A Panamanian-registered boat's radio station licence comes from the Autoridad Marítima de Panamá (AMP), through its Dirección General de Marina Mercante (DGMM). The same office assigns the call sign (radio letters) and MMSI. Ley 57 gives the AMP, not ASEP, exclusive competence over maritime telecommunications on Panamanian vessels. The licence is issued and renewed with the patente.
Who issues ship radio licences in Panama
Two agencies deal with radio in Panama, and owners often ask the wrong one:
- AMP, through the DGMM. Under Article 134 of Ley 57 of 2008, the AMP has competencia privativa, exclusive competence, over maritime telecommunications on Panamanian-registered vessels, following ITU rules. The DGMM issues the licencia de radio together with the patente de navegación, and its December 2024 Bocas del Toro tour listed licencias de estación de radio among the documents it issued.
- ASEP (Autoridad Nacional de los Servicios Públicos) regulates telecommunications and the radio spectrum generally: carriers, concessions and spectrum monitoring on land. We found nothing showing that ASEP licenses ship stations on Panamanian vessels.
Amateur (ham) radio is a separate licence with its own process. It does not cover your marine VHF.
Provisional and regular radio licences
The radio licence follows the patente:
- Provisional radio licence, issued with the provisional patente. Ley 57 allows up to six months (Art. 23), but the AMP's registry page says provisional radio licences last three months.
- Regular radio licence, up to five years (Art. 26), or two years for pleasure craft (Art. 98).
To get the regular licence, Article 28 requires the boat to be paz y salvo, with its technical documents current, plus a completed radio licence application form and proof of the fee paid. The AMP's registry page adds that the application lists the radio equipment on board and that ships must meet GMDSS rules for their category. Renewals follow the patente; see renewing registration.
Call sign and MMSI
The DGMM assigns each Panamanian vessel its radio letters (call sign) and a maritime mobile service identity (MMSI). Article 40 of Ley 57 even lets new builds receive both before registration. Both come from blocks the ITU allocates to Panama:
- Call signs come from the series HO–HP, H3, H8–H9 and 3E–3F.
- MMSIs for ships start with one of Panama's maritime identification digits, 351 to 357 or 370 to 374.
Programme the MMSI into your DSC VHF; on most sets you can enter it only once. Any EPIRB or AIS must be coded and registered with the same identity. What actually happens when you call for help is covered in VHF, DSC and EPIRB in Panama.
When you need a new licence
Article 30 of Ley 57 requires a new patente or radio licence whenever the information on it no longer matches the boat. For radio, that means:
- adding or replacing major equipment, such as a fixed VHF, an SSB, an AIS transponder or a satellite terminal;
- a change of owner, which also brings a new provisional patente and radio licence; see transferring ownership;
- a change of name; see names and markings.
Interior-service vessels also have their radio installations checked at the annual inspection required by the 2021 cabotage law.
What to keep aboard
- The original radio licence, next to the patente. SENAN and AMP inspectors may ask for both, and passenger boats must show the radio licence for their operating licence; see AMP commercial licensing.
- A card at the radio with the boat's name, call sign and MMSI. It helps any crew member make a clear distress call.
- The EPIRB's registration details and its battery and hydrostatic release dates.
- A scan of the licence ashore, in case it is lost; see replacing documents.
Foreign-flagged boats
A boat on another flag keeps its flag state's radio licence. A US boat uses its FCC ship station licence where one is required, and its US-issued MMSI. The AMP does not license it, and you should not program a Panamanian MMSI into it. Note that a US MMSI issued for domestic use only may not be recognised abroad. The US side is in VHF, DSC and EPIRB (Florida). If you later flag the boat in Panama, it gets a Panamanian call sign and MMSI, and you reprogramme the DSC radio and re-register the EPIRB.
Your practical starting checklist
- List every radio on board: fixed and handheld VHF, SSB, AIS, EPIRB and satellite terminal.
- Apply for the radio licence with the patente at the DGMM, using the AMP's radio licence form.
- Pay the fee confirmed at the window and collect the licence with the call sign and MMSI.
- Programme the MMSI into the DSC VHF and AIS, and register the EPIRB with the same identity.
- Apply for a new licence whenever equipment, owner or name changes.
- Renew the radio licence together with the patente.
Frequently asked questions
Is the ship radio licence issued by ASEP or the AMP in Panama?
By the AMP, through the Dirección General de Marina Mercante. Article 134 of Ley 57 gives the AMP exclusive competence over maritime telecommunications on Panamanian-registered vessels.
Does a small Panamanian boat need a radio licence?
Ley 57 has the DGMM issue a radio licence with every patente. Ask the DGMM what it requires for a small boat on a licencia de navegación with only a handheld VHF.
How long is a Panamanian radio licence valid?
A provisional licence lasts three months according to the AMP. A regular one lasts up to five years, or two years for pleasure craft.
¿Quién expide la licencia de radio de una embarcación en Panamá?
La Dirección General de Marina Mercante de la AMP, junto con la patente de navegación. También asigna las letras de radio (distintivo de llamada) y el número MMSI.
Can I keep my old MMSI when I move my boat to the Panama flag?
No. An MMSI belongs to the flag state that issued it. A Panamanian vessel gets a Panamanian MMSI from the DGMM, starting with one of Panama's identification digits, and you reprogramme the radio and AIS.
Do I need a radio operator's certificate?
Large ships under GMDSS need certified operators. For small pleasure boats we found no published AMP requirement, so confirm with Gente de Mar if your licence class mentions radio.
En español: licencia de radio de embarcación
La licencia de radio de una nave panameña la expide la Dirección General de Marina Mercante de la AMP, que tiene competencia privativa sobre las telecomunicaciones marítimas de las naves de registro panameño (Ley 57 de 2008, art. 134). Para la licencia reglamentaria, la nave debe estar a paz y salvo y con documentos técnicos vigentes, y se presenta el formulario de solicitud con el comprobante de pago. Para naves de recreo dura dos años. Cualquier cambio de equipos, de nombre o de propietario requiere una nueva licencia. Confirme las tasas vigentes con la AMP.
The next question to answer
Channels, who listens, and distress alerts. Read VHF, DSC and EPIRB in Panama.
The patente the radio licence travels with. Read Registering a boat with the AMP.
Provisional and permanent radio licences for yachts. Read Panama-flag yacht registration.
Same topic in Florida: coming from the US? Compare VHF, DSC, EPIRBs and Emergency Communications.
Official resources
Use the relevant Panamanian authority for current requirements and fees. These resources are the next place to check; a practical recommendation is not an agency determination.
- Ley 57 de 2008, General de Marina Mercante (Justia copy) ↗
- AMP: Dirección General de Marina Mercante, Registro de Naves ↗
- AMP: registro e inspección de seguridad en Bocas del Toro (press release, Dec 2024) ↗
- Kraemer & Kraemer: ship radio licence in Panama (secondary, law-firm summary) ↗
- ITU call-sign prefix allocations, summary (Wikipedia, secondary) ↗