If there is a marine radio on board your vessel, at least one person is supposed to hold a Marine Radio Licence. That applies to recreational boats, commercial vessels, and anyone operating under Transport for NSW (TfNSW), and Australian Maritime Safety Authority and ACMA rules (which is all of us on the water!)
In practice, the requirement is often misunderstood or ignored. The bigger issue is not compliance. It is safety.
Marine radio is not something you want to learn in the moment you need it.
Who actually needs a Marine Radio Licence
The rule is simple. If your vessel carries a marine radio, someone on board must be licensed to operate it.
That “someone” should not just be the skipper in name only. If you boat regularly, there is a very real chance you may be the one who needs to use the radio. Emergencies do not wait for the most qualified person to be available.
You may be the person making a distress call. You may be involved in a mayday relay. You may be the calm voice another vessel is relying on. In those moments, correct radio procedure matters.
I can usually tell within the first few seconds of a transmission whether someone is licensed or not. So can everyone else listening (and we all are – it’s not only interesting – it is a requirement!)
Common misunderstandings about marine radio licences
One of the most common mistakes is thinking a licence is only needed offshore or only for commercial vessels. That is not the case.
Another frequent misunderstanding is around licence types.
If you operate a VHF radio, you need a Short Range Operator Certificate of Proficiency.
If your vessel carries an HF/SSB radio, you need a Long Range Operator Certificate of Proficiency.
Here is where people often get caught out. If you take the VHF licence first and later need HF, you have to do the entire process again. For the sake of a small number of extra questions, it usually makes sense to obtain the HF licence from the start.
We charge the same amount for either licence, because from a practical standpoint, knowing both systems makes you a better and safer operator.
Is this about law or safety?
It is about safety first. It just happens to also be the law.
We have used both VHF and HF marine radio extensively, in real conditions, all over the world and across open oceans. The procedures exist for a reason. Clear, disciplined communication saves time, reduces confusion, and helps rescue services do their job properly.
Poor radio use does the opposite.
When do people usually realise they need a licence?
Most people only realise once something prompts it.
Buying a new radio is common. Needing an MMSI is another. Sometimes it is a quiet conversation after being questioned by authorities. Occasionally it is simply someone pointing out that operating a radio without understanding it is not a great plan.
Click here to read all about MMSI via AMSA.
What goes wrong when people are unlicensed?
The most common problem is not knowing what to say.
People freeze, panic, or transmit unclear messages. Channels get blocked. Procedures are ignored. Digital Selective Calling is misused. Everyone listening knows something is wrong, and that can slow things down when time matters.
It is often embarrassing. More importantly, it can hinder a response.
For the sake of a modest course fee, there is no good reason to be that person on the radio.
Why confidence matters on board
Even if one person on board holds a licence, what happens if they are injured, unwell, or unavailable?
Marine radio is too important to be treated as a checkbox. You need to be confident using it, maintaining it, and keeping it operational. The difference between a clear call and a confused one can be the difference between being rescued quickly and not at all.
Everyone on board benefits when radio use is understood properly.
A practical, supported way to get licensed
This course exists because marine radio matters.
It is priced to remove excuses, supported properly with revision help, and taught by someone who has relied on both HF and VHF radio in real-world situations. The aim is not just to get you through an exam. It is to make sure you can use a radio when it actually counts.
Safety, legality, and competence should go together. They usually do when the training is done properly.
Click here to read all the details about our Marine Radio courses
Click here to read all the details on our Marine Radio Assessment
Click here to read an article about our Marine Radio courses