NOTAM Decoder & Reader
Paste an ICAO-format NOTAM and read it in plain English — the NOTAM type, the Q-code (subject + condition), the qualifiers, the date-times, and the common contractions in the body. Built to help you learn the format for your FAA written and checkride.
Filter many NOTAMs
Paste a whole block of NOTAMs (FAA ! domestic or ICAO format), like a dispatcher copying from a briefing. Each one is auto-split, categorized, and filterable so you can hide noise and focus on what matters.
Categorization is keyword-based and for study only — a NOTAM may carry more than one tag, and some are caught by OTHER. This is not for operational use or flight planning. Always read the official NOTAM from an authorized FAA/ICAO source.
What is a NOTAM?
A NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions, formerly Notice to Airmen) is a notice filed with aviation authorities to alert pilots of conditions along a route or at a location that could affect a flight — a closed runway, an unserviceable navaid, a crane, a temporary flight restriction, GPS testing, and so on. Pilots are required to review relevant NOTAMs before every flight.
You will run into three broad formats:
- Domestic (FAA) format — used in the US for many NOTAMs. Plain-language, keyword-led (e.g. !LAX 06/123 LAX RWY 06L/24R CLSD). It uses a keyword like RWY, TWY, NAV, OBST, AIRSPACE, COM, SVC after the location.
- International (ICAO) format — the standard ICAO Annex 15 layout with a numbered header and lettered fields Q) A) B) C) D) E) F) G), including the coded Q-line. This is the format this tool decodes.
- Military format — issued for military airfields and operations; structurally similar to the ICAO format but with military-specific subjects and distribution.
How the ICAO NOTAM is structured
An ICAO NOTAM is a header line, a coded Q-line, and a set of lettered fields:
- Header — series + number/year + type, e.g. A0123/24 NOTAMN. The last letter is the type: N = new, R = replaces a prior NOTAM, C = cancels a prior NOTAM (R and C name the NOTAM they affect).
- Q) — the qualifier line: FIR / Q-code / traffic / purpose / scope / lower / upper / coordinates+radius.
- A) — location (ICAO identifier the NOTAM applies to).
- B) — start of validity (YYMMDDHHMM, UTC).
- C) — end of validity (a date-time, or PERM; EST = estimated).
- D) — schedule, if it is only active at certain times.
- E) — the plain-text body (full of contractions like RWY, CLSD, WIP).
- F) / G) — lower and upper height limits (for airspace / nav-warning NOTAMs).
Reading the Q-code (worked example)
The five-letter Q-code is the heart of the Q-line. It is always Q + a two-letter subject (what the NOTAM is about) + a two-letter condition / status (what is happening to it):
Flight Information Region — the ATC region the NOTAM applies to (KZLA).
👆 Tap any segment (or the subject/condition letters) to decode it.
So QMRLC reads as “runway closed.” The E) body then spells it out: RWY 06L/24R CLSD DUE WIP → runway 06L/24R closed due to work in progress. Paste it into the decoder above to see every field broken out.
Reference tables (common codes)
Q-code subjects (2nd & 3rd letters)
A common subset — the decoder above recognizes many more.
Q-code conditions / status (4th & 5th letters)
A common subset — the decoder above recognizes many more.
Q-line qualifiers
Traffic
Purpose
Scope
Common NOTAM contractions
Studying for your FAA written?
Master NOTAMs, weather, regulations, and more with ACS-aligned practice and the AI tutor, Ace.
Take a free practice test →This tool decodes the structure of an ICAO-format NOTAM plus a common subset of Q-codes, qualifiers, and contractions — it is not a complete code reference and is for study only, not for operational use or flight planning. Some NOTAMs use codes or formats not covered here. Always obtain and read the official NOTAM from an authorized FAA or ICAO source before flight.