Is Meshtastic Legal in the USA? Frequency and FCC Rules

For typical use in the United States, Meshtastic runs without a license in the 902–928 MHz band, which is covered by the FCC’s Part 15 rules for unlicensed devices. The Meshtastic project describes LoRa as “widely accessible in most regions without the need for additional licenses or certifications, unlike ham radio operations” (Introduction), and its US region setting keeps the radio inside that band at a capped power level.

This is not legal advice. It summarizes the Meshtastic documentation and the text of the FCC rules as published on eCFR. FCC rules are detailed and change over time, and compliance also depends on the specific equipment you use. If you need certainty, consult the FCC rules directly or a qualified professional.

What frequency does Meshtastic use in the USA?

Meshtastic’s region table lists:

Region code	Frequency range	Duty cycle	Power limit
US	902.0 – 928.0 MHz	100%	30 dBm

A new node won’t transmit until you set its region, which the docs say “will ensure that you are operating within the legal limits for your area.”

Within the band, the exact frequency depends on the preset and channel. The Radio Settings page says the default Long Fast preset provides 104 frequency slots in North America, and a factory-reset node defaults to slot 20, centered at 906.875 MHz. See modem presets and frequency slots for more.

Meshtastic is not LoRaWAN. The docs note it “uses the full spectrum frequency range designated to LoRa technology per region.”

The FCC rules: Part 15 and §15.247

General conditions (§15.5)

Part 15 devices operate on a non-interference basis. 47 CFR 15.5 says operators have no “vested or recognizable right to continued use of any given frequency,” and may operate only on the condition that “no harmful interference is caused and that interference must be accepted.” In practice, you share the band with other users and devices and have no protection from them.

Operation in 902–928 MHz (§15.247)

47 CFR 15.247 sets the main technical limits for spread spectrum and digitally modulated transmitters in this band. Key provisions, paraphrased from the rule text:

Provision	What it says
§15.247(a)(1)(i)	Frequency hopping systems in 902–928 MHz need at least 50 hopping frequencies if the 20 dB bandwidth is under 250 kHz, or at least 25 if it’s 250 kHz or more, with limits on time per channel (0.4 seconds within a 20- or 10-second period, respectively). Maximum 20 dB bandwidth of a hopping channel is 500 kHz.
§15.247(a)(2)	Systems using digital modulation may operate in 902–928 MHz; “the minimum 6 dB bandwidth shall be at least 500 kHz.”
§15.247(b)(2)	Frequency hopping in 902–928 MHz: 1 watt with at least 50 hopping channels; 0.25 watt with 25–49.
§15.247(b)(3)	Digital modulation in 902–928 MHz: 1 watt maximum peak conducted output power.
§15.247(b)(4)	If antenna directional gain exceeds 6 dBi, conducted output power must be reduced by the amount the gain exceeds 6 dBi.
§15.247(e)	For digitally modulated systems, power spectral density must not exceed 8 dBm in any 3 kHz band.
§15.247(f)	Defines “hybrid” systems combining hopping and digital modulation, with their own conditions.
§15.247(i)	Devices must meet the FCC’s RF exposure requirements.

How Meshtastic presets relate to §15.247

The Meshtastic project addressed this in its 2.8 announcement: “FCC rules for full-power operation at 902–928 MHz (§15.247) set a minimum bandwidth of 500 kHz. Long Fast uses 250 kHz. Long Turbo uses 500 kHz, so a new US node starts on a preset that meets the requirement.” That change applies when the US region is first set on a device’s own screen in firmware 2.8 (an alpha release as of October 2026); existing nodes keep their preset.

Meshtastic doesn’t describe its presets as frequency hopping. How any particular preset, power level, and device combination fits the §15.247 categories is the kind of question this guide can’t settle for you. What’s documented is the rule text above and the project’s own stated reasoning for the Long Turbo default.

Antennas (§15.203 and §15.247(b)(4))

Part 15 also has an antenna requirement. 47 CFR 15.203 says intentional radiators must be designed so that “no antenna other than that furnished by the responsible party” can be used, and it addresses standard antenna connectors, with exceptions such as professionally installed systems. Separately, §15.247(b)(4) requires reducing transmit power when antenna gain exceeds 6 dBi. If you plan to add a high-gain antenna, read both sections.

Transmit power: what Meshtastic does

• The US region limit in firmware is 30 dBm (1 watt), per the region table.
• The Radio Settings page states “the maximum output power for North America is +30 dBm ERP.” Note that §15.247(b)(3) is written in terms of conducted output power with an antenna-gain adjustment, so the two are expressed differently; rely on the rule text.
• The Transmit Power setting defaults to 0, which the docs define as “default max legal continuous power (i.e. something that won’t burn out the radio hardware).” They recommend leaving it at 0 in most cases.
• The actual maximum also depends on the radio hardware; many boards can’t reach 30 dBm. See /devices/ for per-device specs.

Licensed (ham) mode

Meshtastic has a licensed mode for amateur radio operators. Per the FAQ:

Privileges the FAQ lists:

• Increased transmit power, “up to 10W transmit power in the United States,” citing 47 CFR 97.313(j).
• Higher gain antennas.
• The Radio Settings page adds that power limits are generally lifted in software when is_licensed is true.

Restrictions the FAQ lists:

• Plain text only. “On amateur radio bands, encryption is illegal,” citing 47 CFR 97.113(a)(4). The Encryption docs confirm that nodes in licensed mode send everything unencrypted (firmware 2.8, an alpha as of October 2026, signs packets instead, so they’re authenticated but readable).
• Call sign identification. You set your long name to your call sign, and it is transmitted at least every 10 minutes, citing 47 CFR 97.119(a).

Not interoperable. The FAQ explains that licensed and unlicensed modes are not interoperable and that interoperability is not planned, because amateur rules in many countries prohibit encryption or relaying for unlicensed stations.

To enable it, the FAQ says to set your long name to your call sign and turn on “Licensed amateur radio” (Android) or “Licensed Operator” (Apple), or use the Python CLI.

The LoRa docs also mention an Override Frequency option for licensed operators that can place the radio outside the normal channel calculation, with the reminder to “respect your local laws and regulations” and to enable ham mode and turn off encryption.

Things that are clearly your responsibility

Based on the docs and rules above:

• Set the correct region (US) so the firmware applies US band and power limits.
• Don’t raise power or antenna gain beyond what Part 15 allows unless you’re a licensed operator in licensed mode.
• Don’t encrypt in ham mode.
• Don’t cause harmful interference, and accept interference from others (§15.5).
• Use appropriate equipment. Part 15 includes equipment authorization and antenna requirements that apply to the hardware itself.

Related guides

• What is Meshtastic?
• Meshtastic modem presets
• Meshtastic range (and our range tool)
• Meshtastic privacy and encryption

Again, this page is general information compiled from public sources, not legal advice.