Do you need a license to have a 6mw+ laser? Im so clueless =[

Just wondering... i want something better than this 5mW laser, i know i can hack it make it like 100mw but i dont care much i like it how it is, how can i make a 6mW+ laser LEGAL??????

Depends on where you are!

Other wise your fine, some of the members have laser up to 1600mw!

Hyrule571 said:

Just wondering... i want something better than this 5mW laser, i know i can hack it make it like 100mw but i dont care much i like it how it is, how can i make a 6mW+ laser LEGAL??????

Click to expand...

(My bolding)

You have a point on the clueless part.

Hyrule571,

To expand on what Toke's saying you probably can't drive that laser diode above 5mW. However, 100mW lasers are cheap now, and red 100mW is probably a good starter laser.

Take a look at o-like.com , or some of the building tutorials here.

Legal? Well, in the USA, the import and sales of all lasers are regulated, and the import and sales of lasers >5mW are restricted.

It's also illegal to market a laser >5mW as a 'pointer' or pointing device.

With the proper interlocks and safety features, and the proper FDA/CDRH accession numbers, >5mW lasers are legal to import and own.

However, many of the lasers you will see for cheap, and are 'portable' (and will function as overpowered 'pointers') will not have those interlocks. So strictly speaking, they are not legal to import into the US (unless they are a component, to become an OEM part of another system that IS compliant.)

That said, it goes a little bit like this:

1) They'll likely make it to your door.
2) The "laser police" won't be knocking at said door unless you do something stupid with said laser which was delivered to said door.

So, hopefully you get the gist of it.

00Giorge said:

Depends on where you are!

Other wise your fine, some of the members have laser up to 1600mw!

Click to expand...

lol im pretty sure a lot of members have lasers WAY higher then 1.6W a lot of them have CO2 lasers in the multi-watt range

Do you think there are any difference between 5mw and 6mw? If 5mw is enough for you, just get one, if not, you can choose 20mw,30mw,or larger.In my opinion, It is just like a question "Which do you think I should get for my bathroom, 60w bulb or 61w bulb "

Rofl, i didnt mean i was going to get a 6mW laser thinking i just upgraded into a sick laser or something. I said 6mW+ because anything above 5mW is, i think, illegal. Yet i dont really understand how it works, aryntha said...

"Legal? Well, in the USA, the import and sales of all lasers are regulated, and the import and sales of lasers >5mW are restricted.

It's also illegal to market a laser >5mW as a 'pointer' or pointing device.

With the proper interlocks and safety features, and the proper FDA/CDRH accession numbers, >5mW lasers are legal to import and own.

However, many of the lasers you will see for cheap, and are 'portable' (and will function as overpowered 'pointers') will not have those interlocks. So strictly speaking, they are not legal to import into the US (unless they are a component, to become an OEM part of another system that IS compliant.)

That said, it goes a little bit like this:

1) They'll likely make it to your door.
2) The "laser police" won't be knocking at said door unless you do something stupid with said laser which was delivered to said door."

Lasers cant be sold over 5mW yet the Arctic is a whole watt and its sold and obvious???

"Legal? Well, in the USA, the import and sales of all lasers are regulated, and the import and sales of lasers >5mW are restricted."

So anyways i can just go buy a 1W WL Arctic Spyder laser and keep it legally? Would it be ok to carry it around and show it off(being outside, not inside, i know about powerful lasers especially something 1W+, it can reflect from something and hit back into someones eye and blind them due to my stupidity, if inside, VERY, VERY, VVEERRYY CAUTIOUS)? N about that 100mW "hack" i exaggerated, some say it can push to 50-ish mW... idk. HELP! >.<!!!!

I am in Ohio, USA. I need to add that, and more, on my bio... lolz.

hugo999999 said:

lol im pretty sure a lot of members have lasers WAY higher then 1.6W a lot of them have CO2 lasers in the multi-watt range

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HA HA! I was talking about hand held not a CO2!

hemlock mike has a handheld Co2 (it could be somebody else though cant remember).

i think it was called the death phaser or something and ran on LiPo's

I have never seen a hand held CO2. The few that I have seen are usually liquid cooled, except for some new industrial ones that are air cooled.

