

(1) Devices that are enclosed solely within the enclosure housing the digital device, except for: Power supplies used in personal computers; devices included under the definition of a peripheral device in § 15.3(r); and personal computer CPU boards, as defined in § 15.3(bb);

(2) CPU boards, as defined in § 15.3(bb), other than those used in personal computers, that are marketed without an enclosure or power supply; and

(3) Switching power supplies that are separately marketed and are solely for use internal to a device other than a personal computer.

§ 15.102 CPU boards and power supplies used in personal computers.

(a) Authorized CPU boards and power supplies that are sold as separate components shall be supplied with complete installation instructions. These instructions shall specify all of the installation procedures that must be followed to ensure compliance with the standards, including, if necessary, the type of enclosure, e.g., a metal enclosure, proper grounding techniques, the use of shielded cables, the addition of any needed components, and any necessary modifications to additional components.

(1) Any additional parts needed to ensure compliance with the standards, except for the enclosure, are considered to be special accessories and, in accordance with § 15.27, must be marketed with the CPU board or power supply.

(2) Any modifications that must be made to a personal computer, peripheral device, CPU board or power supply during installation of a CPU board or power supply must be simple enough that they can be performed by the average consumer. Parts requiring soldering, disassembly of circuitry or other similar modifications are not permitted.

(b) Assemblers of personal computer systems employing modular CPU boards and/or power supplies are not required to test the resulting system provided the following conditions are met:

(1) Each device used in the system has been authorized as required under this part (according to § 15.101(e), some subassemblies used in a personal computer system may not require an authorization);

(2) The original label and identification on each piece of equipment remain unchanged;

(3) Each responsible party's instructions to ensure compliance (including, if necessary, the use of shielded cables or other accessories or modifications) are followed when the system is assembled;

(4) If the system is marketed, the resulting equipment combination is authorized under Supplier's Declaration of Conformity pursuant to § 15.101(c)(4) and a compliance information statement, as described in § 2.1077(b) of this chapter, is supplied with the system. Marketed systems shall also comply with the labeling requirements in § 15.19 and must be supplied with the information required under §§ 15.21, 15.27 and 15.105; and

(5) The assembler of a personal computer system may be required to test the system and/or make necessary modifications if a system is found to cause harmful interference or to be noncompliant with the appropriate standards in the configuration in which it is marketed (see §§ 2.909, 15.1, 15.27(d) and 15.101(e)).

§ 15.103 Exempted devices.

Except as provided in paragraph (j) of this section, the following devices are subject only to the general conditions of operation in §§ 15.5 and 15.29, and are exempt from the specific technical standards and other requirements contained in this part. The operator of the exempted device shall be required to stop operating the device upon a finding by the Commission or its representative that the device is causing harmful interference. Operation shall not resume until the condition causing the harmful interference has been corrected. Although not mandatory, it is strongly recommended that the manufacturer of an exempted device endeavor to have the device meet the specific technical standards in this part.

(a) A digital device utilized exclusively in any transportation vehicle including motor vehicles and aircraft.

(b) A digital device used exclusively as an electronic control or power system utilized by a public utility or in an industrial plant. The term public utility includes equipment only to the extent that it is in a dedicated building or large room owned or leased by the utility and does not extend to equipment installed in a subscriber's facility.

(c) A digital device used exclusively as industrial, commercial, or medical test equipment.

(d) A digital device utilized exclusively in an appliance, e.g., microwave oven, dishwasher, clothes dryer, air conditioner (central or window), etc.

(e) Specialized medical digital devices (generally used at the direction of or under the supervision of a licensed health care practitioner) whether used in a patient's home or a health care facility. Non-specialized medical devices, i.e. , devices marketed through retail channels for use by the general public, are not exempted. This exemption also does not apply to digital devices used for record keeping or any purpose not directly connected with medical treatment.

(f) Digital devices that have a power consumption not exceeding 6 nW.

(g) Joystick controllers or similar devices, such as a mouse, used with digital devices but which contain only non-digital circuitry or a simple circuit to convert the signal to the format required (e.g., an integrated circuit for analog to digital conversion) are viewed as passive add-on devices, not themselves directly subject to the technical standards or the equipment authorization requirements.

(h) Digital devices in which both the highest frequency generated and the highest frequency used are less than 1.705 MHz and which do not operate from the AC power lines or contain provisions for operation while connected to the AC power lines. Digital devices that include, or make provision for the use of, battery eliminators, AC adaptors or battery chargers which permit operation while charging or that connect to the AC power lines indirectly, obtaining their power through another device which is connected to the AC power lines, do not fall under this exemption.

(i) Responsible parties should note that equipment containing more than one device is not exempt from the technical standards in this part unless all of the devices in the equipment meet the criteria for exemption. If only one of the included devices qualifies for exemption, the remainder of the equipment must comply with any applicable regulations. If a device performs more than one function and all of those functions do not meet the criteria for exemption, the device does not qualify for inclusion under the exemptions.

(j) Notwithstanding other provisions of this section, the rules in this chapter governing certification apply to any equipment produced by any entity identified on the Covered List, as established pursuant to § 1.50002 of this chapter.

§ 15.105 Information to the user.

(a) For a Class A digital device or peripheral, the instructions furnished the user shall include the following or similar statement, placed in a prominent location in the text of the manual:

Note:

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.

(b) For a Class B digital device or peripheral, the instructions furnished the user shall include the following or similar statement, placed in a prominent location in the text of the manual:

Note:

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

—Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

—Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

—Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

—Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

(c) The provisions of paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section do not apply to digital devices exempted from the technical standards under the provisions of § 15.103.

(d) For systems incorporating several digital devices, the statement shown in paragraph (a) or (b) of this section needs to be contained only in the instruction manual for the main control unit.

(e) In cases where the manual is provided only in a form other than paper, such as on a computer disk or over the Internet, the information required by this section may be included in the manual in that alternative form, provided the user can reasonably be expected to have the capability to access information in that form.

§ 15.107 Conducted limits.

(a) Except for Class A digital devices, for equipment that is designed to be connected to the public utility (AC) power line, the radio frequency voltage that is conducted back onto the AC power line on any frequency or frequencies within the band 150 kHz to 30 MHz shall not exceed the limits in the following table, as measured using a 50 μH/50 ohms line impedance stabilization network (LISN). Compliance with the provisions of this paragraph shall be based on the measurement of the radio frequency voltage between each power line and ground at the power terminal. The lower limit applies at the band edges.

Frequency of emission (MHz)

Conducted limit (dBμV)

Quasi-peak

Average

0.15-0.5

66 to 56*

56 to 46*

0.5-5

56

46

5-30

60

50

*Decreases with the logarithm of the frequency.

(b) For a Class A digital device that is designed to be connected to the public utility (AC) power line, the radio frequency voltage that is conducted back onto the AC power line on any frequency or frequencies within the band 150 kHz to 30 MHz shall not exceed the limits in the following table, as measured using a 50 μH/50 ohms LISN. Compliance with the provisions of this paragraph shall be based on the measurement of the radio frequency voltage between each power line and ground at the power terminal. The lower limit applies at the boundary between the frequency ranges.

Frequency of emission (MHz)

Conducted limit (dBμV)

Quasi-peak

Average

0.15-0.5

79

66

0.5-30

73

60

(c) The limits shown in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section shall not apply to carrier current systems operating as unintentional radiators on frequencies below 30 MHz. In lieu thereof, these carrier current systems shall be subject to the following standards:

(1) For carrier current systems containing their fundamental emission within the frequency band 535-1705 kHz and intended to be received using a standard AM broadcast receiver: no limit on conducted emissions.

(2) For all other carrier current systems: 1000 μV within the frequency band 535-1705 kHz, as measured using a 50 μH/50 ohms LISN.

(3) Carrier current systems operating below 30 MHz are also subject to the radiated emission limits in § 15.109(e).

(d) Measurements to demonstrate compliance with the conducted limits are not required for devices which only employ battery power for operation and which do not operate from the AC power lines or contain provisions for operation while connected to the AC power lines. Devices that include, or make provision for, the use of battery chargers which permit operating while charging, AC adaptors or battery eliminators or that connect to the AC power lines indirectly, obtaining their power through another device which is connected to the AC power lines, shall be tested to demonstrate compliance with the conducted limits.

§ 15.109 Radiated emission limits.

(a) Except for Class A digital devices, the field strength of radiated emissions from unintentional radiators at a distance of 3 meters shall not exceed the following values:

Frequency of emission (MHz)

Field strength (microvolts/meter)

30-88

100

88-216

150

216-960

200

Above 960

500

(b) The field strength of radiated emissions from a Class A digital device, as determined at a distance of 10 meters, shall not exceed the following:

Frequency of emission (MHz)

Field strength (microvolts/meter)

30-88

90

88-216

150

216-960

210

Above 960

300

(c) In the emission tables above, the tighter limit applies at the band edges. Sections 15.33 and 15.35 which specify the frequency range over which radiated emissions are to be measured and the detector functions and other measurement standards apply.

(d) For CB receivers, the field strength of radiated emissions within the frequency range of 25-30 MHz shall not exceed 40 microvolts/meter at a distance of 3 meters. The field strength of radiated emissions above 30 MHz from such devices shall comply with the limits in paragraph (a) of this section.

(e) Carrier current systems used as unintentional radiators or other unintentional radiators that are designed to conduct their radio frequency emissions via connecting wires or cables and that operate in the frequency range of 9 kHz to 30 MHz, including devices that deliver the radio frequency energy to transducers, such as ultrasonic devices not covered under part 18 of this chapter, shall comply with the radiated emission limits for intentional radiators provided in § 15.209 for the frequency range of 9 kHz to 30 MHz. As an alternative, carrier current systems used as unintentional radiators and operating in the frequency range of 525 kHz to 1705 kHz may comply with the radiated emission limits provided in § 15.221(a). At frequencies above 30 MHz, the limits in paragraph (a), (b), or (g) of this section, as appropriate, apply.

(f) For a receiver which employs terminals for the connection of an external receiving antenna, the receiver shall be tested to demonstrate compliance with the provisions of this section with an antenna connected to the antenna terminals unless the antenna conducted power is measured as specified in § 15.111(a). If a permanently attached receiving antenna is used, the receiver shall be tested to demonstrate compliance with the provisions of this section.

(g) As an alternative to the radiated emission limits shown in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section, digital devices may be shown to comply with the standards contained in Third Edition of the International Special Committee on Radio Interference (CISPR), Pub. 22, “Information Technology Equipment—Radio Disturbance Characteristics—Limits and Methods of Measurement” (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38). In addition:

(1) The test procedure and other requirements specified in this part shall continue to apply to digital devices.

