Step 1: check the rules to follow

We regulate products by making rules under the:

• Broadcasting Services Act 1992
• Telecommunications Act 1997
• Radiocommunications Act 1992

Your product might need to comply with our rules for:

• telecommunications equipment
• radiocommunications equipment
• electromagnetic compatibility (EMC)
• electromagnetic energy (EME)

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

Your product might not fit neatly into one group of rules.

Labelling notices

Each group has a labelling notice, which sets our rules including:

• technical standards
• testing
• record-keeping
• labelling

Our labelling requirements are in:

• the Telecommunications (Labelling Notice for Customer Equipment and Customer Cabling) Instrument 2015 (TLN)
• the Radiocommunications Devices (Compliance Labelling—Devices) Notice 2014 (RLN)
• the Radiocommunications Labelling (Electromagnetic Compatibility) Notice 2017 (EMC LN)
• Schedule 3 to the Radiocommunications Equipment (General) Rules 2021 (the General Equipment Rules).

Multiple labelling notices might apply to your product.

For example, a TV with bluetooth and wi-fi might have to comply with the RLN, EMC LN and General Equipment Rules. It might also have to comply with our parental lock standard.

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

Under the Telecommunications Act 1997 (the 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:

• Telecommunications (Labelling Notice for Customer Equipment and Customer Cabling) Instrument 2015 (TLN)
• telecommunications standards

Penalties

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

Penalties for breaching the Act can reach up to:

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

Under the Radiocommunications Act 1992 (the 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

Our rules are in the:

• Radiocommunications (Compliance Labelling – Devices) Notice 2014 (RLN)
• Radiocommunications standards
• Radiocommunications Equipment (General) Rules 2021 (the General Equipment Rules)

Penalties

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

Penalties for breaching the Act can reach up to:

• A fine of 500 penalty units for having or supplying a non-standard product (one that does not comply with the RLN) or supplying a product that has no label or applying a label before complying with all RLN rules
• A fine of 30 penalty units for not keeping records required under the RLN or the General Equipment Rules

Penalties may not apply if a person has a permit. This must be issued by the ACMA under the General Equipment Rules, and set out what actions are allowed.

Under the Radiocommunications Act 1992 (the 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 say 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:

• Radiocommunications Labelling (Electromagnetic Compatibility) Notice 2017 (EMC LN)
• Electromagnetic compatibility standards
• General Equipment Rules

Penalties

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

Penalties for breaching the 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 LN rules
• a fine of 30 penalty units for not keeping records required under the EMC LN or the General Equipment Rules

Penalties may not apply if a person has a permit. This must be issued by the ACMA under the General Equipment Rules, and set out what actions are allowed.

Under the Radiocommunications Act 1992 (the Act), we have rules for the maximum levels of electromagnetic energy from radio transmitters with an integral antenna.

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

Our EME rules are in the Radiocommunications Equipment (General) Rules 2021 (the General Equipment Rules).

Schedule 3 to the General Equipment Rules sets out how to label your product to show that it meets EME requirements. Schedule 4 specifies 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 in these instances 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 does not exceed the alternative low-power exclusions levels as defined in IEC 62479 (2010).

We have developed an online alternative low-power exclusion calculator to help suppliers work out when low power transmitters need to be tested. This is under revision to ensure it aligns with the current ARPANSA Standard.  

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 Act 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 a person has a permit. This must be issued by the ACMA under the General Equipment Rules, and set out what actions are allowed.

We may give you an exemption (waive your need to comply with some of our radiocommunications rules) for a ‘significant event’ in Australia.

An exemption means we do not investigate your product for a set time and in one place (for example, a stadium).

What counts as a significant event

The chair of the ACMA considers whether your event:

• involves products we regulate
• is a public event important to a state or the nation
• goes for a short time
• has media broadcasters from overseas
• is at a set place in Australia
• can prevent risks such as interference

We show current and future significant events.

How to get an exemption

As a supplier, you do not apply for an exemption.

You can bring your product into Australia, without first showing us it complies with our rules, if:

• the chair of the ACMA decides your event is a significant event
• you are an event official or organiser, media broadcaster or competitor
• your product returns overseas straight after the event
• it is not usually your business to supply products

There are no significant events at the moment.