Hyrule571 said:

So anyways i can just go buy a 1W WL Arctic Spyder laser and keep it legally?

Click to expand...

I believe the laws refer to import and commerce, not posession. And 'displays'. See below.

(Steve/LSRFAQ would know more. A lot more.)

Would it be ok to carry it around and show it off

Click to expand...

I wouldn't go out of my way to draw attention to it. People have strange reactions to lasers, and you never know when local law enforcement or someone trying to be Captain America will make a mountain out of a molehill...

That said, if you are turning on a > Class IIIa laser in public, you need an FDA variance, legally.

See, you're asking about the laws - and this is what they are.

Technically, if I want to invite over my brother and my uncle and show off my lasers in my backyard, I need a variance.

Have I showed them my lasers in my back yard? Yes.

Did I get a variance? No.

Nobody here is going to tell you to break a law.

But, common sense prevails, hopefully - and usually, when there's no harm, there's no foul, either.

Just don't be an idiot about it and you'll be fine.

(Hint, 'being an idiot about it' is when you have to ask yourself, "hmm. Is what I'm doing with this laser kinda stupid?" -- if you ever find yourself asking yourself that question, you've answered your own question.)

Get yourself a 100mW red or green already, some goggles, and come be one of us.

**"Technically, if I want to invite over my brother and my uncle and show off my lasers in my backyard, I need a variance.

Have I showed them my lasers in my back yard? Yes.

Did I get a variance? No.

Nobody here is going to tell you to break a law."**

So, a variance is... ??? and variance with FDA? how do i get a variance with the FDA? (bro im so clueless rofl, just explain what a variance is and how i get one with the FDA)

So basically i can go get one and just be careful with it and not dumb with it and everything will be kool, right?

aryntha said:

I believe the laws refer to import and commerce, not posession. And 'displays'. See below.

(Steve/LSRFAQ would know more. A lot more.)



I wouldn't go out of my way to draw attention to it. People have strange reactions to lasers, and you never know when local law enforcement or someone trying to be Captain America will make a mountain out of a molehill...

That said, if you are turning on a > Class IIIa laser in public, you need an FDA variance, legally.

See, you're asking about the laws - and this is what they are.

Technically, if I want to invite over my brother and my uncle and show off my lasers in my backyard, I need a variance.

Have I showed them my lasers in my back yard? Yes.

Did I get a variance? No.

Nobody here is going to tell you to break a law.

But, common sense prevails, hopefully - and usually, when there's no harm, there's no foul, either.

Just don't be an idiot about it and you'll be fine.

(Hint, 'being an idiot about it' is when you have to ask yourself, "hmm. Is what I'm doing with this laser kinda stupid?" -- if you ever find yourself asking yourself that question, you've answered your own question.)

Get yourself a 100mW red or green already, some goggles, and come be one of us.

Click to expand...

Did you mean FAA variance!

Hyrule571 said:

**"Technically, if I want to invite over my brother and my uncle and show off my lasers in my backyard, I need a variance.

Have I showed them my lasers in my back yard? Yes.

Did I get a variance? No.

Nobody here is going to tell you to break a law."**

So, a variance is... ??? and variance with FDA? how do i get a variance with the FDA? (bro im so clueless rofl, just explain what a variance is and how i get one with the FDA)

So basically i can go get one and just be careful with it and not dumb with it and everything will be kool, right?

Click to expand...

As long as you don't try to light up any aircraft, people, animals or vehicles you will be just fine! If you are doing a laser show or pointing your laser up then you need an FAA variance. (it keeps aircraft out of the area)

SEE THIS THREAD http://laserpointerforums.com/f53/actual-laser-laws-country-53770.html