Radiocommunications Regulations (Radio Standards) Notice 2025 - New Zealand
Scope and Purpose
The Radiocommunications Regulations (Radio Standards) Notice 2025 comes into force on 1 September 2025. This notice is crucial for manufacturers and suppliers of radio transmitters intended for the New Zealand market.
It prescribes:
The classes of radio products subject to regulation.
The specific technical standards applicable to each class of product.
The required level of conformity for each product class.
Products that are exempt from the requirement to have a declaration of conformity.
The notice applies to all radio transmitters, except those operating under a spectrum licence granted under section 48(1) of the Radiocommunications Act 1989. Products must be used in accordance with a relevant general user licence, radio licence, or an exemption.
Repeal and Transition
This notice revokes and replaces the Radiocommunications Regulations (Radio Standards) Notice 2023, (New Zealand Gazette, 10 July 2023, Notice No. 2023-go2928), effective 1 September 2025.
A transitional provision is included: any product that was compliant with the 2023 Notice on the commencement date of this new notice is deemed to be compliant with the 2025 Notice.
Conformity and Testing Requirements
Suppliers are responsible for ensuring their products comply with the standards and conformity levels specified in this notice.
The overarching conformity assessment procedures, including requirements for a Supplier's Declaration of Conformity (SDoC), are detailed in the Radiocommunications (Compliance) Notice 2020 or its replacement.
If a product is tested against an Australian (ACMA) Radiocommunications Standard, the conformity assessment, including for electromagnetic radiation (EMR), must follow the requirements set by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
All products must comply with the general unwanted emission limits specified in Table 2, unless a specific standard from Table 1 applies.
Labelling Requirements
Products requiring a declaration of conformity must be labelled in accordance with the requirements of the Radiocommunications (Compliance) Notice 2020. This typically involves the application of the R-NZ compliance mark.
Exemptions
The following products are exempt from the requirement to be the subject of a declaration of conformity and to be labelled:
Short range device (SRD) radio transmitters installed in vehicles at the time of manufacture.
Military radio transmitters of the New Zealand Defence Force.
Military radio transmitters of the defence force of another country operating in co-operation with the New Zealand Defence Force.
Technical Requirements and Standards
General Unwanted Emissions Limits
Unless superseded by a product-specific standard, all radio transmitters must comply with the following peak power spurious emission limits:
Limit: -56 dBW (2.5µW) e.i.r.p / 59 dBuV/m at 10 metres
Measurement Bandwidths:
Below 150 kHz: 1 kHz
150 kHz - 30 MHz: 10 kHz
30 MHz - 1 GHz: 100 kHz
Above 1 GHz: 1 MHz
Product-Specific Standards
Products must comply with the applicable standard for their class to the specified level of conformity.
1. Short Range Devices (SRDs)
SRDs (9 kHz – 40 GHz)
Standard: AS/NZS 4268
Level of Conformity: A1
SRDs (9 kHz - 25 MHz)
Standard: EN 300 330 V2.1.1
Level of Conformity: A1
SRDs (25 MHz – 1 GHz)
Standard: EN 300 220-1 V3.1.1
Level of Conformity: A1
SRDs (above 1 GHz)
Standard: EN 300 440 V2.2.1
Level of Conformity: A1
ACMA SRDs (2400-2483.5 MHz, 5150-5250 MHz, 5725-5850 MHz)
