Maritime ship licence

A maritime ship licence lets you operate one or more stations on a ship that communicate with:

• other radiocommunications equipment on or off the ship
• another ship
• a maritime coast station
• a mobile earth station

To license a coast station and its ship stations instead, consider a limited coast assigned licence.

There are 4 options for maritime ship licences.

Vessels that are not subject to Commonwealth survey, and only have VHF marine radio equipment operating on standard frequencies can operate under a maritime ship station class licence.

You must be qualified to operate a maritime ship station.

The Radiocommunications (Interpretation) Determination 2025 defines the various options for maritime ship licences.

Maritime ship non-assigned licences can use the frequencies shown in the Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (Maritime Ship Licence) Determination 2025 for the specific purposes described. The determination includes relevant channels for Automatic Identification System (AIS), maritime mobiles satellite, radiodetermination, VHF Data Exchange System (VDES) and Application Specific Messages (ASM).

When you have a maritime ship licence, you must follow the conditions of your licence.

These include:

• conditions of the Radiocommunications Act 1992 (the Act)
• Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (Transmitter Licence) Determination 2025
• Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (Maritime Ship Licence) Determination 2025
• other conditions that apply to you under ‘special conditions’

These conditions help you communicate safely and without interference.

We will include information you should be aware of under the heading 'advisory notes'.

Call signs are a unique series of letters and numbers. They make it easy to identify a station.

We will give you a call sign or explain how to create one when we give you a licence.

You should use your call sign:

• every time you start to transmit
• before you transmit in a series
• when you test

Call sign template for maritime ship stations class B

Call sign template for maritime ship stations class C

Other call signs for maritime ship stations

If you use Digital Selective Calling (DSC) on your ship, you'll need a maritime mobile service identity (MMSI). You can apply to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.

If you send public messages through an overseas coast station, you must have an accounting authority identification code (AAIC). You need this code because the overseas coast station will charge you a fee.

You can email us to get an AAIC.

We charge fees for apparatus licences.

In some circumstances, you can apply for a licence fee exemption or concession.

As well as needing a licence to operate devices and equipment, you will also need to comply with our technical standards. 

These include:

• some general standards – see Schedule 5 to the General Equipment Rules
• the Radiocommunications (Electromagnetic Compatibility) Standard 2017
• the Electromagnetic Energy (EME) Standard – see Schedule 4 to the General Equipment Rules.

Read more about our technical standards including our general radiocommunications standards, the EMC standard and the EME standard.

If your device or equipment does not meet the rules in our technical standards, you will need a permit to supply, use or have it. This is separate from a licence. Find out about permits and fees under the General Equipment Rules.

To apply for a maritime ship assigned licence, you should contact an accredited person.

They can:

• assign you a frequency
• give you a frequency assignment certificate
• apply for your licence for you

To apply for a maritime ship non-assigned licence, you should:

• complete an application form for a maritime ship non-assigned licence
• email it to us

Transfer a maritime ship licence

You can apply to:

• transfer your maritime ship licence to someone else
• let someone else use a device under your licence

See technical details for maritime ship licences.