Amateur Radio and Association Architectural Standards

CAI opposes federal legislation or regulation that restricts a community association from requiring prior approval of amateur radio broadcasting infrastructure to ensure external radio towers and antennas are reasonably sized and placed, do not constitute a legitimate safety hazard, and reasonably reflect the aesthetic character of the community.

S. 459/H.R. 1094 Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act, legislation introduced in February 2025 at the federal level by Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Representative August Pfulger (R-TX-11), would prohibit associations nationwide from restricting the installation of HAM radio towers.

Currently, it is common practice for community associations to provide HAM radio operator clubs a temporary space to set up during a local disaster. 

In the U.S., there are approximately 700,000 amateur radio operators and approximately 74.2 million residents living in community associations. According to a CAI survey:

• 95% of residents believe their architectural covenants protect property values.
• 78% of residents believe amateur radio operators should not be exempt from community association architectural covenants. Only 9% indicated a request was denied because of these covenants.
• 5% of residents relied on amateur radio communication during a disaster.

Related Links