(2) If, in accordance with § 15.33 of this part, measurements must be performed above 1000 MHz, compliance above 1000 MHz shall be demonstrated with the emission limit in paragraph (a) or (b) of this section, as appropriate. Measurements above 1000 MHz may be performed at the distance specified in the CISPR 22 publications for measurements below 1000 MHz provided the limits in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section are extrapolated to the new measurement distance using an inverse linear distance extrapolation factor (20 dB/decade), e.g., the radiated limit above 1000 MHz for a Class B digital device is 150 uV/m, as measured at a distance of 10 meters.

(3) The measurement distances shown in CISPR Pub. 22, including measurements made in accordance with this paragraph above 1000 MHz, are considered, for the purpose of § 15.31(f)(4) of this part, to be the measurement distances specified in this part.

(h) Radar detectors shall comply with the emission limits in paragraph (a) of this section over the frequency range of 11.7-12.2 GHz.

§ 15.111 Antenna power conduction limits for receivers.

(a) In addition to the radiated emission limits, receivers that operate (tune) in the frequency range 30 to 960 MHz and CB receivers that provide terminals for the connection of an external receiving antenna may be tested to demonstrate compliance with the provisions of § 15.109 with the antenna terminals shielded and terminated with a resistive termination equal to the impedance specified for the antenna, provided these receivers also comply with the following: With the receiver antenna terminal connected to a resistive termination equal to the impedance specified or employed for the antenna, the power at the antenna terminal at any frequency within the range of measurements specified in § 15.33 shall not exceed 2.0 nanowatts.

(b) CB receivers and receivers that operate (tune) in the frequency range 30 to 960 MHz that are provided only with a permanently attached antenna shall comply with the radiated emission limitations in this part, as measured with the antenna attached.

§ 15.113 Power line carrier systems.

Power line carrier systems, as defined in § 15.3(t), are subject only to the following requirements:

(a) A power utility operating a power line carrier system shall submit the details of all existing systems plus any proposed new systems or changes to existing systems to an industry-operated entity as set forth in § 90.35(g) of this chapter. No notification to the FCC is required.

(b) The operating parameters of a power line carrier system (particularly the frequency) shall be selected to achieve the highest practical degree of compatibility with authorized or licensed users of the radio spectrum. The signals from this operation shall be contained within the frequency band 9 kHz to 490 kHz. A power line carrier system shall operate on an unprotected, non-interference basis in accordance with § 15.5 of this part. If harmful interference occurs, the electric power utility shall discontinue use or adjust its power line carrier operation, as required, to remedy the interference. Particular attention should be paid to the possibility of interference to Loran C operations at 100 kHz.

(c) Power line carrier system apparatus shall be operated with the minimum power possible to accomplish the desired purpose. No equipment authorization is required.

(d) The best engineering principles shall be used in the generation of radio frequency currents by power line carrier systems to guard against harmful interference to authorized radio users, particularly on the fundamental and harmonic frequencies.

(e) Power line carrier system apparatus shall conform to such engineering standards as may be promulgated by the Commission. In addition, such systems should adhere to industry approved standards designed to enhance the use of power line carrier systems.

(f) The provisions of this section apply only to systems operated by a power utility for general supervision of the power system and do not permit operation on electric lines which connect the distribution substation to the customer or house wiring. Such operation can be conducted under the other provisions of this part.

(g) Special provisions. An electric power utility entity shall not operate a new or modified power line carrier (PLC) system in the 135.7-137.8 kHz and/or 472-479 kHz bands if a previously coordinated amateur station pursuant to § 97.301(g)(2) of this chapter is located within one kilometer of the transmission lines conducting the PLC signal.

§ 15.115 TV interface devices, including cable system terminal devices.

(a) Measurements of the radiated emissions of a TV interface device shall be conducted with the output terminal(s) of the device terminated by a resistance equal to the rated output impedance. The emanations of a TV interface device incorporating an intentional radiator shall not exceed the limits in § 15.109 or subpart C of this part, whichever is higher for each frequency. Where it is possible to determine which portion of the device is contributing a particular radio frequency emission, the emissions from the TV interface device portion shall comply with the emission limits in § 15.109, and the emissions from the intentional radiator shall comply with subpart C of this part.

(b) Output signal limits:

(1) At any RF output terminal, the maximum measured RMS voltage, in microvolts, corresponding to the peak envelope power of the modulated signal during maximum amplitude peaks across a resistance (R in ohms) matching the rated output impedance of the TV interface device, shall not exceed the following:

(i) For a cable system terminal device or a TV interface device used with a master antenna, 692.8 times the square root of (R) for the video signal and 155 times the square root of (R) for the audio signal.

(ii) For all other TV interface devices, 346.4 times the square root of (R) for the video signal and 77.5 times the square root of (R) for the audio signal.

(2) At any RF output terminal, the maximum measured RMS voltage, in microvolts, corresponding to the peak envelope power of the modulated signal during maximum amplitude peaks across a resistance (R in ohms) matching the rated output impedance of the TV interface device, of any emission appearing on frequencies removed by more than 4.6 MHz below or 7.4 MHz above the video carrier frequency on which the TV interface device is operated shall not exceed the following:

(i) For a cable system terminal device or a TV interface device used with a master antenna, 692.8 times the square root of (R).

(ii) For all other TV interface devices, 10.95 times the square root of (R).

(3) The term master antenna used in this section refers to TV interface devices employed for central distribution of television or other video signals within a building. Such TV interface devices must be designed to:

(i) Distribute multiple television signals at the same time;

(ii) Distribute such signals by cable to outlets or TV receivers in multiple rooms in the building in which the TV interface devices are installed; and,

(iii) Distribute all over-the-air or cable signals.

Note:

Cable-ready video cassette recorders continue to be subject to the provisions for general TV interface devices.

(c) A TV interface device shall be equipped with a transfer switch for connecting the antenna terminals of a receiver selectively either to the receiving antenna or to the radio frequency output of the TV interface device, subject to the following:

(1) When measured in any of its set positions, transfer switches shall comply with the following requirements:

(i) For a cable system terminal device or a TV interface device equipped for use with a cable system or a master antenna, as defined in paragraph (b)(3) of this section, the isolation between the antenna and cable input terminals shall be at least 80 dB from 54 MHz to 216 MHz, at least 60 dB from 216 MHz to 550 MHz and at least 55 dB from 550 MHz to 806 MHz. The 80 dB standard applies at 216 MHz and the 60 dB standard applies at 550 MHz. In the case of a transfer switch requiring a power source, the required isolation shall be maintained in the event the device is not connected to a power source or power is interrupted.

(ii) For all other TV interface devices, the maximum voltage, corresponding to the peak envelope power of the modulated video signal during maximum amplitude peaks, in microvolts, appearing at the receiving antenna input terminals when terminated with a resistance (R in ohms) matching the rated impedance of the antenna input of the switch, shall not exceed 0.346 times the square root of (R).

(iii) Measurement to determine compliance with the transfer switch limits shall be made using a connecting cable, where required, between the TV interface device and the transfer switch of the type and length:

(A) Provided with the TV interface device,

(B) Recommended in the instruction manual, or

(C) Normally employed by the consumer.

(2) A TV interface device shall be designed and constructed, to the extent practicable, so as to preclude the possibility that the consumer may inadvertently attach the output of the device to the receiving antenna, if any, without first going through the transfer switch.

(3) A transfer switch is not required for a TV interface device that, when connected, results in the user no longer having any need to receive standard over-the-air broadcast signals via a separate antenna. A transfer switch is not required to be marketed with a cable system terminal device unless that device provides for the connection of an external antenna. A transfer switch is not required for a device that is intended to be used as an accessory to an authorized TV interface device.

(4) An actual transfer switch is not required for a TV interface device, including a cable system terminal device, that has an antenna input terminal(s); provided, the circuitry following the antenna input terminal(s) has sufficient bandwidth to allow the reception of all TV broadcast channels authorized under part 73 of this chapter and: For a cable system terminal device that can alternate between the reception of cable television service and an antenna, compliance with the isolation requirement specified in paragraph (c)(1)(i) of this section can be demonstrated; and, for all other TV interface devices, the maximum voltage appearing at the antenna terminal(s) does not exceed the limit in paragraph (c)(1)(ii) of this section.

(5) If a transfer switch is not required, the following label shall be used in addition to the label shown in § 15.19(a):

This device is intended to be attached to a receiver that is not used to receive over-the-air broadcast signals. Connection of this device in any other fashion may cause harmful interference to radio communications and is in violation of the FCC Rules, part 15.

(d) A TV interface device, including a cable system terminal device, shall incorporate circuitry to automatically prevent emanations from the device from exceeding the technical specifications in this part. These circuits shall be adequate to accomplish their functions when the TV interface device is presented, if applicable, with video input signal levels in the range of one to five volts; this requirement is not applicable to a TV interface device that uses a built-in signal source and has no provisions for the connection of an external signal source. For devices that contain provisions for an external signal source but do not contain provisions for the input of an external baseband signal, e.g., some cable system terminal devices, compliance with the provisions of this paragraph shall be demonstrated with a radio frequency input signal of 0 to 25 dBmV.

(e) For cable system terminal devices and TV interface devices used with a master antenna, as defined in paragraph (b)(3) of this section, the holder of the grant of authorization shall specify in the instruction manual or pamphlet, if a manual is not provided, the types of wires or coaxial cables necessary to ensure that the unit complies with the requirements of this part. The holder of the grant of authorization must comply with the provisions of § 15.27. For all other TV interface devices, the wires or coaxial cables used to couple the output signals to the TV receiver shall be provided by the responsible party.

(f) A TV interface device which is submitted to the Commission as a composite device in a single enclosure containing a RF modulator, video source and other component devices shall be submitted on a single application (FCC Form 731) and shall be authorized as a single device.

(g) An external device or accessory that is intended to be attached to a TV interface device shall comply with the technical and administrative requirements set out in the rules under which it operates. For example, a personal computer must be certificated to show compliance with the regulations for digital devices.

(h) Stand-alone switches used to alternate between cable service and an antenna shall provide isolation between the antenna and cable input terminals that is at least 80 dB from 54 MHz to 216 MHz, at least 60 dB from 216 MHz to 550 MHz and at least 55 dB from 550 MHz to 806 MHz. The 80 dB standard applies at 216 MHz and the 60 dB standard applies at 550 MHz. In the case of stand-alone switches requiring a power source, the required isolation shall be maintained in the event the device is not connected to a power source or power is interrupted.

