Getting licensed in Australia

Since 19 February 2024, amateur radio in Australia has worked differently. Most operators no longer hold an individual licence; instead you operate under a class licence once you hold a recognised qualification. This guide explains the model, the qualification levels, how exams work and how call signs are assigned. Every rule below comes from ACMA or the legislation itself, linked inline and listed at the end.

1Understand the class licence

In ACMA's words: "From 19 February 2024, you can operate an amateur station under the Radiocommunications (Amateur Stations) Class Licence 2023." And: "You don't need to apply for it or pay any fees as it is a class licence, not an individual licence." (ACMA: Amateur class licence)

What you do need is a qualification. Clause 11 of the class licence says: "A person must not operate an amateur station unless the person is: (a) a qualified person; or (b) supervised by a qualified person." Existing qualifications that ACMA has recognised as equivalent, such as the AOCP, remain valid (ACMA: Qualifications).

Older individual licences: ACMA says "From 19 February 2024, we will no longer renew any non-assigned amateur licences." The remaining ones sit under the Licence Conditions Determination 2025, and ACMA expects the last of them to expire in June 2028.
Repeaters and beacons are the exception: they need an amateur assigned apparatus licence, and the holder must have a recognised Standard or Advanced qualification (ACMA: Amateur radio licences).

2Pick a qualification level

There are three levels (ACMA):

Foundation: "the basic level for a person who wants to use amateur radio".
Standard: "requires an intermediate knowledge".
Advanced: "requires a complex knowledge". Its syllabus meets HAREC (CEPT T/R 61-02).

On 2m and 70cm, the class licence (Schedule 2) gives Foundation operators 144.000–148.000 and 430.000–450.000 MHz at 10 watts pX. Standard operators get 100 watts pX for J3E or R3E (SSB) and 30 watts pY for any other mode. Advanced operators get 400 watts pX for C3F, J3E or R3E and 120 watts pY otherwise. The next tutorial covers the bands in detail.

3Sit the exam

ACMA administers amateur exams through a network of voluntary accredited assessors, including assessors who used to supervise exams for the Australian Maritime College (ACMA: Accredited assessors). The WIA and AMC exam roles are historical; today you sit with an ACMA-accredited assessor and apply to ACMA.

Cost: "It is free to sit an exam with an accredited assessor."
Components: theoretical, regulatory and practical. You need at least 70% on the theory and regulatory parts; for the practical, "the accredited assessor must be satisfied of your competency".
Results: "The accredited assessor will lodge your exam result."
Resits: must "be undertaken at least 3 months after the date of the initial exam, and use an examination paper that is different from any previous attempt."

ACMA says "Over 300 accredited assessors are already available to conduct remote examinations across Australia" (ACMA: Processing timeframes). If you already hold an equivalent qualification, for example from overseas, recognition of prior learning can earn an exemption, for a fee.

4Get your recognition certificate

After you pass, ACMA "will invite you to apply for an ACMA recognition certificate", which you do through the ACMA Assist portal, with an application fee. ACMA's published timeframes are: exam results processed within 2 weeks of receiving them from the assessor, certificates within 15 working days, and RPL up to 4 months. The class licence itself requires ACMA to decide a certificate application "within 15 business days" (Schedule 5).

5Apply for a call sign

"You must hold a recognised qualification to apply for a call sign" (ACMA: Call signs). ACMA aims to process call sign applications within 10 working days.

An Australian call sign is VK, a digit and a suffix. Per the ACMA call sign policy, the digits are: 0 Antarctic; 1 Australian Capital Territory; 2 New South Wales; 3 Victoria; 4 Queensland; 5 South Australia; 6 Western Australia; 7 Tasmania; 8 Northern Territory; 9 Australian External Territories. The digit generally reflects where you live when the call sign is first assigned.

3-letter suffix: any qualification level can apply. Maximum 5 per person.
2-letter suffix: Advanced only. Maximum 5 per person.
F-series: ACMA no longer assigns 4-letter F-series call signs (for example, VK2Faaa) "as these are incompatible with some digital modes". Existing holders may keep them.
ACMA reconfirms call signs every 5 years.

6Identify correctly on air

Clause 12 of the class licence requires you to transmit your call sign at the beginning and end of each transmission, and at least once every 10 minutes if a transmission lasts longer. ACMA's operating procedures add: "it is not necessary to use call signs every 'over' – call signs must be used every 10 minutes." A supervised person may use the supervisor's call sign, and on 26 January, 25 April and 17 May you may replace VK with AX.

7Sources

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