Looks like this repeater/club may be in your area: http://www.mygmrs.com/view?id=986 To answer what I think you're asking... licensing is usually done by frequency. Amateur radio, GMRS, business/land mobile radio, and emergency services are all licensed to use different frequencies within the coverage of the Baofeng handheld. Outside of amateur radio, you are also required to use a radio that has been type-accepted by the FCC (which means they have reviewed it and have given it their blessing for use on the intended frequencies) in order to operate according to the letter of the law. Amateur radio does not require type-acceptance for radio use (but you still need a ham license to transmit on the allocated frequencies). From a purely technical perspective, you can configure the Baofeng to transmit on any VHF or UHF frequencies it covers... though I would not recommend doing so outside of ham, GMRS, FRS, or MURS if you do not want to attract potentially unwanted attention from the FCC. Welcome to the airwaves!