Working with Children Check (NSW): cost, renewal and verification
The NSW WWCC in October 2026: $112 for paid workers, free for volunteers, valid five years, a renewal reminder at 90 days, and how employers verify.
On this page
A NSW Working with Children Check is a clearance from the Office of the Children's Guardian, applied for through Service NSW. It lasts five years, and the Office of the Children's Guardian continuously monitors holders. It costs $112 for paid workers and is free for volunteers. There is no card: the clearance is an online record that employers verify.
Key facts (as of October 2026)
| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Issuing body | Office of the Children's Guardian (OCG) | ocg.nsw.gov.au |
| Official name | Working with Children Check | ocg.nsw.gov.au |
| Validity | 5 years, continuously monitored by the OCG | ocg.nsw.gov.au |
| Cost (paid) | $112, new or renewal | ocg.nsw.gov.au |
| Cost (volunteer) | Free, new or renewal | ocg.nsw.gov.au |
| Processing time | The National Police Check starts once your identity is verified and can take up to 4 weeks | service.nsw.gov.au |
| Renewal | Reminder email 3 months before expiry; you can renew from then. Online renewal with face verification is not available once the clearance has expired | service.nsw.gov.au |
| Interstate clearances | Not needed if you neither live nor work with children in NSW, unless you are an authorised carer or adult household member. For occasional work in NSW, the organisation decides whether a NSW check is needed | ocg.nsw.gov.au |
| Apply or renew | Apply through Service NSW Renew through Service NSW | service.nsw.gov.au |
| Status check or register | OCG Employer Portal for registered employers (no open public search) | ocg.nsw.gov.au |
| What an employer must do | Register as a child-related employer, verify each worker through the OCG online system (employers cannot self-verify) and keep a record of every verification | 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: Working with Children Check (NSW)
- Start the online application through Service NSW. You receive an application (APP) number.
- Visit a Service NSW Centre with your original identity documents. The application costs $112 for paid work and is free for volunteers.
- The National Police Check starts once your identity is verified and can take up to four weeks.
- Give your employer your APP number to verify. Most child-related roles can start on an 'Application in progress' status, but teachers and early childhood education and care workers need a full clearance before they start.
How to renew: Working with Children Check (NSW)
- Watch for the reminder email three months before expiry. You can renew from that point.
- Renew online through Service NSW using face verification, or at a Service NSW Centre. Face verification is not available once the clearance has expired.
- Pay $112 for a paid clearance. Volunteer renewals are free.
- Allow at least four weeks from verifying your identity. If the renewal is not finished before your clearance expires, give your employer the new APP number; some employers will not roster you until the full clearance arrives.
What employers must do
- Register as a child-related employer with the Office of the Children's Guardian and identify which roles need a check.
- Verify every new worker or volunteer through the OCG online system: first the APP number, then the clearance number. Education roles need the clearance number. Employers cannot self-verify.
- Verify again when a worker renews after five years, and remind workers they can renew up to three months before expiry.
- Keep a record of each verification: full name, date of birth, WWC number, verification date and outcome, expiry date, and whether the work is paid or volunteer.
- Nominate two people to be told if a worker becomes barred, and remove anyone barred, interim barred, expired or not found from child-related work.
What is specific to New South Wales
- NSW has no physical card or certificate. The clearance is an online record, identified first by an APP number and then by a WWC number.
- Verifying is a legal requirement, and it links the worker to your organisation in the OCG's continuous monitoring, so you are told straight away if they are later barred.
- Sole traders with no employees do not register as employers. They give their WWCC details to clients, such as parents, who can verify them online.
- A third-party verifier works from the employer's own registration logins, and the OCG does not endorse third-party verifiers.
What Koora checks
Reviewed. NSW verification runs through the Office of the Children's Guardian Employer Portal, which is open to registered employers only, and Koora holds no employer account, so Koora does not verify a NSW WWCC at source. A person reviews the clearance evidence 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. An employer that verifies the clearance through its own OCG employer account records that as its own check, and NSW law requires each employer to verify through its OCG 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
How much is a Working with Children Check in NSW?
$112 for paid workers and free for volunteers. Renewing costs the same: $112 paid, free for volunteers.
How long does a NSW WWCC last?
Five years. The Office of the Children's Guardian monitors holders throughout, even when they change jobs.
How do I renew my Working with Children Check in NSW?
Service NSW emails you three months before expiry and you can renew from then, online with face verification or at a Service NSW Centre. Once the clearance has expired you can no longer renew online with face verification.
How does an employer check a NSW WWCC?
The employer registers with the Office of the Children's Guardian and verifies the worker's APP or WWC number, family name and date of birth in the Employer Portal. Verifying is a legal requirement and links the worker to the employer for barring alerts.
Do I need a NSW WWCC if I have one from another state?
The Office of the Children's Guardian says you do not need a NSW WWCC if you do not live or work with children in NSW, unless you are an authorised carer or adult household member. A visitor from interstate working with children for fewer than 30 days is exempt, and for occasional work in NSW the organisation decides whether a NSW check is needed.
Related
- Working With Children Check by state: rules and renewals
- Working with Children Check in every state and territory: the comparison table
- NDIS Worker Check (NSW) in New South Wales
- National Police Check (NSW) in New South Wales
- Teacher accreditation (NSW) in New South Wales
- Glossary: Working with Children Check
- Which worker check do I need?: pick your sector, role and state
Sources
- https://ocg.nsw.gov.au/working-children-check
- https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/apply-for-a-working-with-children-check
- https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/renew-working-children-check-wwcc
- https://ocg.nsw.gov.au/working-children-check/apply-wwcc/overseas-and-interstate-applicants
- https://ocg.nsw.gov.au/working-children-check/wwcc-information-organisations/help-register-and-verify
- https://ocg.nsw.gov.au/working-children-check/wwcc-information-organisations/role-employer-working-children-check
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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