Blue Card (QLD): cost, renewal and the linking rules
Queensland's blue card in October 2026: $108.30 for paid work, free for volunteers and students, valid three years, renewal from 16 weeks out.
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A blue card is Queensland's Working with Children Check, issued by Blue Card Services in the Department of Justice. It lasts three years, and Blue Card Services checks holders every day against Queensland Police Service information. A blue card for paid work costs $108.30, new or renewal, from 1 July 2026; volunteer and student cards are free.
Key facts (as of October 2026)
| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Issuing body | Blue Card Services, Department of Justice | qld.gov.au |
| Official name | Blue Card | qld.gov.au |
| Validity | 3 years, unless cancelled or suspended | qld.gov.au |
| Cost (paid) | $108.30 for paid work or business, new or renewal (fees from 1 July 2026) | qld.gov.au |
| Cost (volunteer) | No fee for volunteer and student blue cards or exemption cards | qld.gov.au |
| Processing time | Most approved within 5 business days when there is no criminal history; most risk assessments within 21 business days; the card can take up to 21 days to arrive by post | qld.gov.au |
| Renewal | Renew up to 16 weeks before expiry; a reminder is sent 10 weeks out. Renew on time and you keep working while it is assessed | qld.gov.au |
| Interstate clearances | Not accepted. Queensland does not recognise working with children checks from other states and territories | qld.gov.au |
| Apply or renew | Blue card online applicant portal How to renew a blue card | qld.gov.au |
| Status check or register | Blue card validity check (public, no login: name, card number and expiry) | qld.gov.au |
| What an employer must do | Check the card and link the person in the Organisation Portal before they start (No Card. No Link. No Start.), and remove the link when they leave | qld.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: Blue Card (QLD)
- Get a Customer Reference Number and photo through Queensland's Department of Transport and Main Roads first. The application is a two-step process.
- Volunteers and students: ask the organisation to link you before you apply. A new volunteer or student application must be linked before it is submitted.
- Apply in the online applicant portal and pay $108.30 for paid work or business. Online applications are usually processed faster than paper ones.
- Most applications with no criminal history are approved within five business days. You can start once you have the approval notice and your organisation has linked you; the card arrives by post within about 21 days.
How to renew: Blue Card (QLD)
- Watch for the reminder ten weeks before expiry, and keep your contact details current so it reaches you.
- Renew in the online applicant portal up to 16 weeks before the card expires. Renewal fees are the same as new applications.
- If your photo is more than six years and 11 months old, have a new one taken at a Transport and Main Roads customer service centre before you renew.
- Renew before expiry and you keep working while Blue Card Services assesses it, and your organisation links stay in place. If the card expires first, the links are removed and No Card, No Start applies until the new card is approved.
What employers must do
- Check that each person holds a valid blue card or exemption card before they start, and take reasonable steps to check their identity.
- Link every applicant and card holder to your organisation before they start working with children: No Card. No Link. No Start. Linked organisations are told if a card is suspended or cancelled.
- Keep an employee register with each person's name, date of birth, card type, application status, card number and expiry date.
- Remove the link when someone stops working for you, and keep your organisation's details current.
- Letting someone start without a current card and link carries a maximum penalty of 200 penalty units ($34,540 at the 1 July 2026 unit value) or two years in prison.
What is specific to Queensland
- Queensland does not recognise other states' checks. A person refused a working with children check elsewhere is a restricted person and cannot apply for or hold a blue card.
- People working with children with disability can lodge one combined blue card and disability worker screening application. Disability Worker Screening assesses first, and if both are approved they expire on the same date. A current disability worker screening clearance holder pays $15 for a blue card on the DWS form.
- The blue card check goes beyond a police check: it can weigh child protection information, domestic and family violence information and other states' working with children outcomes.
What Koora checks
Verified by Koora, point-in-time. Koora checks the clearance against the Queensland blue 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. Koora does not create Blue Card Services links: linking stays with each organisation.
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 blue card in Queensland?
From 1 July 2026 a blue card for paid work or business costs $108.30, and renewing costs the same. Volunteer and student blue cards and exemption cards have no fee.
How long does a blue card last?
Three years, unless it is cancelled or suspended. Holders are checked every day against Queensland Police Service information.
How do I renew my blue card?
Online in the blue card applicant portal, up to 16 weeks before the card expires. Blue Card Services sends a reminder 10 weeks out. Renew before expiry and you can keep working while the renewal is assessed.
Can I use my interstate Working with Children Check in Queensland?
No. Queensland does not recognise working with children checks from other states and territories, so you may need a blue card to work or volunteer with children there.
How do I check if someone's blue card is valid?
Use the free blue card validity check on qld.gov.au with the person's name, card number and expiry date, and check the details against another form of ID. It shows the status only at the moment you check, which is why organisations link their workers.
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 (QLD) in Queensland
- National Police Check (QLD) in Queensland
- Teacher registration (QLD) in Queensland
- Glossary: Working with Children Check
- Which worker check do I need?: pick your sector, role and state
Sources
- https://www.qld.gov.au/jobs/blue-card/system/system-explained
- https://www.qld.gov.au/community/caring-child/foster-kinship-care/foster-kinship-care-become-a-carer/foster-kinship-care-blue-cards
- https://www.qld.gov.au/jobs/blue-card/applications/payment
- https://www.qld.gov.au/jobs/blue-card/applications/progress
- https://www.qld.gov.au/jobs/blue-card/existing/renew
- https://www.qld.gov.au/jobs/blue-card/required/interstate-working-with-children-checks
- https://www.qld.gov.au/jobs/blue-card/applications/apply
- https://www.qld.gov.au/jobs/blue-card/organisations/valid
- https://www.qld.gov.au/jobs/blue-card/organisations/linking-requirements-for-organisations
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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