Childcare compliance
Working with Children Checks by State: A 2026 State-by-State Guide
Every Australian state and territory has its own Working with Children Check. They're called different things, last different lengths of time, cost different amounts, and have different rules. Here's the full breakdown for 2026.
If you run a multi-state childcare group, or if any of your staff live in a different state to where they work, this is for you. Every Australian state and territory has its own Working with Children Check — and they don't transfer.
Each system is administered by a different agency, has a different name, costs a different amount, and expires on a different cycle. The trap that catches most centre directors is the NSW WWCC doesn't work in VIC, and the QLD Blue Card doesn't work in NSW — your educator has to apply for the destination state's check.
NSW — Working with Children Check (WWCC NSW)
Administered by: Office of the Children's Guardian
Validity: 5 years · Cost: $80
The NSW Working with Children Check is the most common check in Australia. It applies to any adult working or volunteering in child-related roles in NSW, including childcare, education, sports, and disability support.
The NSW check has no ongoing monitoring — your status is checked only at application and renewal. This is a notable difference to most other states.
VIC — Working with Children Check (WWCC VIC)
Administered by: Department of Justice and Community Safety
Validity: 5 years · Cost: Free for volunteers
The Victorian WWCC came under the Working with Children Act 2005, which was substantially amended in 2017 to introduce ongoing monitoring. This means your VIC WWCC can be revoked at any time if new information comes to light — even if it's still within its 5-year validity period.
QLD — Blue Card
Administered by: Blue Card Services
Validity: 3 years · Cost: Free (paid by employer in some cases)
The Queensland Blue Card is the most security-conscious of the state systems. It has ongoing monitoring — your card can be suspended at any time if the cardholder is charged with a serious offence. This is in addition to the 3-year expiry.
The Blue Card also has an Exemption Card variant for people with a criminal history that doesn't meet the threshold for full disqualification.
WA — Working with Children Card
Administered by: Department of Communities
Validity: 3 years · Cost: Free
The WA Working with Children Card is similar in scope to the QLD Blue Card. It has ongoing monitoring and a 3-year validity period. There is no application fee for the card itself, though a related National Police Certificate may have a fee.
SA — Working with Children Check
Administered by: Department of Human Services
Validity: 5 years · Cost: Free
The South Australian check is renewable up to 3 months before expiry. SA has ongoing monitoring provisions under the Child Safety (Prohibited Persons) Act 2016.
TAS — Registration to Work with Vulnerable People (RWVP)
Administered by: Department of Justice
Validity: Varies (typically 3 years)
Tasmania uses a broader system than the other states. The RWVP covers work with children, the elderly, AND people with disability — a single registration for multiple vulnerable-persons work. This is a notable difference to NSW/VIC/QLD, which are children-specific.
ACT — Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP)
Administered by: Access Canberra
Validity: 3 to 5 years (category-dependent)
The ACT has two categories of WWVP registration:
- Category 1 — work with children
- Category 2 — work with other vulnerable people (elderly, people with disability)
Some roles (e.g. aged care) require both categories. Validity is 3 years for some roles, 5 years for others.
NT — Ochre Card
Administered by: Northern Territory Police
Validity: 2 years (the shortest of any state/territory)
The NT Ochre Card is the most frequently renewed of all the Australian WWCC systems, with a 2-year validity period. The shorter cycle reflects the NT's higher turnover in child-related work and the higher proportion of remote-area roles.
Comparison at a glance
Here's a quick reference table:
- NSW: 5 years, $80, no ongoing monitoring
- VIC: 5 years, free for volunteers, ongoing monitoring
- QLD: 3 years, free, ongoing monitoring
- WA: 3 years, free, ongoing monitoring
- SA: 5 years, free, ongoing monitoring
- TAS: ~3 years, free, ongoing monitoring, broader scope (vulnerable people)
- ACT: 3–5 years, free, two categories (children / vulnerable people)
- NT: 2 years, free, ongoing monitoring
What this means for centre directors
If you operate a single-site centre, your state WWCC is the only one you need to track — but it has a specific validity period and may have ongoing monitoring you need to stay on top of.
If you operate a multi-state group, or if your staff commute from a different state, you have to track multiple state WWCCs per person, each with different renewal cycles. A 20-person centre in a border town can easily have 40+ individual state WWCCs to track on top of first aid, qualifications, and training.
This is exactly the kind of complexity that compliance software is built for. NovoCove pre-configures all 8 state/territory variants, with their different renewal cycles and monitoring rules. Add a staff member once, and the platform tracks every applicable WWCC, sends 7-tier alerts, and flags anyone whose status has changed.
This guide is general information and is not legal advice.