Do I need an amateur radio license?

Short answer: No

Meshtastic and MeshCore operate in the 902-928 MHz ISM band under FCC Part 15.247. No amateur radio license is required for standard operation in the United States.

Why many operators are licensed hams

The amateur radio community has been an early adopter of LoRa mesh. However the protocols run under Part 15, not Part 97 (amateur rules). Your licensed status does not change what you can do on the ISM mesh.

When a license IS relevant

• APRS gateway: Bridging Meshtastic to APRS-IS requires at least a Technician license because APRS operates on 144.390 MHz under Part 97.
• Above Part 15 power limits: Operating above 1W conducted / 4W EIRP requires a license.
• Non-ISM frequencies: Using LoRa hardware on amateur bands requires a license.

Canada

Similar unlicensed ISM band rules apply under ISED RSS-210/RSS-GEN. No license needed for standard Meshtastic/MeshCore operation.