eBay Restricts Radio Equipment Listings Under New FCC Supply Chain Rules, Exempting Ham-Only Gear

Online marketplace eBay has introduced new restrictions on listings of radio frequency transmitting equipment to comply with updated Federal Communications Commission rules, though gear engineered to operate exclusively on amateur radio frequencies will not require an FCC identification number.

The policy shift stems from the FCC's Third Report and Order issued on July 23, 2026, which took effect on Oct. 13. Under the updated regulatory framework, online marketplaces share legal responsibility for ensuring unauthorized radio frequency devices are not offered for sale on their platforms. The federal rules aim to leverage equipment authorization programs to mitigate national security threats across the communications supply chain.

Hardware subject to FCC authorization must now have its official FCC ID submitted to the platform and displayed directly in the product listing. While the commission established exemptions for existing listings, small sellers, and used equipment, initial communications from eBay to merchants indicated that an FCC ID would be required for any listing transmitting radio frequency energy.

Following an inquiry from the American Radio Relay League, as detailed in reports shared on Hacker News (https://www.arrl.org/arrlletterissue?issue=2026-10-15#eBay-Restricts-Listings-of-Radio-Equipment_-But-Exempts-Ham-Band-Only-Gear), an eBay spokesperson clarified that devices capable of operating only on frequencies allocated to the Amateur Radio Service remain exempt from the ID requirement. Because amateur radio operators are licensed to operate such gear, dedicated amateur devices do not require standard FCC equipment certification.

eBay noted that two-way VHF and UHF radio equipment capable of transmitting outside amateur frequency bands cannot be imported, advertised, sold, or operated in the United States without FCC certification, and remains barred from the platform without an ID. The company added that if it inadvertently restricts listings for authorized devices that do not require an FCC ID, sellers may contact the marketplace to have the restrictions evaluated and removed.

The FCC did not alter its underlying equipment authorization rules during the update. Standard amateur radio hardware continues to be exempt from mandatory equipment certification, with commercial high-frequency amplifiers remaining the sole exception.