This is the Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (Amateur Licence) Determination 2025.
2 Commencement
This instrument commences on 30 September 2025.
3 Authority
This instrument is made under subsection 110A(2) of the Act.
4 Repeal of instrument
The Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (Amateur Licence) Determination 2015 (F2015L01113) is repealed.
5 Interpretation
(1) In this instrument, unless the contrary intention appears:
ACMA recognition certificate has the meaning given by:
(a) the Radiocommunications (Amateur Stations) Class Licence 2023; or
(b) if a later instrument replaces that instrument and defines the expression – the later instrument.
Note: The Radiocommunications (Amateur Stations) Class Licence 2023 is available, free of charge, from the Federal Register of Legislation at www.legislation.gov.au.
amateur licence (amateur advanced station) means an amateur licence that authorises a person to operate an amateur advanced station.
amateur licence (amateur beacon station) means an amateur licence that authorises a person to operate an amateur beacon station.
amateur licence (amateur foundation station) means an amateur licence that authorises a person to operate an amateur foundation station.
amateur licence (amateur repeater station) means an amateur licence that authorises a person to operate an amateur repeater station.
amateur licence (amateur standard station) means an amateur licence that authorises a person to operate an amateur standard station.
amateur purpose has the meaning given by:
(a) the Radiocommunications (Amateur Stations) Class Licence 2023; or
(b) if a later instrument replaces that instrument and defines the expression – the later instrument.
Note: The Radiocommunications (Amateur Stations) Class Licence 2023 is available, free of charge, from the Federal Register of Legislation at www.legislation.gov.au.
automatic mode has the meaning given by:
(a) the Radiocommunications (Amateur Stations) Class Licence 2023; or
(b) if a later instrument replaces that instrument and defines the expression – the later instrument.
Note: The Radiocommunications (Amateur Stations) Class Licence 2023 is available, free of charge, from the Federal Register of Legislation at www.legislation.gov.au.
call sign, in relation to a station:
(a) if the operation of the station is authorised by an amateur licence – means the sequence of letters and numbers specified in the licence that authorises operation of the station as the call sign for stations authorised by the licence;
(b) if the operation of the station is authorised by the Radiocommunications (Amateur Stations) Class Licence 2023 or a later instrument that replaces that instrument – has the same meaning as in that class licence or later instrument, as the case may be.
computer controlled mode has the meaning given by:
(a) the Radiocommunications (Amateur Stations) Class Licence 2023; or
(b) if a later instrument replaces that instrument and defines the expression – the later instrument.
Note: The Radiocommunications (Amateur Stations) Class Licence 2023 is available, free of charge, from the Federal Register of Legislation at www.legislation.gov.au.
emergency services has the meaning given by:
(a) the Radiocommunications (Amateur Stations) Class Licence 2023; or
(b) if a later instrument replaces that instrument and defines the expression – the later instrument.
Note: The Radiocommunications (Amateur Stations) Class Licence 2023 is available, free of charge, from the Federal Register of Legislation at www.legislation.gov.au.
emission mode has the meaning given by:
(a) the Radiocommunications (Amateur Stations) Class Licence 2023; or
(b) if a later instrument replaces that instrument and defines the expression – the later instrument.
Note: The Radiocommunications (Amateur Stations) Class Licence 2023 is available, free of charge, from the Federal Register of Legislation at www.legislation.gov.au.
qualified person means a person who holds:
(a) a certificate of proficiency; or
(b) a recognised qualification; or
(c) an ACMA recognition certificate.
Note: Before 18 February 2024, the ACMA required a person operating an amateur station under an amateur licence to have a certificate of proficiency, subject to some exceptions. A person operating an amateur station under an amateur licence is no longer required to have a certificate of proficiency, and the ACMA no longer issues certificates of proficiency for amateur stations..
recognised qualification means a licence or qualification listed in Table A or Table B of the Tables of Equivalent Qualifications and Licences.
repeater input, in relation to an amateur repeater station, means the frequency on which the station is authorised to receive transmissions from another amateur station.
repeater link means an amateur repeater station that is used solely for intercommunication between two other amateur repeater stations.
repeater output, in relation to an amateur repeater station, means the frequency on which the station is authorised to transmit to another amateur station.
