Ochre Card
The Northern Territory working-with-children clearance, valid two years.
An Ochre Card is the Northern Territory's Working With Children Clearance. It is required for people in child-related work in the Territory and screens your national criminal history, with police history built into the clearance rather than sitting separately alongside it.
The main point that catches people out is the validity period: an Ochre Card lasts two years, which is shorter than the clearances in several other states. That means workers need to renew more often, and providers need to track expiry dates closely so a worker does not lapse without anyone noticing.
For workers, the Ochre Card is tied to the Northern Territory, so a clearance issued elsewhere will not usually be accepted in its place. For providers, the duty is to confirm each worker holds a current, valid Ochre Card and to verify it against the Territory's register, then keep an eye on the two-year renewal cycle. See the working with children check by state guide for how the Territory's rules compare with other jurisdictions.
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 it accurate, but the rules change and we will not always get every detail right. 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.