Fees for apparatus licences
We charge a yearly fee for apparatus licences.
Licence fees include:
- fees for services
- a licence tax.
We adjust our taxes each year for inflation.
Different fees apply to commercial broadcasters.
The apparatus licence fee schedule sets out the current fees for apparatus licences.
You should only use the schedule as a guide. You may want to ask an accredited person to help you or get legal advice.
You can also check if you are eligible for a licence fee exemption or concession.
Changes to taxes
We updated apparatus licence taxes in July 2021 as part of the Spectrum Pricing Review reforms, and in February 2022 to facilitate early access and transition of spectrum won at the 850/900 MHz auction (with spectrum licences commencing 1 July 2024).
Apparatus licence fee calculator
Use our apparatus licence fee calculator to estimate the taxes and charges you need to pay. It's quick and easy to use.
Important information
We’d like to help by giving you the option to pay your renewal fee within 3 months from the expiry of your current licence.
We can also help you by:
- identifying your licence number
- updating your licence details
- printing and sending a copy of your licence to you
If you require help in arranging the payment option, please contact us. If we don’t hear from you before your licence expires, we’ll contact you to check you still need the licence before it’s cancelled.
How we calculate taxes for apparatus licences
Apparatus licences may be for a transmitter or receiver.
We charge a licence tax for all transmitters. We only charge a tax for a receiver if you haven't licensed the transmitter.
The amount we charge depends on if the licence is an:
- assigned licence
- non-assigned licence
- new licence
- renewal
The amount you need to pay for an assigned licence depends on:
- how many frequencies you need
- the amount of bandwidth
- the frequency
- location of the site
- transmitter power
We base the licence tax on the population density of an area.
Apparatus licence fee density area maps
The boundaries for density areas are available in:
We also use these to determine some taxes:
- the Australian Spectrum Map Grid (ASMG)
- hierarchical cell identification scheme
More information is in the licence fee schedule.
Pay your invoice
You have 45 days to pay your invoice.
If you don’t pay on time, we may refuse your application or renewal. We may also give your frequency to someone else.
You can appeal our decision.
If you give up your licence, we may refund part of your licence fee. We do this automatically.
As stated above, If you’re unable to pay for your licence renewal because you or your business have been impacted by circumstances beyond your control (e.g., natural disaster), you can apply to defer your fee.
Rules for licence fees
This legislation helps us determine how we charge for apparatus licences:
- Radiocommunications Act 1992
- Radiocommunications (Receiver Licence Tax) Act 1983
- Radiocommunications (Receiver Licence Tax) Determination 2015
- Radiocommunications (Transmitter Licence Tax) Act 1983
- Radiocommunications (Transmitter Licence Tax) Determination 2015
- Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (Apparatus Licence) Determination 2015
- Radiocommunications (Specified Radiocommunications Receivers and Types of Transmitter and Receiver Licences) Determination 2014
- Radiocommunications (Interpretation) Determination 2015
- Radiocommunications Taxes Collection Act 1983
- Radiocommunications Taxes Collection Regulations 1985
- Radiocommunications Taxes Collection (Penalties on Unpaid Tax) Determination 2015
- Radiocommunications (Charges) Determination 2017
Get help with licence fees
If you have questions about licence fees, call our customer service centre on 1300 850 115 or email us.