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T1F10

COMMISSION'S RULES · Station identification; Repeaters; Third party communications; Club stations; FCC inspection

T1F10§ 97.205(g)T1F →

Who is accountable if a repeater inadvertently retransmits communications that violate the FCC rules?

  1. AThe control operator of the originating station
  2. BThe control operator of the repeater
  3. CThe owner of the repeater
  4. DBoth the originating station and the repeater owner
Why Under 97.205(g), a repeater simply relays whatever it hears, so responsibility for the content of a transmission stays with whoever put it on the air. The originating station's control operator is accountable for violations that the repeater inadvertently retransmits. The repeater licensee is only held responsible if it can be shown the repeater was not operated properly, for example if the owner knowingly allowed the violating traffic to continue.
Watch out Blaming the repeater's control operator or owner is tempting because they run the machine, but the rule shields them from liability for content they did not originate and could not anticipate.
The repeater is just a mirror: the person who spoke owns the words.
HamSandwich explanation, first draft. The question and answers are the NCVEC text.
47 CFR 97.205(g) Repeater station.

(a) Any amateur station licensed to a holder of a Technician, General, Advanced or Amateur Extra Class operator license may be a repeater. A holder of a Technician, General, Advanced or Amateur Extra Class operator license may be the control operator of a repeater, subject to the privileges of the class of operator license held.

(b) A repeater may receive and retransmit only on the 10 m and shorter wavelength frequency bands except the 28.0-29.5 MHz, 50.0-51.0 MHz, 144.0-144.5 MHz, 145.5-146.0 MHz, 222.00-222.15 MHz, 431.0-433.0 Mhz, and 435.0-438.0 Mhz segments.

(c) Where the transmissions of a repeater cause harmful interference to another repeater, the two station licensees are equally and fully responsible for resolving the interference unless the operation of one station is recommended by a frequency coordinator and the operation of the other station is not. In that case, the licensee of the non-coordinated repeater has primary responsibility to resolve the interference.

(d) A repeater may be automatically controlled.

(e) Ancillary functions of a repeater that are available to users on the input channel are not considered remotely controlled functions of the station. Limiting the use of a repeater to only certain user stations is permissible.

(f) [Reserved]

(g) The control operator of a repeater that retransmits inadvertently communications that violate the rules in this part is not accountable for the violative communications.

(h) The provisions of this paragraph do not apply to repeaters that transmit on the 1.2 cm or shorter wavelength bands. Before establishing a repeater within 16 km (10 miles) of the Arecibo Observatory or before changing the transmitting frequency, transmitter power, antenna height or directivity of an existing repeater, the station licensee must give written notification thereof to the Interference Office, Arecibo Observatory, HC3 Box 53995, Arecibo, Puerto Rico 00612, in writing or electronically, of the technical parameters of the proposal. Licensees who choose to transmit information electronically should e-mail to: prcz@naic.edu.

(1) The notification shall state the geographical coordinates of the antenna (NAD-83 datum), antenna height above mean sea level (AMSL), antenna center of radiation above ground level (AGL), antenna directivity and gain, proposed frequency and FCC Rule Part, type of emission, effective radiated power, and whether the proposed use is itinerant. Licensees may wish to consult interference guidelines provided by Cornell University.

(2) If an objection to the proposed operation is received by the FCC from the Arecibo Observatory, Arecibo, Puerto Rico, within 20 days from the date of notification, the FCC will consider all aspects of the problem and take whatever action is deemed appropriate. The licensee will be required to make reasonable efforts in order to resolve or mitigate any potential interference problem with the Arecibo Observatory.

eCFR text as of 1 Sep 2026 · read on ecfr.gov
← T1F09 All of T1F T1F11 →

The rest of T1F

  1. T1F01 When must the station licensee make the station and the station records available for inspection?
  2. T1F02 How often must you identify with your FCC-assigned call sign when using tactical call signs such as "Race Hea…
  3. T1F03 When are you required to transmit your assigned call sign?
  4. T1F04 What language must you use for identification when using a phone emission?
  5. T1F05 What method of call sign identification is required for a station transmitting phone signals?
  6. T1F06 Which of the following self-assigned indicators are acceptable when using a phone transmission?
  7. T1F07 Which of the following restrictions apply when a non-licensed person speaks to a foreign amateur radio statio…
  8. T1F08 What is the definition of third-party communications?
  9. T1F09 What type of amateur station simultaneously retransmits the signal of another amateur station on a different …
  10. T1F10 Who is accountable if a repeater inadvertently retransmits communications that violate the FCC rules?
  11. T1F11 Which of the following is a requirement for the issuance of a club station license grant?
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