Working with Children Check (VIC): cost, renewal and WWC Connect
The Victorian WWC Check in October 2026: $139.20 paid, free for volunteers, five years, renewal from six months out, and WWC Connect from 19 October.
On this page
A Victorian Working with Children Check is a clearance issued by the Social Services Regulator through Service Victoria. It lasts five years, and the Regulator monitors holders throughout. An employee check costs $139.20, renewal $105.30, and volunteer checks are free. From 19 October 2026, applicants first complete about 45 minutes of mandatory child safety training.
Key facts (as of October 2026)
| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Issuing body | Social Services Regulator (SSR) | vic.gov.au |
| Official name | Working with Children Check | vic.gov.au |
| Validity | 5 years, unless suspended, cancelled or surrendered; the Regulator monitors holders for the life of the clearance | vic.gov.au |
| Cost (paid) | $139.20 for a new employee check; $105.30 to renew (fees for 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027) | vic.gov.au |
| Cost (volunteer) | Free, including renewal | vic.gov.au |
| Processing time | Within days when there is nothing to assess; generally 3 to 12 weeks; high demand means some assessments take longer than six months | vic.gov.au |
| Renewal | Renew online up to six months before expiry and up to three months after it; after that, start a new application. From 19 October 2026 renewal needs the child safety training | vic.gov.au |
| Interstate clearances | Not for ongoing work. A visiting worker who does not normally live in Victoria and holds their home state's check is exempt for a period of no more than 30 days, if they do no other child-related work in Victoria in the same calendar year | vic.gov.au |
| Apply or renew | Apply through Service Victoria Renew through Service Victoria | vic.gov.au |
| Status check or register | WWC status checker (family name plus card or application number) | vic.gov.au |
| What an employer must do | Check the clearance before engaging the person, then connect them in WWC Connect within 7 days (workers) or 21 days (volunteers) from 19 October 2026, and keep records for 7 years | vic.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 (VIC)
- Complete the free online child safety training first. It takes about 45 minutes, is required for every application from 19 October 2026, and you then have 30 days to lodge your application.
- Apply online through Service Victoria, choosing an employee clearance for paid work or a volunteer clearance for unpaid work.
- Pay $139.20 for an employee check. Volunteer checks are free.
- The law lets most people start child-related work while the application is assessed, with exceptions that include services under the Education and Care Services National Law. Childcare educators should check the exceptions on vic.gov.au before starting.
How to renew: Working with Children Check (VIC)
- Renew online through Service Victoria up to six months before your clearance expires.
- From 19 October 2026, complete the mandatory child safety training before you renew. Current holders only need it at renewal.
- Pay $105.30 to renew an employee clearance. Volunteer renewals are free.
- Once the renewal is lodged you can keep doing child-related work while it is processed. Without a lodged renewal, child-related work after expiry is illegal. Online renewal stays open for three months after expiry; after that you start a new application.
What employers must do
- Verify the person's clearance with the WWC status checker before they first do child-related work for you, or before you agree to engage them if that comes first, and keep evidence of the result.
- From 19 October 2026, connect each worker in WWC Connect within seven days of engaging them, and each volunteer within 21 days. Every organisation that engages the person connects them, not only the first.
- Update a connected person's details within seven days for workers or 21 days for volunteers, record when they stop child-related work, and re-connect anyone you re-engage.
- Keep the records for at least seven years after the person stops child-related work for you.
- Labour hire agencies, not the host organisation, verify and connect the people they place.
What is specific to Victoria
- WWC Connect starts on 19 October 2026. Connected organisations are emailed when a worker's status changes, including suspension, revocation and expiry. The first release has a bulk upload but no direct HR or payroll integration.
- Teachers registered with the Victorian Institute of Teaching are exempt from the WWC Check, and you do not connect them when you engage them to teach in a school or early childhood service. Non-teaching child-related work, such as private tutoring, still needs a connection.
- A volunteer clearance does not cover paid work. Moving to paid work needs a new employee application and, from 19 October 2026, the training.
- If a Victorian clearance holder is excluded from child-related work in another state, they are automatically excluded in Victoria.
What Koora checks
Verified by Koora, point-in-time. Koora checks the clearance against the Victorian WWC status checker 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 connect workers in WWC Connect: that duty stays with each organisation that engages them.
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 Victoria?
From 1 July 2026 a new employee check costs $139.20 and renewing an employee clearance costs $105.30. Volunteer checks and volunteer renewals are free. The child safety training required from 19 October 2026 costs nothing extra.
How long does a Victorian Working with Children Check last?
Five years, unless it is suspended, cancelled or surrendered. The Regulator monitors holders for new charges, offences and other relevant information for the life of the clearance.
When can I renew my WWC Check in Victoria?
Up to six months before it expires, online through Service Victoria. From 19 October 2026 you complete about 45 minutes of child safety training first. Online renewal stays open for three months after expiry, but you cannot do child-related work until the renewal is lodged.
What is WWC Connect?
A Service Victoria system that every Victorian organisation must use from 19 October 2026 to connect the people it engages in child-related work: within seven days for workers and 21 days for volunteers. Connected organisations are emailed when a worker's clearance status changes.
Can I use an interstate Working with Children Check in Victoria?
For a short visit. If you do not normally live in Victoria and hold your home state's check, you can do child-related work for a period of no more than 30 days, provided you do no other child-related work in Victoria in the same calendar year. Anything longer needs a Victorian 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 (VIC) in Victoria
- National Police Check (VIC) in Victoria
- Teacher registration (VIC) in Victoria
- Glossary: Working with Children Check
- Which worker check do I need?: pick your sector, role and state
- WWC Connect in Victoria: what organisations must do
Sources
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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