Ochre Card (NT): cost, renewal and the two-year clearance
The NT Ochre Card in October 2026: $89 for paid work, $8 for volunteers, valid two years, renewable from two months before expiry.
On this page
The Ochre Card is the Northern Territory's Working with Children Clearance, issued through SAFE NT, a unit of NT Police, for the NT Screening Authority. It lasts two years, the shortest of any state or territory, and can be renewed from two months before expiry. It costs $89 for paid work, including student placements, and $8 for volunteers.
Key facts (as of October 2026)
| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Issuing body | SAFE NT, for the NT Screening Authority | nt.gov.au |
| Official name | Working with Children Clearance (Ochre Card) | nt.gov.au |
| Validity | 2 years | nt.gov.au |
| Cost (paid) | $89 for paid employment, including student placements; $89 to renew | nt.gov.au |
| Cost (volunteer) | $8, new or renewal | nt.gov.au |
| Processing time | A renewal runs new police and employment checks and can take as long as a new application | nt.gov.au |
| Renewal | Renew up to 2 months before expiry; the renewed clearance shows once the current one expires | service.nt.gov.au |
| Interstate clearances | No general recognition. Visitors volunteering with children for less than 30 days in a year in total need no clearance | nt.gov.au |
| Apply or renew | Apply through NT Government services Renew through NT Government services | service.nt.gov.au |
| Status check or register | Ochre Card validity check (name plus clearance number or date of birth) | service.nt.gov.au |
| What an employer must do | Make sure relevant employees and volunteers hold a valid clearance; allowing someone to work or volunteer with children without one risks a fine of up to $97,000 | nt.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: Ochre Card (NT)
- Apply online through NT Government services, or in person at SAFE NT in Darwin, a Territory Business Centre or an NT Police station, or by mail. From 1 September 2026 paper applications must use the new forms.
- You are eligible if you are over 15 and will work with people under 18.
- Pay $89 for paid employment, which includes student placements, or $8 if you are volunteering.
- If you need to start before the clearance is issued, your employer can apply for a limited exemption, supplying your SAFE NT receipt and evidence of its child-safe strategies.
How to renew: Ochre Card (NT)
- Renew up to two months before your clearance expires, online through NT Government services. You need your name, Ochre Card number and renewal code.
- Pay $89, or $8 if you volunteer. If you are doing paid work when you renew, you pay the full fee.
- Allow time: a renewal runs new checks of your police history and employment records and can take as long as a new application. The renewed clearance shows on the validity check once the current one expires.
What employers must do
- Make sure your relevant employees and volunteers in the NT hold a valid Working with Children Clearance. Allowing someone to work or volunteer with children without one risks a fine of up to $97,000.
- Check each person's clearance online with the validity check, using their name and clearance number or date of birth.
- Keep your own record of when each clearance expires, as many NT employers do. No employer linking scheme appears on the NT pages.
- Return the employee's original documents once you have sighted them.
What is specific to Northern Territory
- Two years is the shortest validity in Australia, so an NT worker renews more than twice as often as a worker on a five-year check.
- The worker can also be fined up to $97,000 for working or volunteering with children without a valid clearance.
- The NT legislation for 'banned in one, banned in all' has passed but not commenced. The NT lists ongoing monitoring among expected future changes, so it does not describe the clearance as monitored today.
- The validity check shows only whether a clearance is valid, not the progress of an application.
What Koora checks
Verified by Koora, point-in-time. Koora checks the clearance against the NT Ochre Card validity check 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 then tracks the expiry date. Koora does not continuously monitor the clearance.
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 an Ochre Card?
$89 for paid employment, including student placements, and $8 for volunteers. Renewal costs the same, and you pay the full fee if you are doing paid work when you renew.
How long does an Ochre Card last?
Two years, the shortest validity of any Australian working with children check.
When can I renew my Ochre Card?
Up to two months before it expires, online with your name, Ochre Card number and renewal code. The renewed clearance appears once your current one expires.
How do I check if an Ochre Card is valid?
Use the NT Government validity check with the person's name and either their clearance number or date of birth. It shows validity only, not the progress of an application.
Can I use an interstate Working with Children Check in the NT?
There is no general recognition of interstate checks. Visitors who volunteer with children for less than 30 days in a year in total do not need a clearance.
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 (NT) in Northern Territory
- National Police Check (NT) in Northern Territory
- Teacher registration (NT) in Northern Territory
- Glossary: Working with Children Check
- Which worker check do I need?: pick your sector, role and state
Sources
- https://nt.gov.au/emergency/child-safety/working-with-children-clearance/wwcc-before-you-apply
- https://nt.gov.au/emergency/child-safety/working-with-children-clearance/wwcc-apply-and-renew
- https://service.nt.gov.au/services/work-employment/working-with-children-clearance/check-validity
- https://service.nt.gov.au/services/work-employment/working-with-children-clearance/apply
- https://service.nt.gov.au/services/work-employment/working-with-children-clearance/renew
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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