(i) Switches and other devices intended to be used to by-pass the processing circuitry of a cable system terminal device, whether internal to such a terminal device or a stand-alone unit, shall not attenuate the input signal more than 6 dB from 54 MHz to 550 MHz, or more than 8 dB from 550 MHz to 804 MHz. The 6 dB standard applies at 550 MHz.

§ 15.117 TV broadcast receivers.

Link to an amendment published at 91 FR 3069, Jan. 26, 2026.

(a) All TV broadcast receivers shipped in interstate commerce or imported into the United States, for sale or resale to the public, shall comply with the provisions of this section, except that paragraphs (f) and (g) of this section shall not apply to the features of such sets that provide for reception of digital television signals. The reference in this section to TV broadcast receivers also includes devices, such as TV interface devices and set-top devices that are intended to provide audio-video signals to a video monitor, that incorporate the tuner portion of a TV broadcast receiver and that are equipped with an antenna or antenna terminals that can be used for off-the-air reception of TV broadcast signals, as authorized under part 73 of this chapter.

(b) TV broadcast receivers shall be capable of adequately receiving all channels allocated by the Commission to the television broadcast service that broadcast digital signals using the DTV transmission standard in § 73.682(d) of this chapter, but need not be capable of receiving analog signals or signals using the Next Gen TV transmission standard in § 73.682(f) of this chapter.

(c) On a given receiver, use of the UHF and VHF tuning systems shall provide approximately the same degree of tuning accuracy with approximately the same expenditure of time and effort: Provided, however, That this requirement will be considered to be met if the need for routine fine tuning is eliminated on UHF channels.

(1) Basic tuning mechanism. If a TV broadcast receiver is equipped to provide for repeated access to VHF television channels at discrete tuning positions, that receiver shall be equipped to provide for repeated access to a minimum of six UHF television channels at discrete tuning positions. Unless a discrete tuning position is provided for each channel allocated to UHF television, each position shall be readily adjustable to a particular UHF channel by the user without the use of tools. If 12 or fewer discrete tuning positions are provided, each position shall be adjustable to receive any channel allocated to UHF television.

Note:

The combination of detented rotary switch and pushbutton controls is acceptable, provided UHF channels, after their initial selection, can be accurately tuned with an expenditure of time and effort approximately the same as that used in accurately tuning VHF channels. A UHF tuning system comprising five pushbuttons and a separate manual tuning knob is considered to provide repeated access to six channels at discrete tuning positions. A one-knob (VHF/UHF) tuning system providing repeated access to 11 or more discrete tuning positions is also acceptable, provided each of the tuning positions is readily adjustable, without the use of tools, to receive any UHF channel.

(2) Tuning controls and channel readout. UHF tuning controls and channel readout on a given receiver shall be comparable in size, location, accessibility and legibility to VHF controls and readout on that receiver.

Note:

Differences between UHF and VHF channel readout that follow directly from the larger number of UHF television channels available are acceptable if it is clear that a good faith effort to comply with the provisions of this section has been made.

(d) If equipment and controls that tend to simplify, expedite or perfect the reception of television signals (e.g., AFC, visual aids, remote control, or signal seeking capability referred to generally as tuning aids) are incorporated into the VHF portion of a TV broadcast receiver, tuning aids of the same type and comparable capability and quality shall be provided for the UHF portion of that receiver.

(e) If a television receiver has an antenna affixed to the VHF antenna terminals, it must have an antenna designed for and capable of receiving all UHF television channels affixed to the UHF antenna terminals. If a VHF antenna is provided with but not affixed to a receiver, a UHF antenna shall be provided with the receiver.

(f) The picture sensitivity of a TV broadcast receiver averaged for all channels between 14 and 69 inclusive shall not be more than 8dB larger than the peak picture sensitivity of that receiver averaged for all channels between 2 and 13 inclusive.

(g) The noise figure for any television channel 14 to 69 inclusive shall not exceed 14 dB. A TV receiver model is considered to comply with this noise figure if the maximum noise figure for channels 14-69 inclusive of 97.5% of all receivers within that model does not exceed 14 dB.

(1) The responsible party shall measure the noise figure of a number of UHF channels of the test sample to give reasonable assurance that the UHF noise figure for each channel complies with the above limit.

(2) The responsible party shall insert in his files a statement explaining the basis on which it will rely to ensure that at least 97.5% of all production units of the test sample that are manufactured have a noise figure of no greater than 14 dB.

(3) [Reserved]

(4) In the case of a TV tuner built-in as part of a video tape recorder that uses a power splitter between the antenna terminals of the video tape recorder and the input terminals of the TV tuner or a TV broadcast receiver that uses a power splitter between the antenna terminals of two or more UHF tuners contained within that receiver, 4 dB may be subtracted from the noise figure measured at the antenna terminals of the video tape recorder or TV broadcast receiver for determining compliance of the UHF tuner(s) with the 14 dB noise figure limit.

(h) Digital television reception capability. TV broadcast receivers are required only to provide useable picture and sound commensurate with their video and audio capabilities when receiving digital television signals.

(i) Digital television reception requirement. (1) Responsible parties, as defined in § 2.909 of this chapter, are required to equip with DTV tuners new TV broadcast receivers that are shipped in interstate commerce or imported from any foreign country into the United States and for which they are responsible to comply with the provisions of this section. For purposes of this section, the term “TV broadcast receivers” includes other video devices (videocassette recorders (VCRs), digital video recorders such as hard drive and DVD recorders, etc.) that receive television signals.

(2) The requirement to include digital television reception capability in new TV broadcast receivers does not apply to devices such as mobile telephones and personal digital assistants where such devices do not include the capability to receive TV service on the frequencies allocated for broadcast television service.

(j) For a TV broadcast receiver equipped with a cable input selector switch, the selector switch shall provide, in any of its set positions, isolation between the antenna and cable input terminals of at least 80 dB from 54 MHz to 216 MHz, at least 60 dB from 216 MHz to 550 MHz and at least 55 dB from 550 MHz to 806 MHz. The 80 dB standard applies at 216 MHz and the 60 dB standard applies at 550 MHz. In the case of a selector switch requiring a power source, the required isolation shall be maintained in the event the device is not connected to a power source or power is interrupted. An actual switch that can alternate between reception of cable television service and an antenna is not required for a TV broadcast receiver, provided compliance with the isolation requirement specified in this paragraph can be demonstrated and the circuitry following the antenna input terminal(s) has sufficient band-width to allow the reception of all TV broadcast channels authorized under this chapter.

(k) The following requirements apply to all responsible parties, as defined in § 2.909 of this chapter, and any person that displays or offers for sale or rent television receiving equipment that is not capable of receiving, decoding and tuning digital signals.

(1) Such parties and persons shall place conspicuously and in close proximity to such television broadcast receivers a sign containing, in clear and conspicuous print, the Consumer Alert disclosure text required by paragraph (k)(3) of this section. The text should be in a size of type large enough to be clear, conspicuous and readily legible, consistent with the dimensions of the equipment and the label. The information may be printed on a transparent material and affixed to the screen, if the receiver includes a display, in a manner that is removable by the consumer and does not obscure the picture, or, if the receiver does not include a display, in a prominent location on the device, such as on the top or front of the device, when displayed for sale, or the information in this format may be displayed separately immediately adjacent to each television broadcast receiver offered for sale and clearly associated with the analog-only model to which it pertains.

(2) If such parties and persons display or offer for sale or rent such television broadcast receivers via direct mail, catalog, or electronic means, they shall prominently display in close proximity to the images or descriptions of such television broadcast receivers, in clear and conspicuous print, the Consumer Alert disclosure text required by paragraph (k)(3) of this section. The text should be in a size large enough to be clear, conspicuous, and readily legible, consistent with the dimensions of the advertisement or description.

(3) Consumer alert. This television receiver has only an analog broadcast tuner and will require a converter box after February 17, 2009, to receive over-the-air broadcasts with an antenna because of the Nation's transition to digital broadcasting. Analog-only TVs should continue to work as before with cable and satellite TV services, gaming consoles, VCRs, DVD players, and similar products. For more information, call the Federal Communications Commission at 1-888-225-5322 (TTY: 1-888-835-5322) or visit the Commission's digital television Web site at: http://www.dtv.gov.

§ 15.118 Cable ready consumer electronics equipment.

Link to an amendment published at 91 FR 3069, Jan. 26, 2026.

(a) All consumer electronics TV receiving equipment marketed in the United States as cable ready or cable compatible shall comply with the provisions of this section. Consumer electronics TV receiving equipment that includes features intended for use with cable service but does not fully comply with the provisions of this section are subject to the labelling requirements of § 15.19(d). Until such time as generally accepted testing standards are developed, paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section will apply only to the analog portion of covered consumer electronics TV receiving equipment

(b) Cable ready consumer electronics equipment shall be capable of receiving all NTSC or similar video channels on channels 1 through 125 of the channel allocation plan set forth in CEA-542-B: “CEA Standard: Cable Television Channel Identification Plan,” (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38).

(c) Cable ready consumer electronics equipment must meet the following technical performance requirements. Compliance with these requirements shall be determined by performing measurements at the unfiltered IF output port. Where appropriate, the Commission will consider allowing alternative measurement methods.

(1) Adjacent channel interference. In the presence of a lower adjacent channel CW signal that is 1.5 MHz below the desired visual carrier in frequency and 10 dB below the desired visual carrier in amplitude, spurious signals within the IF passband shall be attenuated at least 55 dB below the visual carrier of the desired signal. The desired input signal shall be an NTSC visual carrier modulated with a 10 IRE flat field with color burst and the aural carrier which is 10 dB below the visual carrier should be unmodulated. Measurements are to be performed for input signal levels of 0 dBmV and + 15 dBmV, with the receiver tuned to ten evenly spaced EIA IS-132 channels covering the band 54 MHz to 804 MHz.

(2) Image channel interference. Image channel interference within the IF passband shall be attenuated below the visual carrier of the desired channel by at least 60 dB from 54 MHz to 714 MHz and 50 dB from 714 MHz to 804 MHz. The 60 dB standard applies at 714 MHz. In testing for compliance with this standard, the desired input signal is to be an NTSC signal on which the visual carrier is modulated with a 10 IRE flat field with color burst and the aural carrier is unmodulated and 10 dB below the visual carrier. The undesired test signal shall be a CW signal equal in amplitude to the desired visual carrier and located 90 MHz above the visual carrier frequency of the desired channel. Measurements shall be performed for input signals of 0 dBmV and + 15 dBmV, with the receiver tuned to at least ten evenly spaced EIA IS-132 channels covering the band 54 MHz to 804 MHz.