Note 1: A number of other expressions used in this instrument are defined in the Act, including the following:
(a) ACMA;
(b) certificate of proficiency;
(c) frequency band;
(d) operate;
(e) radiocommunication;
(f) radio emission;
(g) spectrum plan;
(h) transmitter.
Note 2: Other expressions used in this instrument may be defined in a determination made under subsection 64(1) of the Australian Communications and Media Authority Act 2005, that applies to this instrument, including:
(2) In this instrument, unless the contrary intention appears, a reference to a station is taken to be a reference to each radiocommunications transmitter that forms part of the station.
Note: A station is an installation or thing that is, or includes, one or more radiocommunications transmitters, one or more radiocommunications receivers, or both one or more radiocommunications transmitters and one or more radiocommunications receivers. This instrument imposes licence conditions on amateur licences, which are a type of transmitter licence, so this instrument is primarily concerned with transmitter licences and the radiocommunications transmitters whose operation is authorised by those licences. However, the operation of some conditions in relation to some amateur licences may depend on particular radiocommunications receivers.
(3) In this instrument, unless the contrary intention appears, a reference to a part of the spectrum or frequency band includes all frequencies that are greater than but not including the lower frequency, up to and including the higher frequency.
Note: This means the lower number in the reference to the part of the spectrum or frequency band is not included in the part or band.
(4) Unless the contrary intention appears, no condition imposed by this instrument limits any other condition imposed by this instrument.
6 References to other instruments
In this instrument, unless the contrary intention appears:
(a) a reference to any other legislative instrument is a reference to that other legislative instrument as in force from time to time; and
(b) a reference to any other kind of instrument or writing is a reference to that other instrument or writing as in force, or existing, from time to time.
Note 1: For references to Commonwealth Acts, see section 10 of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901; and see also subsection 13(1) of the Legislation Act 2003 for the application of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 to legislative instruments.
Note 2: All Commonwealth Acts and legislative instruments are registered on the Federal Register of Legislation.
Note 3: See section 314A of the Act.
Part 2 Conditions – every amateur licence
7 Application of Part 2
(1) Subject to subsection (2), every amateur licence is subject to the conditions in this Part.
(2) If:
(a) a condition is specified in an amateur licence under paragraph 107(1)(g) of the Act, or imposed on the licence under paragraph 111(1)(a) of the Act; and
(b) that condition is inconsistent with a condition specified in this Part;
then, to the extent of any inconsistency, the condition mentioned in paragraph (a) prevails.
8 Condition – qualification
A person must not operate an amateur station unless the person is:
(a) a qualified person; or
(b) supervised by a qualified person.
9 Conditions – purposes and transmissions
(1) A person must not operate an amateur station otherwise than for an amateur purpose.
(2) A person must not operate an amateur station:
(a) to obtain financial gain or reward, or for the purpose of obtaining financial gain or reward; or
(b) to solicit a message that is to be transmitted on behalf of another person unless the message relates to a disaster; or
(c) to transmit:
(i) a message that enables any person to obtain financial gain or reward; or
(ii) a message that is, or includes, an advertisement; or
(iii) a message to an amateur station in another country, if the purpose of the transmission would be inconsistent with the table of frequency band allocations in the spectrum plan or a footnote to that table; or
(iv) subject to subsection (3), a signal that is encoded, for the purpose of obscuring the meaning of the signal; or
(v) subject to subsection (4), a signal that is unintelligible.
Note: Subject to this subsection, a person may transmit messages on behalf of a third party to an amateur station, including an amateur station in a foreign country. The laws of that country may apply to the person in respect of that transmission.
(3) A person does not contravene the condition in subparagraph (2)(c)(iv) if one or more of the following applies:
(a) the signal is transmitted from the amateur station to a space station in an amateur-satellite service, for the purpose of controlling the operation of the space station;
(b) the signal is transmitted from an amateur station to an unattended amateur station, for the purpose of controlling the operation of the unattended amateur station;
(c) the signal is transmitted from an amateur station to another amateur station, for the purposes of an emergency services operation;
(d) the signal is transmitted from an amateur station to another amateur station, for the purposes of a training exercise related to emergency services.
