Step 1: check the rules to follow

As a supplier, you must know and follow our rules for your product.

It is important you read our rules carefully, as your product might fall into more than one set of rules.

Subscribe to our updates to learn about changes to our rules.

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Our rules

We regulate products by making rules under the:

Your product might need to comply with our rules for:

We also regulate one part of broadcasting: the parental lock standard for digital TV.

Labelling rules

Each product may have multiple applicable technical standards and labelling rules, which include testing and record-keeping requirements.

Our labelling rules are in:

Where your product fits

Your product may not fit neatly into one group of rules alone. It may fall under multiple labelling rules.

For example, a TV with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi might have to comply with the EMC Labelling Notice, the General Equipment Rules and the TLN. It might also have to comply with our parental lock standard.

Take our simple test to help you find the right labelling rules.

Telecommunications equipment framework

Under the Telecommunications Act, we regulate products that:

  • are customer equipment or customer cabling
  • may connect to a telecommunications network or facility in Australia
  • are at the customer's place (for example, a house or office) rather than with the service provider
  • might include telephone handsets, TV set-top boxes, cable plugs and sockets.

We say what you must do before and after you supply your product. This helps to manage:

  • consumer risks (health and safety, and access to standard and emergency call services)
  • industry risks (health and safety, network integrity, and how you can connect over a network).

Our rules are in the:

Penalties

If you supply a product that does not comply with the TLN, you might be committing an offence.

Penalties for breaching the Telecommunications Act can reach up to:

  • 100 penalty units under section 413 for supplying an unlabelled product
  • 120 penalty units (for example, for connecting a product that has no label to a network or facility without permission under section 411).

Radiocommunications equipment rules

Under the Radiocommunications Act, we regulate transmitters and receivers, including transmitters that are in other products.

We set technical performance limits and say what you must do before and after you supply your product. This helps to:

  • manage the risk of interference
  • make the best use of the radiofrequency (RF) spectrum.

We make the General Equipment Rules.

Schedule 3 to the General Equipment Rules sets out how to label your product to show that it meets the general standards and the electromagnetic energy (EME) Standard. Schedule 4 specifies the EME Standard and how to comply with it. Schedule 5 specifies the general standards and how you can show compliance.

Penalties

If you supply a product that does not comply with the General Equipment Rules, you might be committing an offence.

Penalties for breaching the Radiocommunications Act can reach up to:

  • A fine of 500 penalty units for having or supplying a product that does not comply with an applicable standard in the General Equipment Rules or supplying a product that has no label or applying a label before complying with Schedule 3 to the General Equipment Rules.
  • A fine of 30 penalty units for not keeping records required under the General Equipment Rules.

Penalties may not apply if you have a permit. This must be issued by the ACMA under the General Equipment Rules.

Electromagnetic compatibility rules

Under the Radiocommunications Act, we regulate:

  • electrical and electronic products
  • most common household products (for example, white goods, kitchen appliances and IT equipment)
  • some vehicles and products with internal combustion engines.

We make rules about what you must do before and after you supply your product. This helps to manage the risk of:

  • interference
  • affecting other electrical products
  • disrupting radiocommunications services.

Our rules are in the:

Penalties

If you supply a product that does not comply with the EMC Labelling Notice or the General Equipment Rules you might be committing an offence.

Penalties for breaching the Radiocommunications Act can reach up to:

  • a fine of 500 penalty units for supplying a product that has no label or applying a label before complying with all EMC Labelling Notice rules
  • a fine of 30 penalty units for not keeping records required under the EMC Labelling Notice or the General Equipment Rules.

Penalties may not apply if you have a permit. This must be issued by the ACMA under the General Equipment Rules. It sets out what actions are allowed.

Electromagnetic energy rules

Under the Radiocommunications Act, we have rules for the maximum levels energy of EME from radiocommunications transmitters which are mobile stations with an integral antenna.

We make rules about what you must do under Australian law before and after you supply your product. This helps to make sure electromagnetic energy stays at a safe level for people.

Our EME rules are in the General Equipment Rules.

Schedule 3 to the General Equipment Rules tells you how to label your product to show that it meets EME requirements. Schedule 4 sets out the applicable standard and how you can show compliance. Examples of products that must meet the EME requirements of the General Equipment Rules include mobile phones, baby monitors and smart meters.

If your product will be stationary (fixed in place) at a specific location (for example, a radiocommunications facility), the EME requirements in the General Equipment Rules may not apply. The EME requirements for stationary products are typically covered through the licensing conditions of the facility. Read more about our EME rules for both devices and transmitters.