(3) Direct pickup interference. The direct pickup (DPU) of a co-channel interfering ambient field by a cable ready device shall not exceed the following criteria. The ratio of the desired to undesired signal levels at the IF passband on each channel shall be at least 45 dB. The average ratio over the six channels shall be at least 50 dB. The desired input signal shall be an NTSC signal having a visual carrier level of 0 dBmV. The visual carrier is modulated with a 10 IRE flat field with color burst, visual to aural carrier ratio of 10 dB, aural carrier unmodulated. The equipment under test (EUT) shall be placed on a rotatable table that is one meter in height. Any excess length of the power cord and other connecting leads shall be coiled on the floor under the table. The EUT shall be immersed in a horizontally polarized uniform CW field of 100 mV/m at a frequency 2.55 MHz above the visual carrier of the EUT tuned channel. Measurements shall be made with the EUT tuned to six EIA IS-132 channels, two each in the low VHF, high VHF and UHF broadcast bands. On each channel, the levels at the IF passband due to the desired and interfering signals are to be measured.

(4) Tuner overload. Spurious signals within the IF passband shall be attenuated at least 55 dB below the visual carrier of the desired channel using a comb-like spectrum input with each visual carrier signal individually set at + 15 dBmV from 54 to 550 MHz. The desired input signal is to be an NTSC signal on which the visual carrier is modulated with a 10 IRE flat field with color burst and the aural carrier is unmodulated and 10 dB below the visual carrier. Measurements shall be made with the receiver tuned to at least seven evenly spaced EIA IS-132 channels covering the band 54 MHz to 550 MHz. In addition, spurious signals within the IF passband shall be attenuated at least 51 dB below the visual carrier of the desired channel using a comb spectrum input with each signal individually set at + 15 dBmV from 550 to 804 MHz. Measurements shall be made with the receiver tuned to at least three evenly spaced EIA IS-132 channels covering the band 550 MHz to 804 MHz.

(5) Cable input conducted emissions. (i) Conducted spurious emissions that appear at the cable input to the device must meet the following criteria. The input shall be an NTSC video carrier modulated with a 10 IRE flat field with color burst at a level of 0 dBmV and with a visual to aural ratio of 10 dB. The aural carrier shall be unmodulated. The peak level of the spurious signals will be measured using a spectrum analyzer connected by a directional coupler to the cable input of the equipment under test. Spurious signal levels must not exceed the limits in the following table:

From 54 MHz up to and including 300 MHz-26 dBmV

From 300 MHz up to and including 450 MHz-20 dBmV

From 450 MHz up to and including 804 MHz-15 dBmV

(ii) The average of the measurements on multiple channels from 450 MHz up to and including 804 MHz shall be no greater than −20 dBmV. Measurements shall be made with the receiver tuned to at least four EIA IS-132 channels in each of the above bands. The test channels are to be evenly distributed across each of the bands. Measurements for conducted emissions caused by sources internal to the device are to be made in a shielded room. Measurements for conducted emissions caused by external signal sources shall be made in an ambient RF field whose field strength is 100 mV/m, following the same test conditions as described in paragraph (c)(3) of this section.

(d) The field strength of radiated emissions from cable ready consumer electronics equipment shall not exceed the limits in § 15.109(a) when measured in accordance with the applicable procedures specified in §§ 15.31 and 15.35 for unintentional radiators, with the following modifications. During testing the NTSC input signal level is to be + 15 dBmV, with a visual to aural ratio of 10 dB. The visual carrier is to be modulated by a 10 IRE flat field with color burst; the aural carrier is to be unmodulated. Measurements are to be taken on six EIA IS-132 channels evenly spaced across the required RF input range of the equipment under test.

§ 15.120 Program blocking technology requirements for television receivers.

Link to an amendment published at 91 FR 3069, Jan. 26, 2026.

(a) Effective July 1, 1999, manufacturers of television broadcast receivers as defined in section 15.3(w) of this chapter, including personal computer systems meeting that definition, must ensure that one-half of their product models with picture screens 33 cm (13 in) or larger in diameter shipped in interstate commerce or manufactured in the United States comply with the provisions of paragraphs (c), (d), and (e) of this section.

Note:

This paragraph places no restrictions on the shipping or sale of television receivers that were manufactured before July 1999.

(b) All TV broadcast receivers as defined in § 15.3(w), including personal computer systems meeting that definition, with picture screens 33 cm (13 in) or larger, measured diagonally, or with displays in the 16:9 aspect ratio that are 19.8 cm (7.8 in) or greater in height and digital television receivers without an associated display device shipped in interstate commerce or manufactured in the United States shall comply with the provisions of paragraphs (c), (d), and (e) of this section.

(c) Transmission format. (1) Analog television program rating information shall be transmitted on line 21 of field 2 of the vertical blanking interval of television signals, in accordance with § 73.682(a)(22) of this chapter.

(2) Digital television program rating information shall be transmitted in digital television signals in accordance with § 73.682(d) of this chapter.

(d) Operation. (1) Analog television receivers will receive program ratings transmitted pursuant to EIA-744: “Transport of Content Advisory Information Using Extended Data Service (XDS)” (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38) and EIA-608: “Recommended Practice for Line 21 Data Service” (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38). Blocking of programs shall occur when a program rating is received that meets the pre-determined user requirements.

(2) Digital television receivers shall react in a similar manner as analog televisions when programmed to block specific rating categories. Digital television receivers will receive program rating descriptors transmitted pursuant to industry standard EIA/CEA-766-A “U.S. and Canadian Region Rating Tables (RRT) and Content Advisory Descriptors for Transport of Content Advisory Information using ATSC A/65-A Program and System Information Protocol (PSIP),” 2001 (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38). Blocking of programs shall occur when a program rating is received that meets the pre-determined user requirements. Digital television receivers shall be able to respond to changes in the content advisory rating system.

(e) All television receivers as described in paragraph (a) of this section shall block programming as follows:

(1) Channel Blocking. Channel Blocking should occur as soon as a program rating packet with the appropriate Content Advisory or MPAA rating level is received. Program blocking is described as a receiver performing all of the following:

• Muting the program audio.

• Rendering the video black or otherwise indecipherable.

• Eliminating program-related captions.

(2) Default State. The default state of a receiver ( i.e. , as provided to the consumer) should not block unrated programs. However, it is permissible to include features that allow the user to reprogram the receiver to block programs that are not rated.

(3) Picture-In-Picture (PIP). If a receiver has the ability to decode program-related rating information for the Picture-In-Picture (PIP) video signal, then it should block the PIP channel in the same manner as the main channel. If the receiver does not have the ability to decode PIP program-related rating information, then it should block or otherwise disable the PIP if the viewer has enabled program blocking.

(4) Selection of Ratings. Each television receiver, in accordance with user input, shall block programming based on the age based ratings, the content based ratings, or a combination of the two.

(i) If the user chooses to block programming according to its age based rating level, the receiver must have the ability to automatically block programs with a more restrictive age based rating. For example, if all shows with an age-based rating of TV-PG have been selected for blocking, the user should be able to automatically block programs with the more restrictive ratings of TV-14 and TV-MA.

(ii) If the user chooses to block programming according to a combination of age based and content based ratings the receiver must have the ability to automatically block programming with a more restrictive age rating but a similar content rating. For example, if all shows rated TV-PG-V have been selected for blocking, the user should be able to block automatically shows with the more restrictive ratings of TV-14-V and TV-MA-V.

(iii) The user should have the capability of overriding the automatic blocking described in paragraphs (e)(4)(i) and (4)(ii) of this section.

§ 15.121 Scanning receivers and frequency converters used with scanning receivers.

Link to an amendment published at 91 FR 3069, Jan. 26, 2026.

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, scanning receivers and frequency converters designed or marketed for use with scanning receivers, shall:

(1) Be incapable of operating (tuning), or readily being altered by the user to operate, within the frequency bands allocated to the Cellular Radiotelephone Service in part 22 of this chapter (cellular telephone bands). Scanning receivers capable of “readily being altered by the user” include, but are not limited to, those for which the ability to receive transmissions in the cellular telephone bands can be added by clipping the leads of, or installing, a simple component such as a diode, resistor or jumper wire; replacing a plug-in semiconductor chip; or programming a semiconductor chip using special access codes or an external device, such as a personal computer. Scanning receivers, and frequency converters designed for use with scanning receivers, also shall be incapable of converting digital cellular communication transmissions to analog voice audio.

(2) Be designed so that the tuning, control and filtering circuitry is inaccessible. The design must be such that any attempts to modify the equipment to receive transmissions from the Cellular Radiotelephone Service likely will render the receiver inoperable.

(b) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, scanning receivers shall reject any signals from the Cellular Radiotelephone Service frequency bands that are 38 dB or lower based upon a 12 dB SINAD measurement, which is considered the threshold where a signal can be clearly discerned from any interference that may be present.

(c) Scanning receivers and frequency converters designed or marketed for use with scanning receivers, are not subject to the requirements of paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section provided that they are manufactured exclusively for, and marketed exclusively to, entities described in 18 U.S.C. 2512(2), or are marketed exclusively as test equipment pursuant to § 15.3(dd).

(d) Modification of a scanning receiver to receive transmissions from Cellular Radiotelephone Service frequency bands will be considered to constitute manufacture of such equipment. This includes any individual, individuals, entity or organization that modifies one or more scanners. Any modification to a scanning receiver to receive transmissions from the Cellular Radiotelephone Service frequency bands voids the certification of the scanning receiver, regardless of the date of manufacture of the original unit. In addition, the provisions of § 15.23 shall not be interpreted as permitting modification of a scanning receiver to receiver Cellular Radiotelephone Service transmissions.

(e) Scanning receivers and frequency converters designed for use with scanning receivers shall not be assembled from kits or marketed in kit form unless they comply with the requirements in paragraph (a) through (c) of this section.

(f) Scanning receivers shall have a label permanently affixed to the product, and this label shall be readily visible to the purchaser at the time of purchase. The label shall read as follows: WARNING: MODIFICATION OF THIS DEVICE TO RECEIVE CELLULAR RADIOTELEPHONE SERVICE SIGNALS IS PROHIBITED UNDER FCC RULES AND FEDERAL LAW.

(1) “Permanently affixed” means that the label is etched, engraved, stamped, silkscreened, indelible printed or otherwise permanently marked on a permanently attached part of the equipment or on a nameplate of metal, plastic or other material fastened to the equipment by welding, riveting, or permanent adhesive. The label shall be designed to last the expected lifetime of the equipment in the environment in which the equipment may be operated and must not be readily detachable. The label shall not be a stick-on, paper label.

