Published on Australian Maritime Safety Authority (https://www.amsa.gov.au)

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Get an automatic identification system

Get the right automatic identification system (AIS) for your vessel.

You will need to decide whether you need a shipborne or non-shipborne AIS.

Shipborne

These are carried onboard vessels.

Non-shipborne 

These are not carried onboard vessels. There are two types of non-shipborne AIS:

  • AIS Aids to navigation (AtoN).
  • AIS base stations.

Flowcharts for establishing AIS

  • Flowchart for AIS base station (PDF 55.25 KB)
  • Flowchart for a real AIS AtoN (PDF 57.64 KB)
  • Flowchart for virtual synthetic AIS AtoN (PDF 43.72 KB)
Which type of automatic identification system do you need to apply for?

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AIS shipborne

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AIS shipborne

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What do I need to do?

To apply for a shipborne AIS, you will need a maritime mobile service identity (MMSI).

We allocate MMSI’s to people who own a vessel that have AIS units (or digital selective calling (DSC) capable equipment).

To apply for a MMSI you must already have:

  1. An ACMA maritime ship station licence and callsign for an MF/HF transceiver.
  2. A vessel registered in Australia (except Northern Territory).
  3. Marine radio operator qualifications.

See the MMSI information page [1] for more details and to apply for an MMSI.

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AIS AtoN

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AIS AtoN

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    What do I need to do?

    To apply for a non-shipborne AIS Aton, you must:

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    AIS base station

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    AIS base station

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      What do I need to do?

      To apply for a non-shipborne AIS base station, you must:

      Source URL:https://www.amsa.gov.au/safety-navigation/navigation-systems/get-automatic-identification-system

      Links
      [1] https://www.amsa.gov.au/forms/australian-maritime-mobile-service-identity-application [2] https://www.amsa.gov.au/safety-navigation/navigation-systems/non-shipborne-automatic-identification-systems [3] https://www.amsa.gov.au/safety-navigation/navigation-systems/licensing-non-shipborne-automatic-identification-systems [4] https://www.amsa.gov.au/forms/application-australian-ais-aton-licence [5] https://www.amsa.gov.au/forms/application-australian-ais-base-station-licence