Commercial vessels:
Requirements for radio operators on commercial vessels will vary depending on the radio equipment installed, number of passengers and requirements of current safety legislation. Owners should approach Maritime New Zealand (Ph: 0508 22 55 22) for further advice.
Maritime Vessels travelling
overseas:
Maritime vessel operators
that travel outside New Zealand waters may have difficulty convincing foreign maritime
authorities that they hold a valid radio licence if operating under the NZ General
User Radio Licence for Maritime Purposes. In these circumstances, you can
choose to hold an individual licence and present a paper copy of this radio
licence to foreign officials. An annual fee will apply.
Licence Information
A Maritime Ship (radio) Licence consists of a licence
number, a call sign number, an MMSI number and depending on the vessel type, a
radio telex number. The Maritime Ship Licence is an individual radio licence
granted to the owner of the vessel.
The licence is recorded
in the online Register of Radio Frequencies (RRF) and is recognized by overseas
administrations under agreements with the International Telecommunications
Union (ITU). A certified extract of the maritime ship licence can be printed
from the RRF (https://rrf.rsm.govt.nz) as evidence to provide to overseas port
authorities. A “Ship” describes any vessel from a small run-about to an ocean
going cargo vessel.
Vessels that require
Maritime Ship Licences include:
• Any vessel leaving New Zealand and voyaging overseas
• Compulsory equipped vessels that use Morse code
• Compulsory equipped
vessels that use radio telephone for charter services and public transport.
Note:
- Commercial and New Zealand registered vessels seeking special callsigns or four-letter callsigns (e.g. ZMAB) should contact Radio Spectrum Management on 0508 776436 or email info@rsm.govt.nz.
- New Zealand callsigns can only be issued to New Zealand vessels. If the vessel is registered overseas then you must contact the licensing authority of that country to obtain a callsign.
- To operate a MF/HF (SSB) radio, a Maritime Radio Restricted Operator Certificate (MRROC) is the minimum requirement.
- Full details are recorded in the Register of Radio Frequencies and made available for public inspection. This includes the name and address of the licence holder. Individual persons as licence holders have the right to request that their residential address be withheld from public access. Requests must be made in writing to the Registrar of Radio Frequencies via email to rsmlicensing@mbie.govt.nz or to PO Box 2847, Wellington.
Payment:
The current annual licence fee is $150* for recreational and commercial vessels. The fee must be paid in advance before the licence is issued. Once payment has been validated the licence is automatically granted and an email sent to the address supplied. Coastguard Boating Education has an additional $35 fee for administering the licence application. Both payments will be deducted from the credit card details you have supplied. Only Visa or Mastercard credit cards will be accepted as a form of payment.
*The annual licence fee refers to the billing month when you are first registered as a client of Radio Spectrum Management and may be prorated.
To register an EPIRB visit www.beacons.org.nz