Marine VHF Radio Channels
US and International

Marine radio uses narrow band frequency modulation (NFM) for voice communications, and can be received by most analog radio scanners. Most channels are simplex (S), same frequency used for transmission and reception. Some channels are duplex (D), separate transmit and receive frequencies.

Dedicated Channels
-- Boaters should normally use
Non-Commercial channels.
-- Channel 13 should be used to contact
a ship when there is danger of collision .
-- Channel 16 is used for calling
other stations or for distress alerting.

All ships 20 meters (65 ft) or greater are required to guard VHF channel 13 and 16 when operating within U.S. territorial waters. Users may be fined by the FCC for improper use of these channels

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- US Channels.
- International Channels.

US Marine VHF
Radio Channels

Click Column Header to Sort
New
CH		 Old
CH		 Ship
Transmit
MHz		 Ship
Receive
MHz		 S/D Com USGC Ship
to
Ship		 Ship
to
Shore		 Type of Operation
1001 1A 156.050 156.050 S yes yes Port Operation and Commercial, VTS. Available only in New Orleans / Lower Mississippi area
1005 5A 156.250 156.250 S yes yes Port Operations or VTS in the Houston,New Orleans and Seattle areas.
6 6 156.300 156.300 S yes no Intership Safety.
1007 7A 156.350 156.350 S Com yes yes Commercial VDSMS.
7 156.350 160.950 D Com no yes Public Correspondence, Port Operations.
8 8 156.400 156.400 S Com yes no Commercial (Intership only). VDSMS.
9 9 156.450 156.450 S yes yes Boater Calling. Commercial & Non-Commercial. VDSMS.
10 10 156.500 156.500 S Com yes yes Commercial. VDSMS.
11 11 156.550 156.550 S Com yes yes Commercial. VTS in selected areas. VDSMS
12 12 156.600 156.600 S yes yes Port Operations. VTS in selected areas.
13 13 156.650 156.650 S yes yes Intership Navigation Safety (Bridge-to-bridge). Ships > 20m length maintain a listening watch on this channel in US waters.
14 14 156.700 156.700 S yes yes Port Operations. VTS in selected areas.
15 15 - 156.750 S Recv Recv Environmental (Receive only).Used by Class C EPIRBs.
16 16 156.800 156.800 S yes yes International Distress, Safety and Calling. Ships required to carry radio, USCG, and most coast stations maintain a listening watch on this channel.
17 17 156.850 156.850 S no yes State & local govt maritime control
1018 18A 156.900 156.900 S Com yes yes Commercial. VDSMS
1019 19A 156.950 156.950 S Com yes yes Commercial. VDSMS
20 20 157.000 161.600 D no yes Port Operations (duplex)
1020 20A 157.000 157.000 S no yes Port Operations
1021 21A 157.050 157.050 S USCG yes yes US Coast Guard only.
1022 22A 157.100 157.100 S USCG yes yes Coast Guard Liaison and Maritime Safety Information Broadcasts. Broadcasts announced on channel 16.
1023 23A 157.150 157.150 S USCG yes yes US Coast Guard only.
24 24 157.200 161.800 D no yes Public Correspondence (Marine Operator). VDSMS
25 25 157.250 161.850 D no yes Public Correspondence (Marine Operator). VDSMS
26 26 157.300 161.900 D no yes Public Correspondence (Marine Operator). VDSMS
27 27 157.350 161.950 D no yes Public Correspondence (Marine Operator). VDSMS
28 28 157.400 162.000 D no yes Public Correspondence (Marine Operator). VDSMS
1063 63A 156.175 156.175 S yes yes Port Operations and Commercial, VTS.Available only in New Orleans / Lower Mississippi area.
1065 65A 156.275 156.275 S yes yes Port Operations
1066 66A 156.325 156.325 S yes yes Port Operations
67 67 156.375 156.375 S Com yes no Commercial. Used for Bridge-to-bridge communications in lower Mississippi River. Intership only.
68 68 156.425 156.425 S yes yes Non-Commercial. VDSMS
69 69 156.475 156.475 S no yes Non-Commercial. VDSMS
70 70 156.525 156.525 S yes no Digital Selective Calling (voice communications not allowed)
71 71 156.575 156.575 S no yes Non-Commercial. VDSMS
72 72 156.625 156.625 S yes no Non-Commercial (Intership only). VDSMS
73 73 156.675 156.675 S yes yes Port Operations
74 74 156.725 156.725 S yes yes Port Operations
77 77 156.875 156.875 S Com yes no Port Operations (Intership only)
1078 78A 156.925 156.925 S no yes Non-Commercial. VDSMS
1079 79A 156.975 156.975 S Com yes yes Commercial. Non-Commercial in Great Lakes only. VDSMS
1080 80A 157.025 157.025 S Com yes yes Commercial. Non-Commercial in Great Lakes only. VDSMS
1081 81A 157.075 157.075 S USCG yes yes U.S. Government only - Environmental protection operations.
1082 82A 157.125 157.125 S USCG yes yes U.S. Government only
1083 83A 157.175 157.175 S USCG yes yes U.S. Government only
84 84 157.225 161.825 D no yes Public Correspondence (Marine Operator). VDSMS
85 85 157.275 161.875 D no yes Public Correspondence (Marine Operator). VDSMS
86 86 157.325 161.925 D no yes Public Correspondence (Marine Operator). VDSMS
87 157.375 161.975 D no yes Public Correspondence
87 87 157.375 157.375 S no yes Public Correspondence (Marine Operator). VDSMS
88 88 157.425 157.425 S Com yes no Commercial, Intership only. VDSMS
AIS1 87B 161.975 161.975 yes yes Automatic Identification System (AIS)
AIS2 88B 162.975 162.975 yes yes Automatic Identification System (AIS)

