Working with Children Check by state: cost, validity and renewal
Every state and territory's Working with Children Check compared: name, issuer, validity, and paid and volunteer cost, checked at the official source.
On this page
Australia has eight Working with Children Check schemes, one per state and territory, each with its own name, issuer, fee and validity. Clearances last two years in the NT, three in Queensland and WA, and five elsewhere. Paid checks cost from $87 (WA) to $163 (ACT). Volunteer checks are free in five jurisdictions.
Working with Children Check by state (as of October 2026)
| State | Name | Issuing body | Validity | Cost (paid / volunteer) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | Working with Children Check | Office of the Children's Guardian (OCG) | 5 years, continuously monitored by the OCG | $112, new or renewal / Free, new or renewal |
| VIC | Working with Children Check | Social Services Regulator (SSR) | 5 years, unless suspended, cancelled or surrendered; the Regulator monitors holders for the life of the clearance | $139.20 for a new employee check; $105.30 to renew (fees for 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027) / Free, including renewal |
| QLD | Blue Card | Blue Card Services, Department of Justice | 3 years, unless cancelled or suspended | $108.30 for paid work or business, new or renewal (fees from 1 July 2026) / No fee for volunteer and student blue cards or exemption cards |
| WA | Working with Children (WWC) Check and WWC Card | WWC Screening Unit, Department of Communities | 3 years; holders are checked on an ongoing basis until the card expires | $87 for paid employees and self-employed people (the fee does not include GST) / $11 for volunteers, unpaid people and students on unpaid placement |
| SA | Working with Children Check (WWCC) | Department of Human Services (DHS) Screening Unit | 5 years from the date the application is finalised; the Screening Unit monitors holders for new information | $145 for employees; $73.50 for tertiary students (non-refundable) / Free for volunteers, foster carers and secondary students on work experience |
| TAS | Registration to Work with Vulnerable People (RWVP) | Department of Justice (RWVP) | 5 years | $137.20 for Employment/Volunteer registration (from 1 July 2026, non-refundable) / No cost for Volunteer registration, under fee relief from 1 January 2026 for two years (new and renewing) |
| ACT | Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) registration | Access Canberra (Background Screening Unit) | 5 years | $163 for paid work, or paid work and volunteering; the same to renew (non-refundable) / Free for volunteer-only registration |
| NT | Working with Children Clearance (Ochre Card) | SAFE NT, for the NT Screening Authority | 2 years | $89 for paid employment, including student placements; $89 to renew / $8, new or renewal |
Each state page carries the full key facts, with a link to the official page every value was checked against in October 2026.
What holds in every state
- Each scheme covers child-related work in its own state or territory. Queensland does not recognise other states' checks at all. Elsewhere, visitor exemptions run from two weeks in WA to 30 days in Victoria, NSW and the NT, and Tasmania also lets a new resident keep using an interstate check until it expires.
- Volunteer checks are free in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, SA and the ACT, and in Tasmania under fee relief that started on 1 January 2026 for two years. WA charges $11 and the NT $8.
- Most state schemes monitor holders between renewals and tell linked organisations about changes; Koora does not monitor WWCCs. The NT lists ongoing monitoring as an expected future change.
- 'Banned in one, banned in all' is spreading: the ACT recognises other jurisdictions' negative decisions from 16 December 2025 and WA from 17 September 2026, and NT legislation has passed but not commenced.
- Victoria adds two duties from 19 October 2026: about 45 minutes of mandatory child safety training for applicants, and WWC Connect for organisations.
Sources: Queensland: interstate checks, WA: Working with Children Act amendments, ACT: Working with Vulnerable People scheme, NT: Working with Children Clearance changes, Victoria: WWC Connect, Tasmania: RWVP fees.
What Koora checks
Verified by Koora, point-in-time, in Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory, where the state publishes an online lookup. Koora checks a clearance against that record when the credential reaches Koora's review (a worker shares their Career Passport, a provider requests access, or Crew is attached to an organisation's own records), records the result with its date, and tracks the expiry. Koora does not continuously monitor WWCCs. NSW and SA verification sits behind employer-only portals and the ACT has no public lookup, so a NSW or SA WWCC and an ACT WWVP registration are reviewed: a person looks at the document the worker uploads. An employer that verifies through its own NSW or SA account records that as its own check, and employer duties such as connecting in Victoria stay with the employer.
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 long do Working with Children Checks last?
Two years in the Northern Territory, three years in Queensland and Western Australia, and five years in NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT.
Is there a national Working with Children Check?
No. Each state and territory runs its own scheme with its own name, issuer and fee. Most states exempt only short visits, and Queensland recognises no interstate check.
Which states have free volunteer Working with Children Checks?
NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and the ACT. Tasmania's volunteer registration is free under fee relief from 1 January 2026 for two years. WA charges $11 and the NT $8.
How do I renew a Working with Children Check?
Renewal windows differ: up to six months ahead in Victoria and SA, 16 weeks for a Queensland blue card, three months in NSW and WA, and two months for an NT Ochre Card. Each state page has the steps.
State and territory pages
- Working with Children Check (NSW): New South Wales
- Working with Children Check (VIC): Victoria
- Blue Card (QLD): Queensland
- Working with Children Check (WA): Western Australia
- Working with Children Check (SA): South Australia
- Registration to Work with Vulnerable People (TAS): Tasmania
- Working with Vulnerable People (ACT): Australian Capital Territory
- Ochre Card (NT): Northern Territory
For the wider picture, read Working With Children Check by state: rules and renewals, or use the which worker check tool to match a sector, role and state.
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.
See which checks apply to you.
Choose your sector, role and state. The free check finder helps you work out where to start.
Find my check