Personal locator beacons in NZ: registration, used buying and trip plans

A personal locator beacon (PLB) can raise the alarm when a serious emergency leaves you needing rescue. Choose a suitable 406 MHz beacon, register it and learn its controls before the trip.

What the terms mean

• PLB: a personal locator beacon carried by an individual and activated manually.
• 406 MHz: the distress frequency used by the international satellite alerting system. It is not a mobile-phone signal.
• Registration: the record connecting the beacon to you and your emergency contacts. Register a New Zealand-coded beacon with the Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ); registration is free.

Buying or borrowing a beacon

For a used beacon, check that it is New Zealand coded and that its battery has not expired. Register it in your own name; a change of owner needs updated registration. Check the manual and the manufacturer’s service arrangements before paying.

If borrowing, make sure the owner’s emergency contacts know who has the beacon and the trip plan. RCCNZ says a loan does not require changing the registration.

When and how to use it

Use it when there is grave and imminent danger and you need emergency help. If a phone or radio is available, try to contact emergency services; do not let lack of reception stop you activating the beacon when rescue is needed.

• Follow your beacon’s own activation instructions.
• Place it with a clear view of the sky and the aerial correctly positioned. Do not move into dangerous terrain just to improve reception.
• Keep it operating and prepare to wait safely; terrain and weather can delay a rescue.

If you activate it accidentally, contact RCCNZ on +64 4 577 8030 or 0508 472 269. Keep it on until told to turn it off.

Your trip plan still matters

I would carry the beacon where I could reach it, along with warm layers, rain protection and the supplies needed to wait safely. Before leaving, I would give a trusted person the route, group details and expected return time, with a clear plan for raising the alarm if overdue.

Make sure the contacts listed on your registration know those plans. A beacon is one part of preparation, alongside route choice, weather checks and turning back early when needed.

Start with our NZ hiking weather guide when planning the day.

Sources and photo credits

Source checks: 28 September 2026.

• RCCNZ: why get and register a beacon
• RCCNZ: activating a beacon
• RCCNZ: ownership, loans, batteries and accidental activation

Photo: ACR ResQLink 406MHz Personal Locator Beacon with GPS emergency PLB c18ca43690ed11e392db12e25f465f4f 8.jpg — Tony Webster. CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized for display.