Guides

How-to guides for licences, checks and renewals

Practical pages for Australian employers, written from official sources and checked in November 2026. Each guide cites the regulator or register it is based on.

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How to check a NSW White Card is valid

A NSW White Card is a SafeWork NSW general construction induction card. Employers can confirm a card on the official Verify NSW register, and should also know when a card becomes void.

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RSA expiry and renewal by state

Responsible Service of Alcohol rules are set by each state and territory. NSW and Victoria use time-limited certificates that must be refreshed. Queensland says a valid Statement of Attainment does not expire. Always check the liquor authority in the state where the person will work.

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How to renew a Working with Children Check in NSW and Victoria

A Working with Children Check is issued by the state. NSW and Victoria both issue a clearance that lasts 5 years, but the renewal windows and the way employers must verify a check are different.

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First aid certificate expiry: HLTAID011, the 3-year cycle and annual CPR

A nationally recognised first aid Statement of Attainment does not have a legal “use-by” date printed on it. Workplace codes of practice recommend renewing first aid qualifications every three years and refreshing CPR every 12 months.

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How to check a subcontractor’s insurance certificate of currency

A certificate of currency is evidence that an insurance policy is current. There is no single national form, so you should read the document carefully and confirm it matches the subcontractor’s legal entity and the cover your contract requires.

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A staff licence register template for Australian employers

Keeping a simple register of who holds which licence, when it expires, and when you last verified it makes it much easier to check people before they go to site. This is a practical template, not a government form.

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How to verify an Australian Business Number (ABN)

An ABN is the 11-digit number issued on the Australian Business Register. You can confirm the format with the official checksum, then look the number up on ABN Lookup to see the entity name and whether the ABN is still active.

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How to check a NSW high risk work licence

High risk work in NSW — such as forklifts, scaffolding, dogging, rigging and many cranes — needs a SafeWork NSW high risk work licence for the right class. Employers can confirm a licence on the official Verify NSW register.

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NDIS Worker Screening Check expiry and how to renew

An NDIS Worker Screening Check is valid for up to 5 years. You renew it with the worker screening unit in the state or territory where you live, from 90 days before it expires. Employers who have linked a worker are notified when that check is due, and still need to verify the renewal.

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How to renew a NSW security licence

NSW security operative and master licences can be renewed online through Service NSW from 8 weeks before expiry, or up to 90 days after expiry with a late fee. After that, you have to apply for a new licence. You cannot carry out security activities on an expired licence.

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How to renew a Queensland Blue Card

A Queensland Blue Card is the state’s Working with Children Check. Blue and exemption cards are valid for 3 years unless cancelled or suspended. You can renew from 16 weeks before expiry, and if you renew on time you can keep working while the application is assessed.

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How to renew a NSW Food Safety Supervisor certificate

A NSW Food Safety Supervisor certificate expires 5 years after it is issued. The holder can complete a recertification course up to 90 days after expiry; after that they must redo the full course. The food business still needs a current Food Safety Supervisor, and has a short window to recertify the same person or appoint someone else.

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How long is a National Police Check valid in Australia?

A Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check — often called a National Police Check — is a point-in-time result. The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission says there is no standard validity period; the organisation that asks for the check sets how recent it must be. Funded aged care is one clear exception: official rules treat a police certificate as valid for three years from the date of issue.

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Education and care first aid renewal under the National Regulations

In education and care services, first aid currency is set by the Education and Care Services National Regulations, not only by workplace codes of practice. Approved first aid, anaphylaxis and emergency asthma training is taken to be current for three years, and CPR or emergency life support training must have been completed within the previous year.

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