VHF radio licence (SRC): procedures, channels and exam practice
What the Short Range Certificate covers and who needs it — and the radio procedures its exam tests: how to call for help, which channels to use and how DSC works, with the exact words to say.
- Distress — grave and imminent danger: MAYDAY three times on channel 16, after the DSC alert if your radio has DSC.
- Urgency — help needed, no immediate danger to life: PAN PAN three times. Safety warnings: SÉCURITÉ three times.
- Channel 16: distress, safety and calling. Channel 70: DSC only, never voice. Channel 13: bridge-to-bridge.
- In most European countries you need an operator's certificate — usually the SRC — and a licence for the radio itself.
The SRC: who needs it and how the exam works
In most European countries, operating a marine VHF radio on a pleasure craft requires an operator's certificate — the Short Range Certificate (SRC) or a national equivalent — and the radio itself needs a ship station licence with a call sign and an MMSI. The SRC covers VHF and DSC in sea area A1; for MF/HF and satellite communication there is the Long Range Certificate (LRC).
The exam follows a syllabus harmonised in Europe by the CEPT, which also recommends that administrations recognise each other's certificates. It usually has a written part — procedures, DSC, channels, GMDSS, EPIRB — and a practical part on a training radio: sending a Mayday, a PAN PAN or a Sécurité, spelling names and positions. The course itself is short, often one or two days, and the theory can often be studied online; the certificate is issued after the exam.
Charter companies in many countries ask the skipper or a crew member to hold a radio certificate. Minimum age, recognition and the rules for handheld radios differ from country to country — check the rules of the country that issues your certificate and of the flag of the boat.
The three priority calls
| Signal | When | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| MAYDAY ×3 | Distress: grave and imminent danger to the vessel or to people; immediate help needed | Fire, sinking, man overboard |
| PAN PAN ×3 | Urgency: a serious problem, but no immediate danger to life | Engine failure near the shore, a crew member who needs a doctor, aground |
| SÉCURITÉ ×3 | Safety: an important navigational or weather warning | A container adrift, a gale warning, a light out of order |
The words come from French: m'aider — “help me”, panne — “breakdown”, sécurité — “safety”. A Mayday has priority over all other traffic; everyone else keeps silent on the channel.
How to send a Mayday call
The order of the message is easy to remember with the letters MIPDANIO:
- M — MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY
The distress signal, three times, on channel 16 at full power. - I — Identify
THIS IS + the yacht's name three times, the call sign (spelled) and the MMSI. Then once more: MAYDAY + name, call sign, MMSI. - P — Position
MY POSITION IS + latitude and longitude, or a bearing and distance from a known landmark. Digits one at a time. - D — Distress
What has happened: I AM ON FIRE, TAKING ON WATER, MAN OVERBOARD… - A — Assistance
I REQUIRE IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE. - N — Number
How many persons are on board. - I — Information
Anything that helps the rescuers: ABANDONING TO LIFERAFT, EPIRB ACTIVATED, a description of the yacht. - O — OVER
Release the button and listen. No answer — repeat the call.
MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY THIS IS yacht AURORA, AURORA, AURORA call sign [spelled], MMSI [nine digits] MAYDAY AURORA, call sign […], MMSI […] MY POSITION IS five two degrees one five decimal three minutes North, zero zero four degrees three two decimal one minutes East I AM TAKING ON WATER AND SINKING I REQUIRE IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE FOUR PERSONS ON BOARD ABANDONING TO LIFERAFT, EPIRB ACTIVATED OVER
A vessel that hears a Mayday and can help acknowledges it — near the coast, after giving the coast station a moment to answer first: MAYDAY, AURORA ×3, THIS IS [name ×3], RECEIVED MAYDAY. A vessel that relays a distress call for someone who cannot transmit starts with MAYDAY RELAY ×3.
The DSC distress alert
A radio with Digital Selective Calling sends a distress alert at the press of a button — your identity (MMSI) and position reach coast stations and ships in range at once, even if nobody is listening to the loudspeaker.
- Lift the red cover
of the DISTRESS button. - Choose the nature of distress
— fire, flooding, man overboard… — if there is time. If not, skip this step. - Press and hold DISTRESS for 3–5 seconds
The radio sends your MMSI and GPS position as a digital alert on channel 70 and repeats it every few minutes until it is acknowledged. - Send the voice Mayday
The radio switches itself to channel 16: send the MAYDAY message at once.
The MMSI is a nine-digit number given to the vessel by the flag state; the first three digits (MID) show the country. Without an MMSI programmed in, the DSC button does not work.
PAN PAN and SÉCURITÉ
PAN PAN, PAN PAN, PAN PAN ALL STATIONS, ALL STATIONS, ALL STATIONS THIS IS yacht AURORA, AURORA, AURORA, call sign […], MMSI […] MY POSITION IS […] ENGINE FAILURE, DRIFTING, NO IMMEDIATE DANGER I REQUIRE A TOW FOUR PERSONS ON BOARD OVER
SÉCURITÉ, SÉCURITÉ, SÉCURITÉ ALL STATIONS, ALL STATIONS, ALL STATIONS THIS IS yacht AURORA, AURORA, AURORA NAVIGATIONAL WARNING — LISTEN CHANNEL 72 then on channel 72: LARGE CONTAINER ADRIFT IN POSITION […], DANGER TO NAVIGATION OUT
Only the announcement of a safety message goes out on channel 16; the message itself is read on a working channel.
