Teacher registration in SA (TRB): cost, renewal and early childhood rules
TRB SA registration for early childhood teachers in October 2026: required to teach, $218 to apply, $137 a year, five-year registration, SA WWCC required.
On this page
In South Australia, a person must be registered with the Teachers Registration Board (TRB) to provide pre-school education, including in childcare services. Registration is granted for five years. From 1 February 2026 to 31 January 2027 the application fee is $218 and the annual fee is $137. A current South Australian Working with Children Check is also required.
Key facts (as of October 2026)
| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Issuing body | Teachers Registration Board of South Australia (TRB) | trb.sa.edu.au |
| Official name | Teacher registration with the Teachers Registration Board of South Australia | trb.sa.edu.au |
| Registration period | 5 years, to 31 January of the fifth year | trb.sa.edu.au |
| Application fee | $218 (1 February 2026 to 31 January 2027, non-refundable) | trb.sa.edu.au |
| Annual fee | $137 a year; up to five years can be paid at once ($685) | trb.sa.edu.au |
| Processing time | Check with Teachers Registration Board of South Australia (TRB) | Not confirmed |
| Renewal | Every 5 years: 20 hours of professional learning a year, at least 100 days of teaching over the period, and a current WWCC. Renewal fee $124 | trb.sa.edu.au |
| Interstate (mutual recognition) | Mutual recognition by application, with interim deemed registration; you cannot start work until the interim letter arrives | trb.sa.edu.au |
| Apply or renew | Registering as an early childhood teacher Renewal of registration | trb.sa.edu.au |
| Status check or register | TRB SA public register | crmpub.trb.sa.edu.au |
| What an employer must do | Do not employ a person as a teacher, principal or director in a school or prescribed service, including one offering pre-school education, unless they are registered | trb.sa.edu.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: Teacher registration (SA)
- Hold a qualification the Board accepts. Since 6 June 2024 the regulations accept a broader range of early childhood qualifications.
- Get a current South Australian Working with Children Check first. The Board does not accept checks from other states.
- Apply to the TRB, consent to its police check and pay the $218 application fee.
- Teachers with ACECQA-approved early childhood qualifications are registered with a condition that limits teaching to early childhood settings, including preschools, kindergartens, long day care and out-of-school hours care.
How to renew: Teacher registration (SA)
- Renew every five years, before 31 December of the year before your registration expires, paying the $124 renewal fee.
- Provide evidence of 20 hours of professional learning a year, at least 100 days of teaching over the registration period, and a current WWCC.
- Pay the annual fee each year, or up to five years at once.
- If you do not renew before expiry you are removed from the register and cannot be employed as a teacher in South Australia.
What employers must do
- Do not employ a person to provide pre-school education, or as director of a prescribed service, unless they are a registered teacher (Teachers Registration and Standards Act 2004, s 20).
- Give the Board written notice within seven days when a teacher is dismissed or resigns for specified reasons, or when you become aware of specified concerns. Failing to do so carries a maximum penalty of $10,000.
- You can check a teacher's registration on the public register, which shows category, status, conditions and expiry date.
What is specific to South Australia
- The TRB's June 2026 ECT FAQ says registration is not a requirement for early childhood teachers under the National Quality Framework itself, but it is a requirement to be recognised as a teacher in South Australia. The duty comes from SA law on pre-school education, not the NQF.
- A Special Authority to Teach covers early childhood teachers who are still working towards an approved degree.
- SA has a five-year exemption from automatic deemed registration for teaching until June 2027.
What Koora checks
Verified by Koora, point-in-time. Koora checks the registration number against the TRB SA public register when the credential reaches Koora's review: when a worker shares their Career Passport, when a provider requests access, or across an organisation's own records where Crew is attached. The result is recorded with its date, so it is a point-in-time verification, and Koora tracks the expiry date. Koora does not monitor the registration between checks. A teaching qualification on its own is reviewed, never verified: the degree is not the registration.
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
Do early childhood teachers need to register in South Australia?
Yes, if they provide pre-school education. Registration with the Teachers Registration Board is required to teach in South Australia, including in education and care services that include pre-school education.
How much is teacher registration in SA?
For 1 February 2026 to 31 January 2027 the application fee is $218 and the annual fee is $137. Renewal costs $124.
How long does SA teacher registration last?
Five years, to 31 January of the fifth year, with the annual fee paid each year or in advance.
Do I need a SA Working with Children Check to register as a teacher?
Yes. A current South Australian WWCC is required to register and to renew, and checks from other states are not accepted.
Related
- Early childhood teacher registration in Australia, by state
- Teacher registration in every state and territory: the comparison table
- Working with Children Check (SA) in South Australia
- NDIS Worker Check (SA) in South Australia
- National Police Check (SA) in South Australia
- Glossary: Teacher registration
- Which worker check do I need?: pick your sector, role and state
Sources
- https://www.trb.sa.edu.au/Maintaining-Registration/renewal-of-registration
- https://www.trb.sa.edu.au/home/Payment-of-Registration-Fees
- https://www.trb.sa.edu.au/Registering-to-Teach/early-childhood-teachers/ongoing-regulation
- https://www.trb.sa.edu.au/Registering-to-Teach/Mutual-Recognition
- https://www.trb.sa.edu.au/Registering-to-Teach/early-childhood-teachers
- https://crmpub.trb.sa.edu.au/home/teachersearch
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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