RF test licensing and FCC Part 5
If a test radiates radio energy into the open air, it generally needs authorization. In the United States the route for experimenting with and testing radio equipment is the FCC Experimental Radio Service, under 47 CFR Part 5, administered by the Office of Engineering and Technology. A test fully contained inside an anechoic chamber or a Faraday cage needs no Part 5 license. And testing on federal frequencies, or as a federal agency, falls to a different authority, the NTIA, rather than the FCC. This explains when authorization is needed and which kind. It is general information, not legal advice.
The trigger
When a test needs authorization
The dividing line is radiation into shared spectrum. A bench whose energy stays inside a shielded enclosure is not using the airwaves everyone else shares, so the rules treat it differently from a system that transmits into the open air.
Contained on the bench. Under 47 CFR 5.7(g), an experimental license is not required when a device operates fully within an anechoic chamber or a Faraday cage. The energy does not leave the enclosure, so there is nothing to coordinate.
Radiating into open air. An open-air or installed test that transmits generally needs authorization. The usual path is an experimental license under Part 5, granted on a non-interference, non-protected basis, which is the subject of the rest of this page.
Already authorized. If the equipment already holds an FCC equipment authorization for the band and use in question, or the operator already holds a license for the frequencies, that existing authority may cover the activity. When it does not, Part 5 is the experimental route.
The license
The kinds of Part 5 authorization
Part 5 is not one license. Section 5.54 lists several types, and the right one depends on who is testing and why.
Conventional experimental license
A specific research or experimentation project, or a closely related series, including a product-development trial or a market trial. The default term is two years, extendable to five with justification.
Program experimental license
Lets a qualified institution run an ongoing program of experimentation under a single five-year authorization, on a non-interference basis, without seeking approval for each separate experiment. A conventional license is required instead when a product-development or market trial is involved, when an environmental assessment is required, or when proprietary non-disclosure is part of the justification.
Compliance testing license
Issued to laboratories the FCC recognizes, to perform product testing of RF equipment or testing at an open-area test site. A five-year term.
Special Temporary Authority (STA)
A short-term authorization for limited, time-sensitive operation, requested outside the standard application path when circumstances call for it.
The defining text is in 47 CFR Part 5 ↗, section 5.54. Applications are filed with the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology.
Jurisdiction
Federal or non-federal, FCC or NTIA
United States spectrum is managed under a dual structure. The FCC is the regulator of non-federal use, which covers commercial, private, and state and local government users. The NTIA, inside the Department of Commerce, authorizes federal use, the spectrum used by agencies such as the Army, the FAA, and the FBI.
For test and evaluation that distinction matters directly. A program run by or for a federal agency, or conducted on federal frequencies or a federal range, is authorized through the NTIA process rather than an FCC Part 5 license. Because most bands are shared between federal and non-federal users, the two authorities coordinate, and a non-federal experiment in a shared band may need federal coordination before it is granted.
The terms
Non-interference and unprotected
Experimental authority carries a standing condition: it is secondary and unprotected. A Part 5 operation may not cause harmful interference to licensed services, must accept interference from them, and can be required to stop if a problem arises. The privilege is the right to transmit for development and testing, not a protected place in the band.
Primary sources
Where the rules live
47 CFR Part 5 (eCFR) ↗The full rule text, including section 5.54 on types of authorization and section 5.7(g) on the chamber exemption.
Related on this site: hardware-in-the-loop radar testing covers the chamber exemption in context, the scatterer method covers radiating test front ends, and the spectrum reference tracks the bands and proceedings themselves. The standards index lists the governing standards and regulations.
Do I need an FCC license to test a transmitter or radar?
It depends on where the energy goes. A device operating fully within an anechoic chamber or Faraday cage needs no experimental license under 47 CFR 5.7(g). An open-air or installed test that transmits generally needs authorization, usually an experimental license under FCC Part 5, unless an existing equipment authorization or license already covers it.
What is FCC Part 5?
Part 5 is the FCC Experimental Radio Service, the framework for experimenting with and testing radio equipment in the United States. It is administered by the Office of Engineering and Technology and grants authority on a non-interference, non-protected basis.
What is the difference between a conventional and a program experimental license?
A conventional license covers a specific project or closely related series, including product-development and market trials, for two years by default. A program license lets a qualified institution run an ongoing program of experimentation under one five-year authorization without approving each experiment, but it cannot be used for product-development or market trials.
Who handles testing on federal frequencies or military ranges?
The NTIA, not the FCC. The NTIA authorizes federal spectrum use, including the bands used by agencies such as the Army and the FAA, while the FCC regulates non-federal use. Testing as or for a federal agency, or on federal frequencies, goes through the NTIA process.
Rogue River Tech curates, aggregates, and summarizes public information on RF and test and evaluation. This explainer is general educational information, not legal or licensing advice, and Rogue River Tech is not a law firm. Rules change and specific situations vary, confirm the current text against the linked primary sources, and consult counsel or the relevant authority before relying on it. Last reviewed 2026-06-25.