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Radiocommunications Act 1989

Registration

28: Register to be open for search

You could also call this:

"Check the radio frequency register to see who owns licences and management rights"

Illustration for Radiocommunications Act 1989

You can look at the register to see if a radio frequency has a record of management rights, a spectrum licence, or a radio licence. You can also use the register to find out who owns a management right, a spectrum licence, or a radio licence, but you may need to pay a fee. The register is set up so you can search for information by reference number, frequency band, or other search methods. You can search the register in different ways, such as by reference number, frequency band, or other methods specified in regulations. The Registrar is in charge of the register and must follow rules about what information can be shared. The Registrar cannot share some information, such as the home address of a person who holds a radio licence, if that person has asked for their address to be kept private. The Registrar also cannot share information that could affect New Zealand's security or defence, if the Secretary has advised against it. However, some protected information can be shared with certain people or groups, as specified in regulations made under the Radiocommunications Act 1989, which can be found on the New Zealand legislation website https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM54145

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM196559.

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27: Instruments not effectual until registered, or

"Radio frequency rights are not official until the paperwork is registered"

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29: Registrar to issue search copies, or

"Get a copy of a public record from the Registrar"

Part 3Registration

28Register to be open for search

  1. Any person may, upon payment of the prescribed fee (if any), have access to the register for the purpose of determining whether or not any radio frequency is subject to a record of management rights, a spectrum licence, or a radio licence and determining the identity of the owner of a management right, a rightholder, or the holder of a radio licence.

  2. The register must be so arranged that it may be searched by—

  3. reference number; or
    1. frequency band or frequency within a frequency band; or
      1. any other search reference specified in regulations made under this Act.

        1. The Registrar must not disclose, otherwise than in accordance with this section,—

        2. any information that will identify, or assist a person to identify, the residential address of any manager, rightholder, or holder of a radio licence where that manager, rightholder, or holder of a radio licence is a natural person and that manager, rightholder, or holder of a radio licence has advised the Registrar in writing that that person does not authorise the disclosure of such information; or
          1. any record where the Secretary has advised the Registrar in writing that the record contains information that would be likely to prejudice the security or defence of New Zealand.

            1. Information protected in accordance with this section may be disclosed to the persons or class of persons prescribed in regulations made under this Act for the purposes prescribed in those regulations.

            Notes
            • Section 28: substituted, on , by section 12 of the Radiocommunications Amendment Act 2000 (2000 No 8).
            • Section 28(1): amended, on , by section 134 of the Statutes Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 74).