Options for maritime coast licences

There are 5 options for maritime coast licences:

• major coast A
• major coast B 
• limited coast assigned system 
• limited coast non assigned 
• limited coast marine rescue 

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) manages licences for stations that operate an Automatic Identification System (AIS).

If you wish to licence an AIS in a coast station, contact AMSA.

You must be qualified to operate a marine radio.

Major coast A stations provide these services to boats at sea:

• weather broadcasts
• navigation warnings
• telephone calls to and from boats

Major coast A stations need an assigned maritime frequency.

Apply for a major coast A licence.

Major coast B stations provide the same services as major coast A.

They can also communicate public messages to and from:

• boats
• land mobile stations
• remote land stations
• stations on an aircraft that are not an aircraft station

Major coast B stations can be an assigned or non assigned maritime frequency.

Apply for a major coast B licence.

This licence option allows you to use 1 licence to operate a:

• coast station
• associated ship stations

Anyone can apply for an assigned frequency under this licence option.

You can only use the assigned frequency to communicate between:

• the coast station
• their boats

There are rules for how you can use stand-by stations and repeaters under this licence.

Apply for a limited coast assigned system licence.

These stations provide safety-related radio services to boats for:

• maritime search and rescue
• maritime recreational activities
• port operations
• professional fishing
• other commercial maritime activities

Frequencies for this licence option are in the Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (Maritime Coast Licence) Determination 2015.

We may tell you where the station can be located. If we do, we will say the location on your licence.

There are rules for how you can use stand-by stations and repeaters under this licence.

Apply for a limited coast non-assigned licence.

These stations provide emergency radio services to all boats.

Frequencies for this licence option are in the Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (Maritime Coast Licence) Determination 2015.

We may tell you where the station can be located. If we do, we will say the location on your licence.

There are rules for how you can use stand-by stations and repeaters under this licence.

Apply for a limited coast marine rescue licence.

You may use any number of stand-by stations under these licence options:

• limited coast assigned system
• limited coast non assigned
• limited coast marine rescue

You can only use a stand-by station if:

• it has a licence
• the main station is not working
• you follow the conditions of your licence

We will specify the locations of your stand-by stations on your licence.

Use of repeaters

You can use repeaters that operate on frequencies in the VHF IMM service.

You cannot use delayed re-transmission devices in this service because they may interfere with safety messages.