NDIS Worker Screening Check: a state-by-state guide for 2026
How the NDIS Worker Screening Check works, where to apply in each state and territory, and how renewals work as the first five-year clearances start to expire.
On this page
The NDIS Worker Screening Check is a single, nationally consistent background check for people in NDIS risk-assessed roles. The rules are national, but you apply through your own state or territory, and each one uses a different portal. This guide explains the national picture and walks through every jurisdiction.
The national picture
Wherever you apply, the same core facts hold:
- A clearance is nationally recognised and portable across all states and territories. You do not reapply when you move interstate.
- It is valid for up to five years from the date of issue, unless cancelled, suspended or revoked.
- It is administered by your state or territory worker screening unit, with decisions recorded in the national NDIS Worker Screening Database and the scheme overseen by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
- Unlike a one-off National Police Check (Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check), a clearance is monitored on an ongoing basis: the worker screening unit keeps checking for relevant new information and can suspend or revoke it, and linked employers are notified when a worker's status changes. That continuous nature is the key difference from a point-in-time check.
- You can apply to renew up to 90 days before expiry, through the unit where you currently live. There is no automatic carry-over: the clearance must be re-obtained.
2026 is the first big renewal cycle
The first clearances issued from February 2021 began reaching their five-year expiry from February 2026. That makes 2026 the first large-scale renewal year. A lapsed clearance can stop a worker being scheduled, so providers and workers should track expiry dates closely. Our guide to renewing an NDIS Worker Screening Check covers the 90-day window, fees by state and whether you can keep working while a renewal is processed.
Where to apply, by state and territory
The clearance is the same nationally; only the application path differs.
| State or territory | Where you apply | Validity |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | Office of the Children's Guardian, via Service NSW | 5 years |
| VIC | Service Victoria | 5 years |
| QLD | Disability Worker Screening Unit, Department of Justice | 5 years |
| SA | Department of Human Services Screening Unit | 5 years |
| WA | Department of Communities, ID verified via Department of Transport (DoTDirect) | 5 years |
| TAS | Department of Justice (via Registration to Work with Vulnerable People) | 5 years |
| ACT | Access Canberra (via Working with Vulnerable People registration) | 5 years |
| NT | SAFE NT (NT Police, Fire and Emergency Services) | 5 years |
Each state has its own reference page with the fee, renewal steps, identity check and employer duties, all checked against the worker screening unit: NDIS Worker Screening Check in every state and territory.
A few jurisdiction-specific points worth knowing:
- In Tasmania and the ACT, the NDIS clearance is issued through the broader vulnerable-people registration scheme (RWVP and WWVP respectively).
- In Queensland, workers who also work with children can lodge a combined Disability Worker Screening and Blue Card application for one fee.
- Several jurisdictions (including NSW, WA, TAS and the ACT) require you to verify your identity in person at a service centre after applying online; the NT takes identity documents and a selfie online instead. In NSW, for example, you have 28 days from starting the online application to visit a Service NSW centre with your original identity documents.
- Most jurisdictions require an employer to confirm your engagement before the application is valid, using the provider's NDIS worker screening identifier.
How this fits an Aged Care worker
A valid NDIS Worker Screening Clearance is also accepted in Aged Care, where it removes the need for a separate National Police Check. If you work across both sectors, one clearance covers your screening for both. See the Aged Care worker screening requirements for the detail.
Authoritative sources
- NDIS Worker Screening Check: NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
- NDIS Worker Screening for registered providers: engagement and verification steps
- Aged Care worker screening requirements: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
Keeping clearances current
For workers, the practical risk is a clearance quietly expiring between jobs. For providers, it is scheduling someone whose clearance has lapsed. Koora's compliance engine checks each worker's NDIS clearance against the requirements for their role and tracks its expiry date, reminding both sides before it lapses. A person reviews the evidence itself once a worker shares their passport or a provider requests access, or across an organisation's own records through the Crew service. (Verification of NDIS clearances against an authoritative source is on our roadmap; today these are checked and tracked for expiry, not verified by Koora.) The responsibility to confirm a worker's screening stays with the provider; Koora makes staying ahead of expiry far easier.
Frequently asked questions
Is an NDIS Worker Screening Check recognised in every state?
Yes. A clearance is nationally recognised and portable across all states and territories. You do not need to reapply when you move interstate, though you apply through your own state or territory's worker screening unit.
How long is an NDIS Worker Screening Clearance valid?
Up to five years from the date of issue, unless it is cancelled, suspended or revoked. There is no automatic carry-over, you must reapply to obtain a new clearance.
When can I renew, and will I be reminded?
You can apply to renew up to 90 days before expiry, through the worker screening unit in the state or territory where you currently live. Issuers send expiry reminders before the clearance lapses, and registered providers are also notified around 90 days out.
Why is renewal a big issue in 2026?
The first clearances issued from February 2021 began reaching their five-year expiry from February 2026, so 2026 is the first large-scale renewal cycle. A lapsed clearance can stop a worker from being scheduled, so tracking expiry matters.
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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