NDIS Worker Check (NSW): cost, renewal and employer verification
The NSW NDIS Worker Check in October 2026: $112 for paid workers, free for volunteers, valid five years, reapply from three months before expiry.
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In NSW the NDIS Worker Screening Check is called the NDIS Worker Check (NDISWC). The Office of the Children's Guardian runs it and Service NSW takes the application. A clearance lasts five years and is valid across Australia. It costs $112 for paid workers and is free for volunteers, and you can reapply from three months before expiry.
Key facts (as of October 2026)
| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Issuing body | Office of the Children's Guardian (OCG) | ocg.nsw.gov.au |
| Official name | NDIS Worker Check (NDISWC) | ocg.nsw.gov.au |
| Validity | 5 years, valid in every state and territory | ocg.nsw.gov.au |
| Cost (paid) | $112 (non-refundable); reapplying follows the same process as a first application | service.nsw.gov.au |
| Cost (volunteer) | Free | ocg.nsw.gov.au |
| Processing time | Most applications take a few days or weeks after your employer verifies them; the OCG gives no set timeframe | ocg.nsw.gov.au |
| Renewal | Reapply from 3 months before expiry, not sooner. Email and SMS reminders at 3, 2 and 1 months. No extensions: an unfinished reapplication leaves a gap | ocg.nsw.gov.au |
| Interstate clearances | Accepted everywhere: a national clearance valid in every state and territory. Reapply in one state only | ocg.nsw.gov.au |
| Apply or renew | Apply or reapply through Service NSW | service.nsw.gov.au |
| Status check or register | Access is through the NDIS Commission portal: employers check status and expiry in the NDIS Worker Screening Database | ndiscommission.gov.au |
| What an employer must do | Verify the application within 30 days, then keep the worker linked in the NDIS Worker Screening Database | ocg.nsw.gov.au |
Fees and processing times change, most often once a year. The source column links to the official page each value was checked against in October 2026.
How to apply: NDIS Worker Check (NSW)
- Make sure you are doing NDIS work or have a job offer: the OCG asks for evidence. Note your employer's NDIS Commission registration number or name.
- Start the online application through Service NSW and select your NDIS employer. You have 28 days from starting the application to complete it and visit a service centre.
- Visit a Service NSW centre within those 28 days with original identity documents (one each from Categories A, B and C), pay the fee ($112, or free for volunteers) and have your photo taken.
- Your employer is emailed and has 30 days to verify the application. The OCG does not progress it until then, and cancels it after three reminder emails over two months if nobody verifies.
- Talk to your employer about working on your application once they have verified it.
How to renew: NDIS Worker Check (NSW)
- Watch for the OCG's email and SMS reminders three months, two months and one month before expiry.
- Reapply from three months before your clearance expires, not earlier. Reapplying is the same as applying the first time, including the Service NSW centre visit.
- If your current clearance is from another state, reapply in NSW only. Duplicate applications are cancelled.
- Reapply early. There are no extensions: if the OCG cannot finalise the reapplication before the expiry date, the clearance lapses and there is a gap in your eligibility to work. A reapplication finalised early starts from the old expiry date.
What employers must do
- Verify a worker's application within 30 days of the email. If the application names more than one NDIS employer, only one needs to verify.
- Identify your risk-assessed roles and keep a written record of them, updated within 20 business days when a role is added or reclassified.
- Link workers to your organisation in the NDIS Worker Screening Database when they start and unlink them when they leave. Linked employers are notified when a clearance is within 90 days of expiry.
- Keep a written record of each worker in a risk-assessed role, including the clearance number and expiry date. The record is kept for seven years.
- Remove a worker from risk-assessed roles once their clearance expires, unless the state's work on application rule covers a renewal they lodged before expiry.
What is specific to New South Wales
- NSW calls it the NDIS Worker Check. The Office of the Children's Guardian also runs the NSW Working with Children Check, but they are separate clearances with separate applications.
- The clearance is a digital credential held in your MyServiceNSW account, viewable on the website rather than the mobile app.
- Sole traders can verify their own application.
- A person who is excluded cannot reapply for five years.
What Koora checks
Reviewed. Koora does not verify NDIS Worker Screening clearances against the NDIS Worker Screening Database today; source verification is on Koora's roadmap. The compliance engine checks the clearance against the requirements of each role, and Koora tracks its expiry date. A person reviews the evidence when a worker shares their Career Passport or a provider requests access, or across an organisation's own records where Crew is attached. Registered providers still verify and link their workers in the NDIS Commission portal themselves.
Your team reviews each credential in Koora, or Crew does it for you. The provider keeps the legal responsibility for who they engage.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the NDIS Worker Check in NSW?
$112 for paid workers and free for volunteers. The fee is non-refundable, and reapplying when your clearance is due to expire follows the same process as a first application.
How long is an NDIS Worker Check valid in NSW?
Five years, in every state and territory. The OCG says holders are continuously monitored by police agencies for new offences and by the NDIS Commission for workplace misconduct during that time.
When can I renew my NDIS Worker Check in NSW?
From three months before it expires, not sooner, through Service NSW. The OCG sends reminders at three, two and one months. There are no extensions, so reapply early to avoid a gap.
Can I use a NSW NDIS Worker Check in another state?
Yes. It is a national clearance, recorded in the NDIS Worker Screening Database and valid with any NDIS employer in any state or territory. You do not reapply when you move.
How do I check someone's NDIS Worker Check?
There is no public search. Registered NDIS providers check status and expiry in the NDIS Worker Screening Database through the NDIS Commission portal; unregistered providers and self-managed participants apply for access.
Related
- NDIS Worker Screening Check: a state-by-state guide for 2026
- NDIS Worker Screening Check in every state and territory: the comparison table
- Working with Children Check (NSW) in New South Wales
- National Police Check (NSW) in New South Wales
- Teacher accreditation (NSW) in New South Wales
- Glossary: NDIS Worker Screening Check
- Which worker check do I need?: pick your sector, role and state
Sources
- https://ocg.nsw.gov.au/ndiswc
- https://ocg.nsw.gov.au/ndis-worker-check-ndiswc/ndiswc-apply-and-manage/expiry-and-reapplying
- https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/ndiswc-apply
- https://ocg.nsw.gov.au/ndis-worker-check-ndiswc/ndiswc-apply-and-manage/how-apply
- https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/workforce/worker-screening/worker-screening-registered-providers
This is general information, not compliance advice. Always confirm requirements with the relevant regulator, and remember that providers keep the legal responsibility to sight credentials and decide who can work.
We work hard to keep everything accurate, and our compliance engine keeps up with the rules as they change. Even so, we might get a detail slightly wrong or miss something. No one's perfect. If you think something here needs updating, email us at resources@koora.care. We would genuinely rather know, because we all do better when we help each other get it right.
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