(4) A person does not contravene the condition in subparagraph (2)(c)(v) if the signal is transmitted for the purposes of conducting a brief test or making an adjustment to the station.
(5) If a person operates an amateur station to retransmit a transmission originating from another amateur station (the second station), the person must:
(a) obtain the consent of the person making the transmission from the second station to retransmit the transmission; and
(b) transmit the second station’s call sign at the beginning and the end of each transmission; and
(c) indicate, as part of the transmission, that it is primarily a retransmission of a transmission of another amateur station.
(6) A person must not cause an amateur station to be operated without a person being at the location of the station, unless:
(a) the station is:
(i) operated using an automatic mode; or
(ii) operated using a computer controlled mode; or
(iii) an amateur repeater station; or
(iv) an amateur beacon station; and
(b) the station is fitted with a timer that causes automatic shutdown of the station if a malfunction causes an unintended transmission that lasts longer than 10 minutes; and
(c) a transmission from the station can be terminated promptly if the transmission causes interference to another service.
(7) A person must not operate an amateur station to transmit a signal to another amateur station through:
(a) an amateur repeater station, unless the person is authorised to transmit on the repeater output of the amateur repeater station; or
(b) two or more amateur repeater stations (the interim stations) that are capable of transmitting to one or more of the interim stations unless the person is authorised to use the repeater output of each of the interim stations; or
(c) a third amateur station that is not an amateur repeater station unless the person is authorised to transmit on the third amateur station’s transmission frequency; or
(d) two or more other amateur stations that are not amateur repeater stations (the interim stations), unless the person is authorised to transmit on the transmission frequency of each of the interim stations.
10 Conditions – emergency services operations and training
(1) This section applies where a person participates in emergency services operations or training exercises for emergency services (regardless of whether any other person is also participating in those operations or exercises).
(2) Subject to subsection (3), the person must, when operating an amateur station, transmit the station’s call sign at each of the following times:
(a) the beginning of each transmission;
(b) the end of each transmission;
(c) if a transmission or series of transmissions lasts more than 30 minutes – at least once every 30 minutes during the transmission or series.
(3) If:
(a) there are two or more qualified persons participating in emergency services operations or training exercises for emergency services; and
(b) two or more of those qualified persons are operating amateur stations (the group of stations) for the purposes of those operations or exercises;
then, for transmissions relating to those operations or exercises, the person must ensure that arrangements are in place for at least one station in the group of stations to transmit the call signs of all of the stations in the group of stations at each of the following times:
(c) the beginning of each transmission;
(d) the end of each transmission;
(e) if a transmission or series of transmissions lasts more than 30 minutes – at least once every 30 minutes during the transmission or series.
11 Conditions – interference and spurious emissions
(1) A person must not operate an amateur station if its operation causes harmful interference to radiocommunications.
(2) A person must not operate an amateur station if its operation causes interference to radiocommunications due to transmissions that:
(a) vary from a frequency on which the station is authorised to operate; or
(b) have radio emissions as a side effect of Morse code transmission; or
(c) contain harmonics; or
(d) cause an emission outside the necessary bandwidth of the transmission.
(3) A person must take measures that are reasonably practicable to erect, fix, place and use an amateur station in a way that avoids interference to the efficient and convenient working of other stations.
(4) A person must not operate an amateur station if its radio emissions include spurious emissions that are not attenuated below the power contained within the emission’s necessary bandwidth, supplied to the antenna transmission line, by:
(a) for frequencies less than 30 MHz – the lesser of:
(i) 43 + 10 log (pX) dB;
(ii) 50 dB;
(b) for frequencies equal to or greater than 30 MHz – the lesser of:
(i) 43 + 10 log (P) dB;
(ii) 70 dB;
(5) In paragraph (4)(b), P means the power, in watts, supplied to the antenna transmission line.
12 Condition – restriction in ARQZWA
A person must not operate an amateur station in the ARQZWA.