Cancelling a false alert
Pressed DISTRESS by mistake? Do not switch the radio off. Cancel the alert on the radio if it lets you, then say on channel 16:
ALL STATIONS, ALL STATIONS, ALL STATIONS THIS IS yacht AURORA, AURORA, AURORA, call sign […], MMSI […] POSITION […] CANCEL MY DISTRESS ALERT OF [date, time UTC] OUT
Then keep listening on channel 16 and answer the coast station if it calls you. A cancelled false alert is not an offence; an uncancelled one sends rescuers out for nothing.
VHF channels you must know
| Channel | Use |
|---|---|
| 16 | Distress, urgency, safety and calling, by voice. Keep a listening watch at sea; move to a working channel after the first contact. |
| 70 | DSC digital calls only, including distress alerts. Never voice. |
| 13 | Bridge-to-bridge: safety of navigation between ships. |
| 06 | Ship-to-ship; also used between ships and aircraft in search and rescue. |
| 08, 72, 77 | Common ship-to-ship working channels — local practice varies. |
| Port and marina channels | Harbours, locks, bridges and traffic services each have their own channel — look it up in the pilot book or almanac. |
| 15, 17 | On-board communication, at 1 W. |
| Duplex channels (24–28, 84–86) | Calls through a coast station into the telephone network, where the service still exists. |
A fixed marine VHF transmits at up to 25 W; switch to 1 W for short range, for example in a marina. VHF reaches roughly to the horizon of the two antennas — a yacht reaches a coast station some 20–30 nautical miles away, another yacht much less — so mount the antenna as high as you can.
The phonetic alphabet
Names, call signs and anything hard to hear are spelled with the international (ITU / ICAO) phonetic alphabet. Say I SPELL first. Numbers are spoken one digit at a time — 162 is “one six two” — and 9 is NINER.
| Letter | Code word | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| A | Alfa | AL-fah |
| B | Bravo | BRAH-voh |
| C | Charlie | CHAR-lee |
| D | Delta | DELL-tah |
| E | Echo | ECK-oh |
| F | Foxtrot | FOKS-trot |
| G | Golf | golf |
| H | Hotel | hoh-TELL |
| I | India | IN-dee-ah |
| J | Juliett | JEW-lee-ett |
| K | Kilo | KEY-loh |
| L | Lima | LEE-mah |
| M | Mike | mike |
| N | November | no-VEM-ber |
| O | Oscar | OSS-cah |
| P | Papa | pah-PAH |
| Q | Quebec | keh-BECK |
| R | Romeo | ROW-me-oh |
| S | Sierra | see-AIR-rah |
| T | Tango | TANG-go |
| U | Uniform | YOU-nee-form |
| V | Victor | VIK-tah |
| W | Whiskey | WISS-key |
| X | X-ray | ECKS-ray |
| Y | Yankee | YANG-key |
| Z | Zulu | ZOO-loo |
| 0 | Zero | |
| 1 | One | |
| 2 | Two | |
| 3 | Three | |
| 4 | Four | |
| 5 | Five | |
| 6 | Six | |
| 7 | Seven | |
| 8 | Eight | |
| 9 | Niner |
Radio words (procedure words)
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| OVER | I have finished; I expect your reply. |
| OUT | End of the conversation; no reply expected. Never “over and out”. |
| SAY AGAIN | Repeat your message (or the part after/before a word). |
| I SPELL | The next word follows letter by letter. |
| CORRECTION | I made a mistake; the right version follows. |
| RECEIVED MAYDAY | Acknowledgement of a distress message. |
| MAYDAY RELAY | A distress message sent on behalf of another vessel. |
| SEELONCE MAYDAY | Silence: distress traffic in progress — do not transmit on this channel. |
| PRUDONCE | Restricted working may resume; the distress is not over yet. |
| SEELONCE FEENEE | The distress traffic is over; normal working may resume. |
Test yourself
Seven questions from the Skipperium trainer, as the SRC exam might ask them. Choose your answer, then open the explanation.
1. You need to call the marina. What do you do before pressing PTT?
- Say “Radio check” on the air to test the radio
- Listen to the channel for 10–15 seconds — are you interrupting anyone?
- Switch to 25 W so that you are sure to be heard
- Send a DSC call to all vessels nearby
Show the answer
Correct answer: B — Listen to the channel for 10–15 seconds — are you interrupting anyone?
The rule Listen before you transmit (NL eerst luisteren): before transmitting, listen to the channel for 10–15 seconds and respect the priority of messages — distress traffic may be in progress.