Standard: Radiocommunications Equipment (General) Rules 2021 No.2, Schedule 5 Part 15
Level of Conformity: 1
Near Field Communication (NFC) Devices (13.56 MHz)
Standard: EN 300 330 V2.1.1
Level of Conformity: A1
Medical Implant Communication System (402 - 406 MHz)
Standard: EN 301 839 V2.1.1
Level of Conformity: A1
Wireless Microphones (up to 3 GHz)
Standard: EN 300 422-1 V2.2.1
Level of Conformity: A1
Assistive Listening Devices (up to 3 GHz)
Standard: EN 300 422-4 V2.1.1
Level of Conformity: A1
Wideband Transmission (2.4 GHz)
Standard: EN 300 328 V2.2.2
Level of Conformity: A1
High performance RLAN (5 GHz)
Standard: EN 301 893 V2.1.1
Level of Conformity: A1
6 GHz WAS/RLAN (5925 - 6425 MHz)
Standard: EN 303 687 V1.1.1
Level of Conformity: A1
Ultra Wide Band Devices
Standard: EN 302 065-1 V2.1.1
Level of Conformity: A1
CFR Intentional Radiators & UNII Devices
Standards: CFR Title 47, Part 15, Subpart C and Subpart E
Level of Conformity: A1
Low Power FM Broadcasting (LPFM)
Standard: Table 3 - LPFM Unwanted Emissions Limits
Level of Conformity: A1
2. Personal Communications
HF CBRS - Citizen Band Radio Service (26 MHz)
Standard: AS/NZS 4355
Level of Conformity: A2
UHF CBRS - Citizen Band Radio Service (476 MHz)
Standard: AS/NZS 4365
Level of Conformity: A2
ACMA UHF CB Radio Equipment
Standard: Radiocommunications Equipment (General) Rules 2021 No.2, Schedule 5 (UHF CB)
Level of Conformity: 2
DECT (1880 - 1900 MHz)
Standards: EN 301 406-1 V3.1.1, EN 301 406-2 V3.1.1
Level of Conformity: A2
3. Maritime, Aeronautical and Safety Services
MF/HF Maritime Mobile (below 30 MHz)
Standard: EN 303 402 V2.1.2
Level of Conformity: A2
VHF Maritime Mobile (156 - 174 MHz)
Standards: EN 300 162-1, EN 301 025, EN 302 885, EN 301 178 (and AS/NZS equivalents), CFR 47 Part 80 Subpart E
Level of Conformity: A2
ACMA MF/HF and VHF Radiotelephone Equipment
Standard: Radiocommunications Equipment (General) Rules 2021 No.2, Schedule 5
Level of Conformity: 2
VHF Aeronautical Ground-based Equipment (118 - 137 MHz)
Standards: AS/NZS 4583, EN 300 676-1 V1.5.2
Level of Conformity: A2
ACMA Aeronautical Radio Service Equipment (118-137 MHz)
Standard: Radiocommunications Equipment (General) Rules 2021 No.2, Schedule 5
Level of Conformity: 2
406 MHz Satellite Distress Beacons (EPIRBs, PLBs)
Standards: AS/NZS 4280.1, AS/NZS 4280.2
Level of Conformity: A2
ACMA 406 MHz Satellite Distress Beacons
Standard: Radiocommunications Equipment (General) Rules 2021 No.2, Schedule 5
Level of Conformity: 2
4. Land Mobile and Fixed Services
Land Mobile (Angle Modulation, 30-1000 MHz)
Standards: AS/NZS 4295, EN 300 086 V2.1.2
Level of Conformity: A2
Digital Land Mobile (30-1000 MHz)
Standards: AS/NZS 4768, EN 301 166-1, EN 300 113
APCO P25 Land Mobile
Standards: ANSI/TIA-102.CAAB-E, ANSI/TIA-102.CCAB-B
Fixed Radio Link Devices (5725 - 5850 MHz)
Standards: CFR Title 47 Part 15 Subpart C (15.247), Part 15 Subpart E (15.401-15.405)
Level of Conformity: A2
Fixed Radio Systems (1 - 86 GHz)
Standards: EN 302 217-2 V3.3.1, EN 302 217-3 V2.2.1
Level of Conformity: A2
ACMA Equipment (MF/HF, Analogue Speech, Paging)
Standard: Radiocommunications Equipment (General) Rules 2021 No.2, Schedule 5
Level of Conformity: 2
5. Satellite Services
Mobile terminals for satellite use (1.6 GHz bands)
Standards: EN 301 426 V2.1.2, EN 301 444 V2.1.2, EN 301 681 V2.1.2
Level of Conformity: A2
Satellite Personal Communications terminals (1610 – 1626.6 GHz)
Standard: EN 300 733 V1.1.1
Level of Conformity: A2
Mobile terminals for satellite use (29.5 – 30.0 GHz band)
Standards: EN 303 699 V1.1.1, EN 303 979 V2.1.2
Level of Conformity: A2