CH -- Channel
Com -- Commercial
D -- Duplex
S -- Simplex
VDSMS -- VHF Digital Small Message Services.
VTS -- Vessel Traffic Services areas only.
MHz -- Million Hertz
USCG -- United States Coast Guard


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Weather Broadcast
Channel MHz Broadcast
WX1 162.550 NOAA Weather
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
WX2 162.400
WX3 162.475
WX4 162.425
WX5 162.450
WX6 162.500
WX7 161.525
WX4(21R) 161.650 Canada Weather



International Marine
VHF Radio Channels
CH Ship
Transmit
(MHz)		 Ship
Receive
(MHz)		 Use
1 156.050 160.650 Public Correspondence, Port Operation
2 156.100 160.700 Public Correspondence, Port Operation
3 156.150 160.750 Public Correspondence, Port Operation
4 156.200 160.800 Public Correspondence, Port Operation
5 156.250 160.850 Public Correspondence, Port Operation
16 156.800 156.800 International Distress, Safety and Calling.
18 156.900 161.500 Port Operation
19 156.950 161.550 Port Operation
21 157.050 161.650 Port Operation
22 157.100 161.700 Port Operation
23 157.150 161.750 Public Correspondence
60 156.025 160.625 Public Correspondence, Port Operation
61 156.075 160.675 Public Correspondence, Port Operation
62 156.125 160.725 Public Correspondence, Port Operation
63 156.175 160.775 Public Correspondence, Port Operation
64 156.225 160.825 Public Correspondence, Port Operation
65 156.275 160.875 Public Correspondence, Port Operation
66 156.325 160.925 Public Correspondence, Port Operation
78 156.925 161.525 Port Operation
79 156.975 161.575 Port Operation
80 157.025 161.625 Port Operation
81 157.075 161.675 Port Operation
82 157.125 161.725 Public Correspondence, Port Operation
83 157.175 161.775 Public Correspondence
88 157.425 162.025 Public Correspondence


Ten (10)
Marine VHF Radio
Channel Frequencies
Police10codes.com/marine