47 CFR § 80.91 - Order of priority of communications.
---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t47/s80.91"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "47 CFR § 80.91 - Order of priority of communications."
title_number: 47
title_name: "Telecommunication"
section_number: "80.91"
section_name: "Order of priority of communications."
chapter_name: "FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION"
subchapter_number: "D"
subchapter_name: "SAFETY AND SPECIAL RADIO SERVICES"
part_number: "80"
part_name: "STATIONS IN THE MARITIME SERVICES"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-03-24"
last_updated: "2026-03-24"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "47 U.S.C. 151-155, 301-609; 3 U.S.T. 3450, 3 U.S.T. 4726, 12 U.S.T. 2377."
regulatory_source: "51 FR 31213, Sept. 2, 1986, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "80"
---
# 80.91 Order of priority of communications.
(a) All stations in the maritime mobile service and the maritime mobile-satellite service shall be capable of offering four levels of priority in the following order:
(1) Distress calls, distress messages, and distress traffic.
(2) Urgency communications.
(3) Safety communications.
(4) Other communications.
(b) In a fully automated system, where it is impracticable to offer all four levels of priority, category 1 shall receive priority until such time as intergovernmental agreements remove exemptions granted for such systems from offering the complete order of priority.
[68 FR 46960, Aug. 7, 2003]