(2) When the device is so small that it is not practicable to place the warning label on it, the information required by this paragraph shall be placed in a prominent location in the instruction manual or pamphlet supplied to the user and shall also be placed on the container in which the device is marketed. However, the FCC identifier must be displayed on the device.

§ 15.123 Labeling of digital cable ready products.

(a) The requirements of this section shall apply to unidirectional digital cable products. Unidirectional digital cable products are one-way devices that accept a Point of Deployment module (POD) and which include, but are not limited to televisions, set-top-boxes and recording devices connected to digital cable systems. Unidirectional digital cable products do not include interactive two-way digital television products.

(b) A unidirectional digital cable product may not be labeled with or marketed using the term “digital cable ready,” or other terminology that describes the device as “cable ready” or “cable compatible,” or otherwise indicates that the device accepts a POD or conveys the impression that the device is compatible with digital cable service unless it implements at a minimum the following features:

(1) Tunes NTSC analog channels transmitted in-the-clear.

(2) Tunes digital channels that are transmitted in compliance with SCTE 40 2003 (formerly DVS 313): “Digital Cable Network Interface Standard” (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38), provided, however, that with respect to Table B.11 of that standard, the phase noise requirement shall be −86 dB/Hz including both in-the-clear channels and channels that are subject to conditional access.

(3) Allows navigation of channels based on channel information (virtual channel map and source names) provided through the cable system in compliance with ANSI/SCTE 65 2002 (formerly DVS 234): “Service Information Delivered Out-of-Band for Digital Cable Television” (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38), and/or PSIP-enabled navigation (ANSI/SCTE 54 2003 (formerly DVS 241): “Digital Video Service Multiplex and Transport System Standard for Cable Television” (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38)).

(4) Includes the POD-Host Interface specified in SCTE 28 2003 (formerly DVS 295): “Host-POD Interface Standard” (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38), and SCTE 41 2003 (formerly DVS 301): “POD Copy Protection System” (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38), or implementation of a more advanced POD-Host Interface based on successor standards. Support for Internet protocol flows is not required.

(5) Responds to emergency alerts that are transmitted in compliance with ANSI/SCTE 54 2003 (formerly DVS 241): “Digital Video Service Multiplex and Transport System Standard for Cable Television” (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38).

(6) In addition to the requirements of paragraphs (b)(1) through (5) of this section, a unidirectional digital cable television may not be labeled or marketed as digital cable ready or with other terminology as described in paragraph (b) of this section, unless it includes a DTV broadcast tuner as set forth in § 15.117(i) and employs at least one interface specified in paragraphs (b)(6)(i) and (ii) of this section:

(i) For 480p grade unidirectional digital cable televisions, either a DVI/HDCP, HDMI/HDCP, or 480p Y,Pb,Pr interface.

(ii) For 720p/1080i grade unidirectional digital cable televisions, either a DVI/HDCP or HDMI/HDCP interface.

(c) Before a manufacturer's or importer's first unidirectional digital cable product may be labeled or marketed as digital cable ready or with other terminology as described in paragraph (b) of this section, the manufacturer or importer shall verify the device as follows:

(1) The manufacturer or importer shall have a sample of its first model of a unidirectional digital cable product tested to show compliance with the procedures set forth in Uni-Dir-PICS-I01-030903: Uni-Directional Receiving Device: Conformance Checklist: PICS Proforma (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38) at a qualified test facility. If the model fails to comply, the manufacturer or importer shall have any modifications to the product to correct failures of the procedures in Uni-Dir-PICS-I01-030903: “Uni-Directional Receiving Device: Conformance Checklist: PICS Proforma,” September 3, 2003 (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38) retested at a qualified test facility and the product must comply with Uni-Dir-PICS-I01-030903: “Uni-Directional Receiving Device: Conformance Checklist: PICS Proforma,” September 3, 2003 (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38) in accordance with the test procedures set forth in Uni-Dir-ATP-I02-040225: “Uni-Directional Receiving Device, Acceptance Test Plan,” February 25, 2004 (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38) or with M-UDCP-PICS-I04-080225, “Uni-Directional Cable Product Supporting M-Card: Multiple Profiles; Conformance Checklist: PICS,” February 25, 2008 (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38) in accordance with the test procedures set forth in TP-ATP-M-UDCP-I05-20080304, “Uni-Directional Digital Cable Products Supporting M-Card; M-UDCP Device Acceptance Test Plan,” March 4, 2008 (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38) before the product or any related model may be labeled or marketed. If the manufacturer or importer's first unidirectional digital cable product is not a television, then that manufacturer or importer's first model of a unidirectional digital cable product which is a television shall be tested pursuant to this subsection as though it were the first unidirectional digital cable product. A qualified test facility may only require compliance with the procedures set forth in Uni-Dir-PICS-I01-030903: Uni-Directional Receiving Device: Conformance Checklist: PICS Proforma, September 3, 2003 (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38). Compliance testing beyond those procedures shall be at the discretion of the manufacturer or importer.

(2) A qualified test facility is a testing laboratory representing cable television system operators serving a majority of the cable television subscribers in the United States or an appropriately qualified independent laboratory with adequate equipment and competent personnel knowledgeable with respect to Uni-Dir-PICS-I01-030903: “Uni-Directional Receiving Device: Conformance Checklist: PICS Proforma,” September 03, 2003 (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38); Uni-Dir-ATP-I02-040225: “Uni-Directional Receiving Device, Acceptance Test Plan,” February 25, 2004 (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38); M-UDCP-PICS-I04-080225, “Uni-Directional Cable Product Supporting M-Card: Multiple Profiles; Conformance Checklist: PICS,” February 25, 2008 (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38); and TP-ATP-M-UDCP-I05-20080304, “Uni-Directional Digital Cable Products Supporting M-Card; M-UDCP Device Acceptance Test Plan,” March 4, 2008 (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38). For any independent testing laboratory to be qualified hereunder such laboratory must ensure that all its decisions are impartial and have a documented structure which safeguards impartiality of the operations of the testing laboratory. In addition, any independent testing laboratory qualified hereunder must not supply or design products of the type it tests, nor provide any other products or services that could compromise confidentiality, objectivity or impartiality of the testing laboratory's testing process and decisions.

(3) Subsequent to the testing of its initial unidirectional digital cable product model, a manufacturer or importer is not required to have other models of unidirectional digital cable products tested at a qualified test facility for compliance with the procedures of Uni-Dir-PICS-I01-030903: “Uni-Directional Receiving Device: Conformance Checklist: PICS Proforma,” September 03, 2003 (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38) unless the first model tested was not a television, in which event the first television shall be tested as provided in paragraph (c)(1) of this section. The manufacturer or importer shall ensure that all subsequent models of unidirectional digital cable products comply with the procedures in the Uni-Dir-PICS-I01-030903: “Uni-Directional Receiving Device: Conformance Checklist: PICS Proforma,” September 03, 2003 (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38) and all other applicable rules and standards. The manufacturer or importer shall maintain records indicating such compliance in accordance with Supplier's Declaration of Conformity requirements in part 2, subpart J of this chapter. The manufacturer or importer shall further submit documentation demonstrating compliance with the procedures in the Uni-Dir-PICS-I01-030903: “Uni-Directional Receiving Device: Conformance Checklist: PICS Proforma,” September 03, 2003 (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38) to the qualified test facility.

(4) Unidirectional digital cable product models must be tested for compliance with Uni-Dir-PICS-I01-030903: “Uni-Directional Receiving Device: Conformance Checklist: PICS Proforma,” September 3, 2003 (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38) in accordance with Uni-Dir-ATP-I02-040225: “Uni-Directional Receiving Device Acceptance Test Plan,” February 25, 2004, (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38) or an equivalent test procedure that produces identical pass/fail test results. In the event of any dispute over the applicable results under an equivalent test procedure, the results under Uni-Dir-ATP-I02-040225: “Uni-Directional Receiving Device Acceptance Test Plan,” February 25, 2004 (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38) shall govern.

(5) This paragraph applies to unidirectional digital cable product models which utilize Point-of-Deployment modules (PODs) in multi-stream mode (M-UDCPs).

(i) The manufacturer or importer shall have a sample of its first model of a M-UDCP tested at a qualified test facility to show compliance with M-UDCP-PICS-I04-080225, “Uni-Directional Cable Product Supporting M-Card: Multiple Profiles; Conformance Checklist: PICS,” February 25, 2008 (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38) as specified in the procedures set forth in TP-ATP-M-UDCP-I05-20080304, “Uni-Directional Digital Cable Products Supporting M-Card; M-UDCP Device Acceptance Test Plan,” March 4, 2008 (both references incorporated by reference, see § 15.38). If the model fails to comply, the manufacturer or importer shall have retested, at a qualified test facility, a product that complies with Uni-Dir-PICS-I01-030903: “Uni-Directional Receiving Device: Conformance Checklist: PICS Proforma,” September 03, 2003 (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38) in accordance with Uni-Dir-ATP-I02-040225: “Uni-Directional Receiving Device Acceptance Test Plan,” February 25, 2004, (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38) or an equivalent test procedure that produces identical pass/fail test results before any product or related model may be labeled or marketed. If the manufacturer or importer's first M-UDCP is not a television, then that manufacturer or importer's first model of a M-UDCP which is a television shall be tested pursuant to this subsection as though it were the first M-UDCP.

(ii) A qualified test facility is a testing laboratory representing cable television system operators serving a majority of the cable television subscribers in the United States or an appropriately qualified independent laboratory with adequate equipment and competent personnel knowledgeable with Uni-Dir-PICS-I01-030903: “Uni-Directional Receiving Device: Conformance Checklist: PICS Proforma,” September 03, 2003 (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38); Uni-Dir-ATP-I02-040225: “Uni-Directional Receiving Device, Acceptance Test Plan,” February 25, 2004 (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38); M-UDCP-PICS-I04-080225, “Uni-Directional Cable Product Supporting M-Card: Multiple Profiles; Conformance Checklist: PICS,” February 25, 2008 (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38); and TP-ATP-M-UDCP-I05-20080304, “Uni-Directional Digital Cable Products Supporting M-Card; M-UDCP Device Acceptance Test Plan,” March 4, 2008 (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38). For any independent testing laboratory to be qualified hereunder such laboratory must ensure that all its decisions are impartial and have a documented structure which safeguards impartiality of the operations of the testing laboratory. In addition, any independent testing laboratory qualified hereunder must not supply or design products of the type it tests, nor provide any other products or services that could compromise confidentiality, objectivity or impartiality of the testing laboratory's testing process and decisions.

