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G1E12

COMMISSION'S RULES · - Control categories; repeater regulations; third-party rules; ITU regions; automatically controlled digital station

G1E12§ 97.115G1E →

When may third-party messages be transmitted via remote control?

  1. AUnder any circumstances in which third party messages are permitted by FCC rules
  2. BUnder no circumstances except for emergencies
  3. COnly when the message is intended for licensed radio amateurs
  4. DOnly when the message is intended for third parties in areas where licensing is controlled by the FCC
Why Remote control (97.109) still means a control operator is at a control point supervising the transmissions in real time, so the station is treated the same as one controlled locally. Section 97.115 sets the conditions for third-party traffic based on who the third party is and what country the message goes to, not on how the transmitter is controlled. So any third-party message that would be legal from your shack is equally legal through a remotely controlled station.
Watch out The emergency-only choice describes the tighter situation for automatic control, where 97.115(c) bars third-party traffic except for RTTY/data emissions; it does not apply to remote control with a live control operator. And third-party traffic is by definition for non-licensees, so restricting it to licensed amateurs makes no sense.
Remote control = a human is still at the controls, so normal third-party rules apply. Automatic control is the restricted one.
HamSandwich explanation, first draft. The question and answers are the NCVEC text.
47 CFR 97.115 Third party communications.

(a) An amateur station may transmit messages for a third party to:

(1) Any station within the jurisdiction of the United States.

(2) Any station within the jurisdiction of any foreign government when transmitting emergency or disaster relief communications and any station within the jurisdiction of any foreign government whose administration has made arrangements with the United States to allow amateur stations to be used for transmitting international communications on behalf of third parties. No station shall transmit messages for a third party to any station within the jurisdiction of any foreign government whose administration has not made such an arrangement. This prohibition does not apply to a message for any third party who is eligible to be a control operator of the station.

(b) The third party may participate in stating the message where:

(1) The control operator is present at the control point and is continuously monitoring and supervising the third party's participation; and

(2) The third party is not a prior amateur service licensee whose license was revoked or not renewed after hearing and re-licensing has not taken place; suspended for less than the balance of the license term and the suspension is still in effect; suspended for the balance of the license term and re-licensing has not taken place; or surrendered for cancellation following notice of revocation, suspension or monetary forfeiture proceedings. The third party may not be the subject of a cease and desist order which relates to amateur service operation and which is still in effect.

(c) No station may transmit third party communications while being automatically controlled except a station transmitting a RTTY or data emission.

(d) At the end of an exchange of international third party communications, the station must also transmit in the station identification procedure the call sign of the station with which a third party message was exchanged.

eCFR text as of 1 Sep 2026 · read on ecfr.gov
← G1E11 All of G1E

The rest of G1E

  1. G1E01 Which of the following would disqualify a third party from participating in sending a message via an amateur …
  2. G1E02 When may a 10-meter repeater retransmit the 2-meter signal from a station that has a Technician class control…
  3. G1E03 What is required to conduct communications with a digital station operating under automatic control outside t…
  4. G1E04 Which of the following conditions require a licensed amateur radio operator to take specific steps to avoid h…
  5. G1E05 What are the restrictions on messages sent to a third party in a country with which there is a Third-Party Ag…
  6. G1E06 The frequency allocations of which ITU region apply to radio amateurs operating in North and South America?
  7. G1E07 In what part of the 2.4 GHz band may an amateur station communicate with non-licensed Wi-Fi stations?
  8. G1E08 What is the maximum PEP output allowed for spread spectrum transmissions?
  9. G1E10 Why should an amateur operator normally avoid transmitting on 14.100, 18.110, 21.150, 24.930 and 28.200 MHz?
  10. G1E11 On what bands may automatically controlled stations transmitting RTTY or data emissions communicate with othe…
  11. G1E12 When may third-party messages be transmitted via remote control?
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