The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) Radiation Protection Standard for Limiting Exposure to Radiofrequency Fields – 100 kHz to 300 GHz (2021) – recognises that evaluation of mobile or portable transmitting equipment for compliance with these limits is not always needed. You must be able to demonstrate that, in normal use, the power output is under the alternative low-power exclusions levels as defined in IEC 62479 (2010).

We developed the online alternative low-power exclusion calculator to help suppliers determine when low power transmitters need to be tested. 

Penalties

If you supply a product that does not comply with the General Equipment Rules, you might be committing an offence.

Penalties for breaching the Radiocommunications Act may include up to:

  • a fine of up to 500 penalty units for having or supplying a non-standard product (one that does not comply with the General Equipment Rules). This includes supplying a product that has no label, or applying a label before meeting the requirements of the General Equipment Rules.
  • a fine of 30 penalty units for not keeping records required by the General Equipment Rules.

Penalties may not apply if you have a permit. A permit must be issued by the ACMA under the General Equipment Rules.

Exemptions

The General Equipment Rules prohibit the operation, possession or supply of certain radiocommunications equipment in certain circumstances, unless an exemption applies. Part 8 – Exemptions of the General Equipment Rules sets out the exemptions, which cover:

  • emergency transmission – section 49 of the General Equipment Rules.
  • possession or supply for use solely outside Australia – subsection 50(1) of the General Equipment Rules.
  • supply for modification – section 51 of the General Equipment Rules.
  • supply for re-export – section 52 of the General Equipment Rules.
  • Defence, federal, visiting force, state or territory police forces, law enforcement activities, fire fighting, civil defence or rescue organisation, ambulance service or other organisations whose sole or principal purpose involves securing the safety of persons during an emergency – section 53 of the General Equipment Rules.
  • specified radiocommunications devices which are an integral part of a motor vehicle or can only be in operated if it is installed in a motor vehicle – subsection 54(1) of the General Equipment Rules.
  • significant events – subsection 54A(1) of the General Equipment Rules.
  • equipment imported from New Zealand – subsection 54B(1) of the General Equipment Rules.

Radiocommunications equipment may also be exempt under other exemptions (for example, Division 4 of Part 1.4 of the Radiocommunications Act).

Significant events

The ACMA may declare a specified event to be a significant event. If we declare a significant event, specified radiocommunications and telecommunications equipment, cabling and cabling work may be exempt from complying with some of our radiocommunications and telecommunications regulatory requirements.

We will not investigate installation, use or maintenance of your product at the specified location (for example, a stadium) and during the specified period of the significant event.

For example, overseas event officials, organisers, media broadcasters or competitors may visit Australia and bring with them equipment or cabling for use at the event. The equipment or cabling should be taken back with them when they leave Australia.

Declaring a significant event

The ACMA can make a notifiable instrument:

  • declaring a specified event to be a significant event
  • specifying the period of the significant event, which must be 1 month or less 
  • specifying the location of the significant event.

We publish current and future significant events on our website.

If you would like to receive email alerts when we declare a new significant event, subscribe to our 'significant event declarations' newsletter.

Significant event exemption

Once we have made a notifiable instrument declaring the event to be a significant event, the exemption applies. You do not apply for the exemption.

You may be exempt from prohibitions in Part 2 of the General Equipment Rules and a licence condition about operating a transmitter that does not comply with specified requirements in the Radiocommunications (Low Interference Potential Devices) Class Licence 2015, if the device:

  • is imported solely for use in Australia in connection with a significant event
  • meets any applicable requirements to be tested or inspected before it may be used in Australia
  • is only used or operated in compliance with any applicable conditions or requirements
  • is used or operated in Australia only at the location and only during the period of the significant event.

Telecommunications customer equipment and customer cabling imported into Australia solely for use in connection with a significant event from labelling requirements in the Telecommunications (Labelling Notice for Customer Equipment and Customer Cabling) Instrument 2025.

Cabling work involving customer cabling that is for use in broadcasting content during a significant event is exempt from the requirements of Division 9 of Part 21 of the Telecommunications Act, including the requirement to comply with the Telecommunications (Cabling Provider) Rules 2025. This exemption is subject to other conditions being met, as outlined in Item 9 of Schedule 1 to the Telecommunications (Types of Cabling Work) Declaration 2024.

Current and future significant events

Statement of significant event – Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park 2025

Next up: Find the right labelling rules
Last updated: 31 March 2025
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