(iii) Subsequent to the successful testing of its initial M-UDCP, a manufacturer or importer is not required to have other M-UDCP models tested at a qualified test facility for compliance with M-UDCP-PICS-I04-080225, “Uni-Directional Cable Product Supporting M-Card: Multiple Profiles; Conformance Checklist: PICS,” February 25, 2008 (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38) unless the first model tested was not a television, in which event the first television shall be tested as provided in paragraph (c)(5)(i) of this section. The manufacturer or importer shall ensure that all subsequent models of M-UDCPs comply with M-UDCP-PICS-I04-080225, “Uni-Directional Cable Product Supporting M-Card: Multiple Profiles; Conformance Checklist: PICS,” February 25, 2008 (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38) and all other applicable rules and standards. The manufacturer or importer shall maintain records indicating such compliance in accordance with Supplier's Declaration of Conformity requirements in part 2, subpart J of this chapter. For each M-UDCP model, the manufacturer or importer shall further submit documentation demonstrating compliance with M-UDCP-PICS-I04-080225, “Uni-Directional Cable Product Supporting M-Card: Multiple Profiles; Conformance Checklist: PICS,” February 25, 2008 (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38) to the qualified test facility.

(iv) M-UDCPs must be in compliance with M-UDCP-PICS-I04-080225, “Uni-Directional Cable Product Supporting M-Card: Multiple Profiles; Conformance Checklist: PICS,” February 25, 2008 (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38) in accordance with the procedures set forth in TP-ATP-M-UDCP-I05-20080304, “Uni-Directional Digital Cable Products Supporting M-Card; M-UDCP Device Acceptance Test Plan,” March 4, 2008 (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38) or an equivalent test procedure that produces identical pass/fail test results. In the event of any dispute over the applicable results under an equivalent test procedure, the results under TP-ATP-M-UDCP-I05-20080304, “Uni-Directional Digital Cable Products Supporting M-Card; M-UDCP Device Acceptance Test Plan,” March 4, 2008 (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38) shall govern.

(d) Manufacturers and importers shall provide in appropriate post-sale material that describes the features and functionality of the product, such as the owner's guide, the following language: “This digital television is capable of receiving analog basic, digital basic and digital premium cable television programming by direct connection to a cable system providing such programming. A security card provided by your cable operator is required to view encrypted digital programming. Certain advanced and interactive digital cable services such as video-on-demand, a cable operator's enhanced program guide and data-enhanced television services may require the use of a set-top box. For more information call your local cable operator.”

§ 15.201 Equipment authorization requirement.

(a) Intentional radiators operated as carrier current systems, devices operated under the provisions of §§ 15.211, 15.213, and 15.221, and devices operating below 490 kHz in which all emissions are at least 40 dB below the limits in § 15.209 are subject to Suppliers Declaration of Conformity pursuant to the procedures in subpart J of part 2 of this chapter prior to marketing.

(b) Except as otherwise exempted in paragraph (c) of this section and in § 15.23, all intentional radiators operating under the provisions of this part shall be certified by the Telecommunication Certification Bodies pursuant to the procedures in subpart J of part 2 of this chapter prior to marketing.

(c) For devices such as perimeter protection systems which, in accordance with § 15.31(d), are required to be measured at the installation site, each application for certification must be accompanied by a statement indicating that the system has been tested at three installations and found to comply at each installation. Until such time as certification is granted, a given installation of a system that was measured for the submission for certification will be considered to be in compliance with the provisions of this chapter, including the marketing regulations in subpart I of part 2 of this chapter, if tests at that installation show the system to be in compliance with the relevant technical requirements. Similarly, where measurements must be performed on site for equipment subject to Supplier's Declaration of Conformity, a given installation that has been found compliant with the applicable standards will be considered to be in compliance with the provisions of this chapter, including the marketing regulations in subpart I of part 2 of this chapter.

(d) For perimeter protection systems operating in the frequency bands allocated to television broadcast stations operating under part 73 of this chapter, the holder of the grant of certification must test each installation prior to initiation of normal operation to verify compliance with the technical standards and must maintain a list of all installations and records of measurements. For perimeter protection systems operating outside of the frequency bands allocated to television broadcast stations, upon receipt of a grant of certification, further testing of the same or similar type of system or installation is not required.

§ 15.202 Certified operating frequency range.

Client devices that operate in a master/client network may be certified if they have the capability of operating outside permissible part 15 frequency bands, provided they operate on only permissible part 15 frequencies under the control of the master device with which they communicate. Master devices marketed within the United States must be limited to operation on permissible part 15 frequencies. Client devices that can also act as master devices must meet the requirements of a master device. For the purposes of this section, a master device is defined as a device operating in a mode in which it has the capability to transmit without receiving an enabling signal. In this mode it is able to select a channel and initiate a network by sending enabling signals to other devices. A network always has at least one device operating in master mode. A client device is defined as a device operating in a mode in which the transmissions of the device are under control of the master. A device in client mode is not able to initiate a network.

§ 15.203 Antenna requirement.

An intentional radiator shall be designed to ensure that no antenna other than that furnished by the responsible party shall be used with the device. The use of a permanently attached antenna or of an antenna that uses a unique coupling to the intentional radiator shall be considered sufficient to comply with the provisions of this section. The manufacturer may design the unit so that a broken antenna can be replaced by the user, but the use of a standard antenna jack or electrical connector is prohibited. This requirement does not apply to carrier current devices or to devices operated under the provisions of §§ 15.211, 15.213, 15.217, 15.219, 15.221, or § 15.236. Further, this requirement does not apply to intentional radiators that must be professionally installed, such as perimeter protection systems and some field disturbance sensors, or to other intentional radiators which, in accordance with § 15.31(d), must be measured at the installation site. However, the installer shall be responsible for ensuring that the proper antenna is employed so that the limits in this part are not exceeded.

§ 15.204 External radio frequency power amplifiers and antenna modifications.

(a) Except as otherwise described in paragraphs (b) and (d) of this section, no person shall use, manufacture, sell or lease, offer for sale or lease (including advertising for sale or lease), or import, ship, or distribute for the purpose of selling or leasing, any external radio frequency power amplifier or amplifier kit intended for use with a part 15 intentional radiator.

(b) A transmission system consisting of an intentional radiator, an external radio frequency power amplifier, and an antenna, may be authorized, marketed and used under this part. Except as described otherwise in this section, when a transmission system is authorized as a system, it must always be marketed as a complete system and must always be used in the configuration in which it was authorized.

(c) An intentional radiator may be operated only with the antenna with which it is authorized. If an antenna is marketed with the intentional radiator, it shall be of a type which is authorized with the intentional radiator. An intentional radiator may be authorized with multiple antenna types. Exceptions to the following provisions, if any, are noted in the rule section under which the transmitter operates, e.g., § 15.255(b)(1)(ii) of this part.

(1) The antenna type, as used in this paragraph, refers to antennas that have similar in-band and out-of-band radiation patterns.

(2) Compliance testing shall be performed using the highest gain antenna for each type of antenna to be certified with the intentional radiator. During this testing, the intentional radiator shall be operated at its maximum available output power level.

(3) Manufacturers shall supply a list of acceptable antenna types with the application for equipment authorization of the intentional radiator.

(4) Any antenna that is of the same type and of equal or less directional gain as an antenna that is authorized with the intentional radiator may be marketed with, and used with, that intentional radiator. No retesting of this system configuration is required. The marketing or use of a system configuration that employs an antenna of a different type, or that operates at a higher gain, than the antenna authorized with the intentional radiator is not permitted unless the procedures specified in § 2.1043 of this chapter are followed.

(d) Except as described in this paragraph, an external radio frequency power amplifier or amplifier kit shall be marketed only with the system configuration with which it was approved and not as a separate product.

(1) An external radio frequency power amplifier may be marketed for individual sale provided it is intended for use in conjunction with a transmitter that operates in the 902-928 MHz, 2400-2483.5 MHz, and 5725-5850 MHz bands pursuant to § 15.247 of this part or a transmitter that operates in the 5.725-5.825 GHz band pursuant to § 15.407 of this part. The amplifier must be of a design such that it can only be connected as part of a system in which it has been previously authorized. (The use of a non-standard connector or a form of electronic system identification is acceptable.) The output power of such an amplifier must not exceed the maximum permitted output power of its associated transmitter.

(2) The outside packaging and user manual for external radio frequency power amplifiers sold in accordance with paragraph (d)(1) of this section must include notification that the amplifier can be used only in a system which it has obtained authorization. Such a notice must identify the authorized system by FCC Identifier.

§ 15.205 Restricted bands of operation.

Link to an amendment published at 91 FR 3069, Jan. 26, 2026.

(a) Except as shown in paragraph (d) of this section, only spurious emissions are permitted in any of the frequency bands listed below:

MHz

MHz

MHz

GHz

0.090-0.110

16.42-16.423

399.9-410

4.5-5.15

1 0.495-0.505

16.69475-16.69525

608-614

5.35-5.46

2.1735-2.1905

16.80425-16.80475

960-1240

7.25-7.75

4.125-4.128

25.5-25.67

1300-1427

8.025-8.5

4.17725-4.17775

37.5-38.25

1435-1626.5

9.0-9.2

4.20725-4.20775

73-74.6

1645.5-1646.5

9.3-9.5

6.215-6.218

74.8-75.2

1660-1710

10.6-12.7

6.26775-6.26825

108-121.94

1718.8-1722.2

13.25-13.4

6.31175-6.31225

123-138

2200-2300

14.47-14.5

8.291-8.294

149.9-150.05

2310-2390

15.35-16.2

8.362-8.366

156.52475-156.52525

2483.5-2500

17.7-21.4

8.37625-8.38675

156.7-156.9

2690-2900

22.01-23.12

8.41425-8.41475

162.0125-167.17

3260-3267

23.6-24.0

12.29-12.293

167.72-173.2

3332-3339

31.2-31.8

12.51975-12.52025

240-285

3345.8-3358

36.43-36.5

12.57675-12.57725

322-335.4

3600-4400

( 2 )

13.36-13.41

1 Until February 1, 1999, this restricted band shall be 0.490-0.510 MHz.

2 Above 38.6

(b) Except as provided in paragraphs (d) and (e) of this section, the field strength of emissions appearing within these frequency bands shall not exceed the limits shown in § 15.209. At frequencies equal to or less than 1000 MHz, compliance with the limits in § 15.209 shall be demonstrated using measurement instrumentation employing a CISPR quasi-peak detector. Above 1000 MHz, compliance with the emission limits in § 15.209 shall be demonstrated based on the average value of the measured emissions. The provisions in § 15.35 apply to these measurements.

