General User Radio Licence (GURL) notices

List of the current General User Radio Licence (GURL) gazette notices.

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Aeronautical model control short range devices

This general user radio licence notice covers the operation of radio transmitting equipment used for the remote control of model aircraft.

Download available as Radiocommunications Regulations (General User Radio Licence for Aeronautical Model Control Short Range Devices) Notice 2003 [PDF, 13 KB]

View the General User Radio Licence for Aeronautical Model Control Short Range Devices Notice 2003(external link)

Aeronautical purposes

This general user radio licence notice covers the operation of radio transmitting equipment used for radiocommunications in the aeronautical service, including aircraft, land, maritime, and portable transmitters (but not including fixed or repeater transmitters).

View the General User Radio Licence for Aeronautical Purposes Notice 2016(external link)

Amateur radio operators

This general user radio licence notice covers the operation of radio transmitting equipment used by amateur radio operators in New Zealand.

Download available as General User Radio Licence for Amateur Radio Operators [PDF, 193 KB]

View the General User Radio Licence for Amateur Radio Operators Notice 2023(external link)

Citizen Band Radio (CB) or Personal Radio Service (PRS)

This general user radio licence notice covers the operation of radio transmitting equipment used for citizen band radio, also known as “CB Radio” or “Personal Radio Service (PRS)” (but does not include PRS repeaters).

Download available as Radiocommunications Regulations (General User Radio Licence for Citizen Band Radio) Notice 2011 [PDF, 60 KB]

View the General User Radio Licence for Citizen Band Radio Notice 2011(external link)

Cordless telephones

This general user radio licence notice covers the operation of radio transmitting equipment used for cordless telephones and telecommunications using “CT1”, “CT2”, “DECT”, and “PHS” technologies.

Please note that the provisions for using PHS technologies expired on 29 February 2020.

View the General User Radio Licence for Cordless Telephones Notice 2017(external link)

Emergency transmitters

This general user radio licence notice covers the operation of radio transmitting equipment used for obtaining assistance where safety of life or property is threatened, for the testing of emergency transmitters, and for search and rescue training.

Download the Radiocommunications Regulations (General User Radio Licence for Emergency Transmitters) Notice 2005 [PDF, 15 KB]

View the General User Radio Licence for Emergency Transmitters Notice 2005(external link)

Beacons - for information on using and registering 406 MHz distress beacons(external link)

Fixed radio link devices

This general user radio licence notice covers the operation of fixed link radio transmitting equipment, including those known as U-NII devices, using digital modulation techniques to typically provide high data rate fixed point-to-point communications for individuals, businesses and institutions. Point-to-multipoint systems, omni-directional applications, and multiple co-located devices transmitting the same information are not permitted under this licence.

View the General User Radio Licence for Fixed Radio Link Devices Notice 2022(external link).

  • View additional information about operating equipment

Additional information regarding the exclusion of Point-to-Multipoint systems from the general user radio licence for fixed radio link devices

For networks involving more than one individual client transmitter communicating with a central access point transceiver, the following principles apply:

  1. As the central access point is providing a point-to-multipoint service, it is not covered by this licence, but instead by the General User Radio Licence for Short Range Devices. Please ensure that the central access point complies with the conditions specified in that licence, including frequency, designated use and the mean power, power density and e.i.r.p. limits prescribed.

  2. As each client station is receiving from and transmitting to the one station (the central access point) the client station is essentially employing a point-to-point service and so, in the frequency range 5.725 GHz to 5.850 GHz is allowed the higher power limit of up to 1 Watt peak transmitter power, with up to 200 Watts (e.i.r.p.) peak radiated power. Note that there is a peak power spectral density limitation of less than 17 dBm in any 1 MHz bandwidth. Client equipment on other frequencies covered by the Short Range Device GURL are limited in the same manner as the central access point.

Ground and Wall Probing Radar

This general user radio licence notice covers the operation of ground probing radar (GPR) and wall probing radar (WPR), for the purposes of determining the constitution of surfaces and located buried objects within these surfaces.

View the General User Radio Licence for Ground and Wall Probing Radar Notice 2015(external link)

Itinerant differential GPS

This general user radio licence notice covers the operation of radio transmitting equipment used for radiocommunications to provide accurate position fixing in conjunction with the radionavigation satellite service known as GPS (Global Positioning System).

View the Radiocommunications Regulations (General User Radio Licence for Itinerant Differential GPS) Notice 2015(external link)

Low power FM broadcasting

This general user radio licence notice covers the operation of radio transmitting equipment used for local area broadcasting and known as “Low Power FM Broadcasting “or “LPFM broadcasting”.

Download available as Radiocommunications Regulations (General User Radio Licence for Low Power FM Broadcasting) Notice 2010 [PDF, 103 KB]

View the General User Radio Licence for Low Power FM broadcasting Notice 2010(external link)

Additional information on the operation of broadcasting stations under the Low Power FM General User Licence [PDF, 198 KB]

Maritime purposes

This general user radio licence notice covers the operation of radio transmitting equipment used for radiocommunications in the maritime service, including land and aeronautical transmitters, but excluding:

  1. land based transmitters, including coast stations, operating on frequencies below 30 MHz
  2. remotely activated private and public coast VHF stations
  3. maritime VHF repeater transmitters
  4. remote activation of a maritime VHF repeater by a land station without the express permission of the maritime VHF repeater licensee.

Download available as Maritime Mobile VHF Channel usage from 1 October 2016 [PDF, 85 KB]

View the General User Radio Licence for Maritime Purposes Notice 2016(external link)

Maritime UHF on-board communications

This general user radio licence notice covers the operation of UHF radio transmitting equipment used for radiocommunications on-board maritime vessels.

View the General User Radio Licence for Maritime UHF On-Board Communications Notice 2016(external link)

Satellite services

This general user radio licence notice covers the operation of radio transmitting equipment used for handheld, portable, transportable, and fixed satellite earth stations in the Mobile Satellite Service (MSS), Satellite News Gathering (SNG), and Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) satellite services.

View the Radiocommunications Regulations (General User Radio Licence for Satellite Services) Notice 2017(external link)

Short range devices

This general user radio licence notice covers the operation of low power radio transmitting equipment known as Short Range Devices (SRDs), Restricted Radiation Devices (RRDs), Low Interference Potential Devices (LIPDs), or Spread Spectrum Devices (SSDs).

View the Radiocommunications Regulations (General User Radio Licence for Short Range Devices) Notice 2022(external link)

Wi-Fi guidance

Information about Wi-Fi use can be found on the Wi-Fi facts [link] page.

Ultra wide band communication devices

This general user radio licence notice covers the operation of ultra wide band radio transmitting equipment. The use of ultra wide band transmitting equipment is not permitted on board aircraft or from any fixed outdoor transmitter or antenna.

View the Radiocommunications Regulations (General User Radio Licence for Ultra Wide Band Devices) Notice January 2017(external link)

Vehicular radar short range devices

This general user radio licence notice covers the operation of vehicular radar radio transmitting equipment for road vehicle collision mitigation and traffic safety applications.

Download available as General User Radio Licence for Vehicular radar short range devices [PDF, 170 KB]

View the General User Radio Licence for Vehicular Radar Short Range Devices Notice 2017(external link)