You can listen live without a license. Baofeng is the standard entry-level radio and they are OK for listening and super cheap. They are decent for transmitting low power local, but if you do want to transmit the Baofeng is pretty shitty. I have a Yaesu FT5D that was damn cheap for how well it performs and it’s in the HandiTalk format so I can carry it around. I can also slot it right into a real antenna in my shack and that’s where it really shines.