(c) Except as provided in paragraphs (d) and (e) of this section, regardless of the field strength limits specified elsewhere in this subpart, the provisions of this section apply to emissions from any intentional radiator.

(d) The following devices are exempt from the requirements of this section:

(1) Swept frequency field disturbance sensors operating between 1.705 and 37 MHz provided their emissions only sweep through the bands listed in paragraph (a) of this section, the sweep is never stopped with the fundamental emission within the bands listed in paragraph (a) of this section, and the fundamental emission is outside of the bands listed in paragraph (a) of this section more than 99% of the time the device is actively transmitting, without compensation for duty cycle.

(2) Transmitters used to detect buried electronic markers at 101.4 kHz which are employed by telephone companies.

(3) Cable locating equipment operated pursuant to § 15.213.

(4) Any equipment operated under the provisions of §§ 15.255 and 15.256 in the frequency band 75-85 GHz, § 15.257 in the 92-95 GHz band or § 15.258.

(5) Biomedical telemetry devices operating under the provisions of § 15.242 of this part are not subject to the restricted band 608-614 MHz but are subject to compliance within the other restricted bands.

(6) Transmitters operating under the provisions of subparts D or F of this part.

(7) Devices operated pursuant to § 15.225 are exempt from complying with this section for the 13.36-13.41 MHz band only.

(8) Devices operated in the 24.075-24.175 GHz band under § 15.245 are exempt from complying with the requirements of this section for the 48.15-48.35 GHz and 72.225-72.525 GHz bands only, and shall not exceed the limits specified in § 15.245(b).

(9) Devices operated in the 24.0-24.25 GHz band under § 15.249 are exempt from complying with the requirements of this section for the 48.0-48.5 GHz and 72.0-72.75 GHz bands only, and shall not exceed the limits specified in § 15.249(a).

(10) White space devices operating under subpart H of this part are exempt from complying with the requirements of this section for the 608-614 MHz band.

(e) Harmonic emissions appearing in the restricted bands above 17.7 GHz from field disturbance sensors operating under the provisions of § 15.245 shall not exceed the limits specified in § 15.245(b).

§ 15.207 Conducted limits.

(a) Except as shown in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, for an intentional radiator that is designed to be connected to the public utility (AC) power line, the radio frequency voltage that is conducted back onto the AC power line on any frequency or frequencies, within the band 150 kHz to 30 MHz, shall not exceed the limits in the following table, as measured using a 50 μH/50 ohms line impedance stabilization network (LISN). Compliance with the provisions of this paragraph shall be based on the measurement of the radio frequency voltage between each power line and ground at the power terminal. The lower limit applies at the boundary between the frequency ranges.

Frequency of emission (MHz)

Conducted limit (dBμV)

Quasi-peak

Average

0.15-0.5

66 to 56*

56 to 46*

0.5-5

56

46

5-30

60

50

*Decreases with the logarithm of the frequency.

(b) The limit shown in paragraph (a) of this section shall not apply to carrier current systems operating as intentional radiators on frequencies below 30 MHz. In lieu thereof, these carrier current systems shall be subject to the following standards:

(1) For carrier current system containing their fundamental emission within the frequency band 535-1705 kHz and intended to be received using a standard AM broadcast receiver: no limit on conducted emissions.

(2) For all other carrier current systems: 1000 μV within the frequency band 535-1705 kHz, as measured using a 50 μH/50 ohms LISN.

(3) Carrier current systems operating below 30 MHz are also subject to the radiated emission limits in § 15.205, § 15.209, § 15.221, § 15.223, or § 15.227, as appropriate.

(c) Measurements to demonstrate compliance with the conducted limits are not required for devices which only employ battery power for operation and which do not operate from the AC power lines or contain provisions for operation while connected to the AC power lines. Devices that include, or make provisions for, the use of battery chargers which permit operating while charging, AC adapters or battery eliminators or that connect to the AC power lines indirectly, obtainig their power through another device which is connected to the AC power lines, shall be tested to demonstrate compliance with the conducted limits.

§ 15.209 Radiated emission limits; general requirements.

(a) Except as provided elsewhere in this subpart, the emissions from an intentional radiator shall not exceed the field strength levels specified in the following table:

Frequency (MHz)

Field strength (microvolts/meter)

Measurement distance (meters)

0.009-0.490

2400/F(kHz)

300

0.490-1.705

24000/F(kHz)

30

1.705-30.0

30

30

30-88

100 **

3

88-216

150 **

3

216-960

200 **

3

Above 960

500

3

** Except as provided in paragraph (g), fundamental emissions from intentional radiators operating under this section shall not be located in the frequency bands 54-72 MHz, 76-88 MHz, 174-216 MHz or 470-806 MHz. However, operation within these frequency bands is permitted under other sections of this part, e.g., §§ 15.231 and 15.241.

(b) In the emission table above, the tighter limit applies at the band edges.

(c) The level of any unwanted emissions from an intentional radiator operating under these general provisions shall not exceed the level of the fundamental emission. For intentional radiators which operate under the provisions of other sections within this part and which are required to reduce their unwanted emissions to the limits specified in this table, the limits in this table are based on the frequency of the unwanted emission and not the fundamental frequency. However, the level of any unwanted emissions shall not exceed the level of the fundamental frequency.

(d) The emission limits shown in the above table are based on measurements employing a CISPR quasi-peak detector except for the frequency bands 9-90 kHz, 110-490 kHz and above 1000 MHz. Radiated emission limits in these three bands are based on measurements employing an average detector.

(e) The provisions in §§ 15.31, 15.33, and 15.35 for measuring emissions at distances other than the distances specified in the above table, determining the frequency range over which radiated emissions are to be measured, and limiting peak emissions apply to all devices operated under this part.

(f) In accordance with § 15.33(a), in some cases the emissions from an intentional radiator must be measured to beyond the tenth harmonic of the highest fundamental frequency designed to be emitted by the intentional radiator because of the incorporation of a digital device. If measurements above the tenth harmonic are so required, the radiated emissions above the tenth harmonic shall comply with the general radiated emission limits applicable to the incorporated digital device, as shown in § 15.109 and as based on the frequency of the emission being measured, or, except for emissions contained in the restricted frequency bands shown in § 15.205, the limit on spurious emissions specified for the intentional radiator, whichever is the higher limit. Emissions which must be measured above the tenth harmonic of the highest fundamental frequency designed to be emitted by the intentional radiator and which fall within the restricted bands shall comply with the general radiated emission limits in § 15.109 that are applicable to the incorporated digital device.

(g) Perimeter protection systems may operate in the 54-72 MHz and 76-88 MHz bands under the provisions of this section. The use of such perimeter protection systems is limited to industrial, business and commercial applications.

§ 15.211 Tunnel radio systems.

An intentional radiator utilized as part of a tunnel radio system may operate on any frequency provided it meets all of the following conditions:

(a) Operation of a tunnel radio system (intentional radiator and all connecting wires) shall be contained solely within a tunnel, mine or other structure that provides attenuation to the radiated signal due to the presence of naturally surrounding earth and/or water.

(b) Any intentional or unintentional radiator external to the tunnel, mine or other structure, as described in paragraph (a) of this section, shall be subject to the other applicable regulations contained within this part.

(c) The total electromagnetic field from a tunnel radio system on any frequency or frequencies appearing outside of the tunnel, mine or other structure described in paragraph (a) of this section, shall not exceed the limits shown in § 15.209 when measured at the specified distance from the surrounding structure, including openings. Particular attention shall be paid to the emissions from any opening in the structure to the outside environment. When measurements are made from the openings, the distances shown in § 15.209 refer to the distance from the plane of reference which fits the entire perimeter of each above ground opening.

(d) The conducted limits in § 15.207 apply to the radiofrequency voltage on the public utility power lines outside of the tunnel.

§ 15.212 Modular transmitters.

(a) Single modular transmitters consist of a completely self-contained radiofrequency transmitter device that is typically incorporated into another product, host or device. Split modular transmitters consist of two components: a radio front end with antenna (or radio devices) and a transmitter control element (or specific hardware on which the software that controls the radio operation resides). All single or split modular transmitters are approved with an antenna. All of the following requirements apply, except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section.

(1) Single modular transmitters must meet the following requirements to obtain a modular transmitter approval.

(i) The radio elements of the modular transmitter must have their own shielding. The physical crystal and tuning capacitors may be located external to the shielded radio elements.

(ii) The modular transmitter must have buffered modulation/data inputs (if such inputs are provided) to ensure that the module will comply with part 15 requirements under conditions of excessive data rates or over-modulation.

(iii) The modular transmitter must have its own power supply regulation.

(iv) The modular transmitter must comply with the antenna and transmission system requirements of §§ 15.203, 15.204(b) and 15.204(c). The antenna must either be permanently attached or employ a “unique” antenna coupler (at all connections between the module and the antenna, including the cable). The “professional installation” provision of § 15.203 is not applicable to modules but can apply to limited modular approvals under paragraph (b) of this section.

(v) The modular transmitter must be tested in a stand-alone configuration, i.e. , the module must not be inside another device during testing for compliance with part 15 requirements. Unless the transmitter module will be battery powered, it must comply with the AC line conducted requirements found in § 15.207. AC or DC power lines and data input/output lines connected to the module must not contain ferrites, unless they will be marketed with the module (see § 15.27(a)). The length of these lines shall be the length typical of actual use or, if that length is unknown, at least 10 centimeters to insure that there is no coupling between the case of the module and supporting equipment. Any accessories, peripherals, or support equipment connected to the module during testing shall be unmodified and commercially available (see § 15.31(i)).

(vi) The modular transmitter must be equipped with either a permanently affixed label or must be capable of electronically displaying its FCC identification number.

(A) If using a permanently affixed label, the modular transmitter must be labeled with its own FCC identification number, and, if the FCC identification number is not visible when the module is installed inside another device, then the outside of the device into which the module is installed must also display a label referring to the enclosed module. This exterior label can use wording such as the following: “Contains Transmitter Module FCC ID: XYZMODEL1” or “Contains FCC ID: XYZMODEL1.” Any similar wording that expresses the same meaning may be used. The Grantee may either provide such a label, an example of which must be included in the application for equipment authorization, or, must provide adequate instructions along with the module which explain this requirement. In the latter case, a copy of these instructions must be included in the application for equipment authorization.

(B) If the modular transmitter uses an electronic display of the FCC identification number, the information must be readily accessible and visible on the modular transmitter or on the device in which it is installed. If the module is installed inside another device, then the outside of the device into which the module is installed must display a label referring to the enclosed module. This exterior label can use wording such as the following: “Contains FCC certified transmitter module(s).” Any similar wording that expresses the same meaning may be used. The user manual must include instructions on how to access the electronic display. A copy of these instructions must be included in the application for equipment authorization.

(vii) The modular transmitter must comply with any specific rules or operating requirements that ordinarily apply to a complete transmitter and the manufacturer must provide adequate instructions along with the module to explain any such requirements. A copy of these instructions must be included in the application for equipment authorization.

(viii) Radio frequency devices operating under the provisions of this part are subject to the radio frequency radiation exposure requirements specified in §§ 1.1307(b), 1.1310, 2.1091, and 2.1093 of this chapter, as appropriate. Applications for equipment authorization of modular transmitters under this section must contain a statement confirming compliance with these requirements. The modular transmitter must comply with any applicable RF exposure requirements in its final configuration. Technical information showing the basis for this statement must be submitted to the Commission upon request.

(2) Split modular transmitters must meet the requirements in paragraph (a)(1) of this section, excluding paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(v), and the following additional requirements to obtain a modular transmitter approval.

(i) Only the radio front end must be shielded. The physical crystal and tuning capacitors may be located external to the shielded radio elements. The interface between the split sections of the modular system must be digital with a minimum signaling amplitude of 150 mV peak-to-peak.

(ii) Control information and other data may be exchanged between the transmitter control elements and radio front end.

(iii) The sections of a split modular transmitter must be tested installed in a host device(s) similar to that which is representative of the platform(s) intended for use.

(iv) Manufacturers must ensure that only transmitter control elements and radio front end components that have been approved together are capable of operating together. The transmitter module must not operate unless it has verified that the installed transmitter control elements and radio front end have been authorized together. Manufacturers may use means including, but not limited to, coding in hardware and electronic signatures in software to meet these requirements, and must describe the methods in their application for equipment authorization.

(b) A limited modular approval may be granted for single or split modular transmitters that do not comply with all of the above requirements, e.g., shielding, minimum signaling amplitude, buffered modulation/data inputs, or power supply regulation, if the manufacturer can demonstrate by alternative means in the application for equipment authorization that the modular transmitter meets all the applicable part 15 requirements under the operating conditions in which the transmitter will be used. Limited modular approval also may be granted in those instances where compliance with RF exposure rules is demonstrated only for particular product configurations. The applicant for certification must state how control of the end product into which the module will be installed will be maintained such that full compliance of the end product is always ensured.

§ 15.213 Cable locating equipment.

An intentional radiator used as cable locating equipment, as defined in § 15.3(d), may be operated on any frequency within the band 9-490 kHz, subject to the following limits: Within the frequency band 9 kHz, up to, but not including, 45 kHz, the peak output power from the cable locating equipment shall not exceed 10 watts; and, within the frequency band 45 kHz to 490 kHz, the peak output power from the cable locating equipment shall not exceed one watt. If provisions are made for connection of the cable locating equipment to the AC power lines, the conducted limits in § 15.207 also apply to this equipment.

§ 15.214 Cordless telephones.

(a) For equipment authorization, a single application form, FCC Form 731, may be filed for a cordless telephone system, provided the application clearly identifies and provides data for all parts of the system to show compliance with the applicable technical requirements. When a single application form is submitted, both the base station and the portable handset must carry the same FCC identifier. The application shall include a fee for certification of each type of transmitter and for certification, if appropriate, for each type of receiver included in the system.

(b) A cordless telephone that is intended to be connected to the public switched telephone network shall also comply with the applicable regulations in part 68 of this chapter. A separate procedure for approval under part 68 is required for such terminal equipment.

(c) The label required under subpart A of this part shall also contain the following statement: “Privacy of communications may not be ensured when using this phone.”

(d) Cordless telephones shall incorporate circuitry which makes use of a digital security code to provide protection against unintentional access to the public switched telephone network by the base unit and unintentional ringing by the handset. These functions shall operate such that each access of the telephone network or ringing of the handset is preceded by the transmission of a code word. Access to the telephone network shall occur only if the code transmitted by the handset matches code set in the base unit. Similarly, ringing of the handset shall occur only if the code transmitted by the base unit matches the code set in the handset. The security code required by this section may also be employed to perform other communications functions, such as providing telephone billing information. This security code system is to operate in accordance with the following provisions.

(1) There must be provision for at least 256 possible discrete digital codes. Factory-set codes must be continuously varied over at least 256 possible codes as each telephone is manufactured. The codes may be varied either randomly, sequentially, or using another systematic procedure.

(2) Manufacturers must use one of the following approaches for facilitating variation in the geographic distribution of individual security codes:

(i) Provide a means for the user to readily select from among at least 256 possible discrete digital codes. The cordless telephone shall be either in a non-operable mode after manufacture until the user selects a security code or the manufacturer must continuously vary the initial security code as each telephone is produced.

(ii) Provide a fixed code that is continuously varied among at least 256 discrete digital codes as each telephone is manufactured.

(iii) Provide a means for the cordless telephone to automatically select a different code from among at least 256 possible discrete digital codes each time it is activated.

(iv) It is permissible to provide combinations of fixed, automatic, and user-selectable coding provided the above criteria are met.

(3) A statement of the means and procedures used to achieve the required protection shall be provided in any application for equipment authorization of a cordless telephone.

§ 15.215 Additional provisions to the general radiated emission limitations.

(a) The regulations in §§ 15.217 through 15.257 provide alternatives to the general radiated emission limits for intentional radiators operating in specified frequency bands. Unless otherwise stated, there are no restrictions as to the types of operation permitted under these sections.

(b) In most cases, unwanted emissions outside of the frequency bands shown in these alternative provisions must be attenuated to the emission limits shown in § 15.209. In no case shall the level of the unwanted emissions from an intentional radiator operating under these additional provisions exceed the field strength of the fundamental emission.

(c) Intentional radiators operating under the alternative provisions to the general emission limits, as contained in §§ 15.217 through 15.257 and in subpart E of this part, must be designed to ensure that the 20 dB bandwidth of the emission, or whatever bandwidth may otherwise be specified in the specific rule section under which the equipment operates, is contained within the frequency band designated in the rule section under which the equipment is operated. In the case of intentional radiators operating under the provisions of subpart E, the emission bandwidth may span across multiple contiguous frequency bands identified in that subpart. The requirement to contain the designated bandwidth of the emission within the specified frequency band includes the effects from frequency sweeping, frequency hopping and other modulation techniques that may be employed as well as the frequency stability of the transmitter over expected variations in temperature and supply voltage. If a frequency stability is not specified in the regulations, it is recommended that the fundamental emission be kept within at least the central 80% of the permitted band in order to minimize the possibility of out-of-band operation.

§ 15.217 Operation in the band 160-190 kHz.

(a) The total input power to the final radio frequency stage (exclusive of filament or heater power) shall not exceed one watt.

(b) The total length of the transmission line, antenna, and ground lead (if used) shall not exceed 15 meters.

(c) All emissions below 160 kHz or above 190 kHz shall be attenuated at least 20 dB below the level of the unmodulated carrier. Determination of compliance with the 20 dB attenuation specification may be based on measurements at the intentional radiator's antenna output terminal unless the intentional radiator uses a permanently attached antenna, in which case compliance shall be demonstrated by measuring the radiated emissions.

§ 15.219 Operation in the band 510-1705 kHz.

(a) The total input power to the final radio frequency stage (exclusive of filament or heater power) shall not exceed 100 milliwatts.

(b) The total length of the transmission line, antenna and ground lead (if used) shall not exceed 3 meters.

(c) All emissions below 510 kHz or above 1705 kHz shall be attenuated at least 20 dB below the level of the unmodulated carrier. Determination of compliance with the 20 dB attenuation specification may be based on measurements at the intentional radiator's antenna output terminal unless the intentional radiator uses a permanently attached antenna, in which case compliance shall be deomonstrated by measuring the radiated emissions.

§ 15.221 Operation in the band 525-1705 kHz.

(a) Carrier current systems and transmitters employing a leaky coaxial cable as the radiating antenna may operate in the band 525-1705 kHz provided the field strength levels of the radiated emissions do not exceed 15 uV/m, as measured at a distance of 47,715/(frequency in kHz) meters (equivalent to Lambda/2Pi) from the electric power line or the coaxial cable, respectively. The field strength levels of emissions outside this band shall not exceed the general radiated emission limits in § 15.209.

(b) As an alternative to the provisions in paragraph (a) of this section, intentional radiators used for the operation of an AM broadcast station on a college or university campus or on the campus of any other education institution may comply with the following:

(1) On the campus, the field strength of emissions appearing outside of this frequency band shall not exceed the general radiated emission limits shown in § 15.209 as measured from the radiating source. There is no limit on the field strength of emissions appearing within this frequency band, except that the provisions of § 15.5 continue to comply.

(2) At the perimeter of the campus, the field strength of any emissions, including those within the frequency band 525-1705 kHz, shall not exceed the general radiated emission in § 15.209.

(3) The conducted limits specified in § 15.207 apply to the radio frequency voltage on the public utility power lines outside of the campus. Due to the large number of radio frequency devices which may be used on the campus, contributing to the conducted emissions, as an alternative to measuring conducted emissions outside of the campus, it is acceptable to demonstrate compliance with this provision by measuring each individual intentional radiator employed in the system at the point where it connects to the AC power lines.

(c) A grant of equipment authorization is not required for intentional radiators operated under the provisions of this section. In lieu thereof, the intentional radiator shall be verified for compliance with the regulations in accordance with subpart J of part 2 of this chapter. This data shall be kept on file at the location of the studio, office or control room associated with the transmitting equipment. In some cases, this may correspond to the location of the transmitting equipment.

(d) For the band 535-1705 kHz, the frequency of operation shall be chosen such that operation is not within the protected field strength contours of licensed AM stations.

§ 15.223 Operation in the band 1.705-10 MHz.

(a) The field strength of any emission within the band 1.705-10.0 MHz shall not exceed 100 microvolts/meter at a distance of 30 meters. However, if the bandwidth of the emission is less than 10% of the center frequency, the field strength shall not exceed 15 microvolts/meter or (the bandwidth of the device in kHz) divided by (the center frequency of the device in MHz) microvolts/meter at a distance of 30 meters, whichever is the higher level. For the purposes of this section, bandwidth is determined at the points 6 dB down from the modulated carrier. The emission limits in this paragraph are based on measurement instrumentation employing an average detector. The provisions in § 15.35(b) for limiting peak emissions apply.

(b) The field strength of emissions outside of the band 1.705-10.0 MHz shall not exceed the general radiated emission limits in § 15.209.