2. In the marina you are calling the yacht next door. Which transmitter power do you choose?
- 25 W — so that you are sure to be heard
- Any — in a marina the power does not matter
- 25 W — it is not allowed otherwise on working channels
- 1 W — so as not to interfere with other stations
Show the answer
Correct answer: D — 1 W — so as not to interfere with other stations
A radio has two power settings — 25 W and 1 W (high / low power, NL hoog / laag vermogen). Close by and in a marina you work on 1 W so as not to interfere with others.
3. You have spotted a large drifting container at sea — a danger to navigation. Which signal do you start the message with?
- PAN PAN ×3
- SÉCURITÉ ×3
- MAYDAY ×3
- MAYDAY RELAY ×3
Show the answer
Correct answer: B — SÉCURITÉ ×3
Sécurité — safety (NL veiligheid): important navigational or weather information. Examples: a gale warning, a container at sea, naval exercises.
4. How many times is the priority signal — MAYDAY, PAN PAN or SÉCURITÉ — spoken at the start of a call?
- Once
- Twice in a row
- Three times in a row
- Five times in a row
Show the answer
Correct answer: C — Three times in a row
The priority signal is spoken three times in a row at the start of the call: “PAN PAN, PAN PAN, PAN PAN”, “SÉCURITÉ, SÉCURITÉ, SÉCURITÉ”. In the distress message itself, which follows the call, MAYDAY is spoken once.
5. The conversation is over and you expect no reply. Which word ends your last transmission?
- Over and out
- Over
- Out
- Received
Show the answer
Correct answer: C — Out
Out: end of transmission, no reply expected; Over: I await a reply. They are never said together (“over and out”).
6. You have sent a DSC distress alert by accident. What do you do first?
- Switch the radio off and leave it off until you reach the shore
- Nothing: the coast station will realise the mistake itself
- Send a voice MAYDAY and explain the mistake
- Stop the alert on the radio at once — CANCEL / RESET
Show the answer
Correct answer: D — Stop the alert on the radio at once — CANCEL / RESET
First stop the alert on the radio — CANCEL / RESET, otherwise DSC repeats it every 3.5–4.5 minutes. No cancel function — switch the radio off and on again, as the manufacturer’s manual prescribes. Then channel 16, a voice cancellation ALL STATIONS ×3, and keep watch.
7. The DSC display shows an incoming call from MMSI 002320014. Who is calling you?
- A group of vessels under the British flag
- A coast station of the United Kingdom
- An individual vessel under the British flag
- A vessel under the Turkish flag
Show the answer
Correct answer: B — A coast station of the United Kingdom
Two leading zeros — a coast station (NL kuststation): 00 + MID + 4 digits. MID 232 (like 233–235) is the United Kingdom.
GMDSS, EPIRB and SART in brief
- GMDSS — the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System. Its sea areas: A1 within range of a VHF coast station with DSC (about 20–30 NM), A2 within range of an MF coast station with DSC (about 100–150 NM), A3 beyond that within satellite coverage, A4 the polar regions outside it.
- EPIRB — a distress beacon: on 406 MHz it sends its identity and position to the Cospas-Sarsat satellites, on 121.5 MHz a homing signal for the rescuers. Register it to your vessel. A PLB is the personal version.
- SART — a radar transponder in the liferaft that shows up on nearby radars as a line of 12 dots; an AIS-SART does the same on AIS screens.
- NAVTEX — a receiver for navigational and weather warnings on 518 kHz.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Short Range Certificate (SRC)?
An operator's certificate for marine VHF radios with DSC, for GMDSS sea area A1 — the range of VHF coast stations. It is issued by the national radio authority or a body it appoints after an exam with a written and a practical part.
Do I need a licence to use a VHF radio on a boat?
In most European countries, yes: the person operating it needs an operator's certificate such as the SRC, whether the radio is fixed or handheld, and the radio itself needs a ship station licence with a call sign and an MMSI. Some countries have exceptions for handhelds or inland waters; check the rules of your flag state.
Can I get the VHF licence online?
The theory can often be studied online, but the certificate is issued only after an exam — usually with a practical part on a radio — run by the national authority or a body it appoints.
What is the difference between Mayday and PAN PAN?
MAYDAY is for grave and imminent danger to the vessel or people — fire, sinking, man overboard. PAN PAN is for an urgent problem without immediate danger to life — an engine failure, a medical problem, running aground in calm weather.
On which channel do you send a Mayday?
By voice on VHF channel 16. A radio with DSC first sends a digital distress alert on channel 70 when you hold the DISTRESS button, then switches to 16 for the voice message.
Can anyone use the radio in an emergency?
Yes. In distress anyone on board may use the radio to call for help, even without a certificate — which is why everyone on board should know where the radio is and how to send a Mayday.
What is GMDSS?
The Global Maritime Distress and Safety System: the international set of radio equipment and procedures — DSC, satellite communication, EPIRB, SART, NAVTEX — that alerts rescue services and nearby ships. A yacht with a VHF and DSC uses its first level, sea area A1.
Updated: