Verification guides
Australian work licence verification guides
Step-by-step guides for checking Australian work licences across sectors. Start with contractor verification across current live public coverage, use the real-estate guides for live property licence checks, and use the security path for current Queensland security employee and firm checks.
Last updated: June 8, 2026
Contractor and trade guides
State-by-state guides for building, plumbing, electrical, and trade licence verification.
Queensland
QLDLicensed by the QBCC under the Queensland Building and Construction Commission Act 1991. Large active licence register with frequent updates.
New South Wales
NSWLicensed by NSW Fair Trading under the Home Building Act 1989. Broad register coverage across many construction and trade categories.
Victoria
VICRegistered by the VBA under the Building Act 1993. Comprehensive register of building practitioners and related categories.
Western Australia
WARegistered by the Building Commission (DMIRS) under the Building Services (Registration) Act 2011.
South Australia
SALicensed by CBS under the Building Work Contractors Act 1995. Covers general and specialist building work.
Northern Territory
NTLicensed by NT Licensing under the Building Act 1993 (NT). Includes cyclone-rated construction standards.
ACT
ACTLicensed by Access Canberra under the Construction Occupations (Licensing) Act 2004. Class A, B, and C builder tiers.
Tasmania
TASLicensed by CBOS under the Occupational Licensing Act 2005 and Building Act 2016. Risk-based classification system.
Real-estate licence guides
Property-sector guides are separate from contractor and building trade checks. Start here when you need agent, salesperson, resident letting agent, WA property licence, or NT Property Agent checks.
New South Wales Real Estate
NSWNew South Wales property licensing covers agents, certificates of registration, and corporation property records. This guide covers how to verify NSW property records through WorkClear.
Queensland Real Estate
QLDQueensland property licensing covers real estate agents, resident letting agents, and salespeople. This guide focuses on checking those licences quickly and correctly.
Victoria Real Estate
VICVictorian property licensing covers estate agents, agent representatives, trading names, and AMR operator records through Consumer Affairs Victoria. This guide covers how to verify VIC real-estate records through WorkClear.
Western Australia Real Estate
WAWestern Australia regulates real estate and business agents separately from building trades. This guide covers how to verify WA property licences and who needs one.
Northern Territory Real Estate
NTNorthern Territory property licensing covers current Property Agent records through Licensing NT. This guide covers how to verify NT real-estate records through WorkClear.
Security licence checks
Security is treated as its own verification sector. Current live coverage starts with Queensland security employee and firm records, with other security registers to be added only after each source is onboarded and validated.
Queensland security licence checks
QLDSearch current Queensland Office of Fair Trading security provider coverage for employee and firm records through the dashboard or API.
Future security registers
PlannedOther state security sources should stay out of national claims until their live status appears on the Status page and the Security sector can verify them.
Why licence verification matters
Every Australian state and territory requires building contractors to hold a licence or registration before carrying out building work. The specific requirements, thresholds, and licensing bodies vary between jurisdictions, but the principle is the same: licensing ensures contractors meet minimum standards of competency, financial viability, and insurance coverage.
The same verification pattern applies in other regulated industries. Real-estate teams increasingly need to confirm that an agent or property professional is current, correctly licensed, and still authorised to operate before onboarding them or relying on their documents. Security platforms and employers face the same pattern when they need to confirm a guard, employee, or provider firm is current in a live source.
Verifying a contractor's licence before engaging them protects you from unlicensed operators, ensures you have access to statutory warranties and insurance protections, and gives you recourse through government complaint and dispute resolution processes if something goes wrong.
Browse current licence checks or read the API documentation for automated checks.
Verify licences across live public coverage
One search across current live coverage. Web lookups are included with a free account, with API access for teams that need repeat checks.