Working with Vulnerable People registration (ACT): cost, renewal and checks
The ACT WWVP in October 2026: $163 for paid work, free for volunteers, valid five years, an eight-week average wait, and how employers confirm it.
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In the ACT, the working with children check is Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) registration from Access Canberra. It covers work with children and with adults experiencing disadvantage, and lasts five years. It costs $163 for paid work and is free for volunteers, new or renewing. Processing currently averages eight weeks, longer when a risk assessment is needed.
Key facts (as of October 2026)
| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Issuing body | Access Canberra (Background Screening Unit) | accesscanberra.act.gov.au |
| Official name | Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) registration | accesscanberra.act.gov.au |
| Validity | 5 years | accesscanberra.act.gov.au |
| Cost (paid) | $163 for paid work, or paid work and volunteering; the same to renew (non-refundable) | accesscanberra.act.gov.au |
| Cost (volunteer) | Free for volunteer-only registration | accesscanberra.act.gov.au |
| Processing time | Currently averaging 8 weeks; more than 60 working days when a risk assessment is needed; applications that include NDIS worker screening take longer | accesscanberra.act.gov.au |
| Renewal | Reminder letter about 12 weeks before expiry. Lodge before expiry and your registration stays valid until the renewal is decided | accesscanberra.act.gov.au |
| Interstate clearances | Not for ongoing work. A valid interstate check covers up to 28 days of work or volunteering in any 12-month period | accesscanberra.act.gov.au |
| Apply or renew | Apply or renew online (ACT Digital Account) | accesscanberra.act.gov.au |
| Status check or register | No online lookup. Employers confirm a registration by emailing WWVP@act.gov.au with the holder's full name, date of birth, registration number and expiry date | accesscanberra.act.gov.au |
| What an employer must do | Access Canberra advises employers to identify roles that need registration, check both sides of the card for the registration type and restrictions, and keep a record of each worker's registration. Letting a registered person breach a restriction is an offence | accesscanberra.act.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: Working with Vulnerable People (ACT)
- Apply online through your ACT Digital Account, or call Access Canberra on 13 22 81 for a paper form.
- Have your identity documents verified at an Access Canberra service centre within 30 days.
- Pay $163 if any of your work is paid. Volunteer-only registration is free. The fee is not refundable.
- Name your employer in the application. While it is processed you can work only for that employer, with their agreement and supervised at all times by a WWVP holder, and only if you have no previous interim bar, negative notice, suspension or cancellation.
- Allow about eight weeks, and wait four weeks before contacting Access Canberra about progress.
How to renew: Working with Vulnerable People (ACT)
- Watch for the renewal reminder letter, sent by email or post about 12 weeks before expiry. You need its unique letter ID and your registration number to renew.
- Renew online through the same application page. The fee is the same as a new registration: $163 for paid work, free for volunteers.
- Lodge before your registration expires and it stays valid until Access Canberra decides the renewal. Renew after expiry and you can only work under the same conditions as a new applicant.
What employers must do
- Identify the paid and volunteer roles in your organisation that need WWVP registration.
- Check both sides of the registration card to confirm the registration type allows the person's role. Allowing a registered person to breach a restriction is an offence.
- Keep a record of each worker's registration details and set reminders so nobody works past their expiry date.
- Confirm a registration is valid by emailing WWVP@act.gov.au with the holder's full name, date of birth, registration number and expiry date. You can also send Access Canberra your current staff list.
What is specific to Australian Capital Territory
- There are two registration types: positive unrestricted, covering every regulated activity including work with children, and positive with restrictions, which excludes NDIS activities that need a worker clearance and limits work with children or the activities allowed.
- WWVP covers adults experiencing disadvantage as well as children, and it is also the route to an NDIS worker screening clearance in the ACT.
- Since 16 December 2025, a person currently prevented from working with children in another jurisdiction (a negative decision in the last five years that has not been overturned) cannot hold a WWVP registration that allows work with children.
- Working or volunteering in a regulated activity without registration can bring fines of up to $7,000 and up to two years in prison.
What Koora checks
Reviewed. The ACT has no public online register lookup, so Koora does not verify a WWVP registration at source. A person reviews the registration the worker uploads when the worker shares their Career Passport or a provider requests access, or across an organisation's own records where Crew is attached, and Koora tracks the expiry date. Confirming a registration with Access Canberra by email stays 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 much is a WWVP card in the ACT?
$163 for paid work, or for paid work and volunteering, whether new or renewing. Volunteer-only registration is free. The fee is not refundable.
How long does a WWVP registration last?
Five years. Access Canberra monitors registered people throughout and works with interstate agencies and police.
How long does a WWVP application take in the ACT?
Access Canberra reports an average of eight weeks. Applications that need a risk assessment can take more than 60 working days, and applications that include NDIS worker screening take longer.
How do I renew my WWVP registration?
Use the reminder letter sent about 12 weeks before expiry, which carries the letter ID you need to renew online. Lodge before expiry and your registration stays valid until the decision.
How can an employer check a WWVP registration?
There is no online lookup. Email WWVP@act.gov.au with the holder's full name, date of birth, registration number and expiry date, and check both sides of the card for restrictions.
Related
- Working With Children Check by state: rules and renewals
- Working with Children Check in every state and territory: the comparison table
- NDIS Worker Screening Check (ACT) in Australian Capital Territory
- National Police Check (ACT) in Australian Capital Territory
- Teacher registration (ACT) in Australian Capital Territory
- Glossary: Working with Children Check
- Which worker check do I need?: pick your sector, role and state
Sources
- https://www.accesscanberra.act.gov.au/business-and-work/working-with-vulnerable-people
- https://www.accesscanberra.act.gov.au/business-and-work/working-with-vulnerable-people/apply-for-or-renew-a-wwvp-registration
- https://www.accesscanberra.act.gov.au/business-and-work/working-with-vulnerable-people/working-with-vulnerable-people-scheme
- https://www.accesscanberra.act.gov.au/business-and-work/working-with-vulnerable-people/wwvp-compliance-and-reporting
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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