Teacher Registration in Australia 2026: Fees by State

On this page (7 sections)

State-by-state registration comparison
How the national framework works
Provisional to full registration
Staying registered: renewal, PD and fees
Registration fees and tax
Teaching in another state
FAQs

The short answer

Every school teacher must be registered (accredited, in NSW) with their state or territory regulator: NESA, VIT, QCT, TRBWA, TRB SA, TRB Tasmania, TQI or TRB NT. You start on provisional registration and move to full after reaching Proficient, with at least 80 days in a school. Confirmed 2026 annual fees run from $95 (WA) to $137 (SA).

AITSL sets the national framework, but it doesn't register anyone.
Registration lasts up to 5 years before renewal, with 100 hours of PD and 100 days of practice.
Moving states means applying again under mutual recognition.
In Victoria registration replaces the WWCC; in NSW, WA, SA, the ACT and NT you need both.

State-by-state registration comparison

Teacher regulators and 2026 fees in all 8 jurisdictions

State	Regulator	Annual fee	Application / initial fee	Child safety check
NSW	NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA)	$100 per calendar year	No separate fee; no annual fee if accredited 15 Sep to 31 Dec	WWCC also needed ($112 paid, 5 years)
VIC	Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT)	$131.30 if paid by 30 Sep; $173.10 late (1 Sep 2026 to 31 Aug 2027)	$175.60 (Victorian qualification) or $203.00 (interstate or overseas); criminal history check $77.40	VIT registration replaces the WWC Check
QLD	Queensland College of Teachers (QCT)	About $100.70 (reported)	Reapplying after a lapse up to $312.17	Registered teachers are generally exempt from a separate blue card
WA	Teacher Registration Board of WA (TRBWA)	$95, due by end of March ($47 if registered 1 Oct to 31 Mar)	$140 provisional or $178 full (Australian/NZ qualification); renewal $56	WA Working with Children Check also needed (separate from registration)
SA	Teachers Registration Board of SA (TRB SA)	$137 ($685 for 5 years upfront), 1 Feb 2026 to 31 Jan 2027	Application $218; renewal $124; criminal history check extra	SA WWCC needed; interstate checks not accepted
TAS	Teachers Registration Board of Tasmania	$121.32 (2026-27)	$65.09 for a first application or new cycle	Working with Vulnerable People handled through TRB registration
ACT	ACT Teacher Quality Institute (TQI)	$115 ($58 retired teachers)	Part-year: $90 (months 4 to 6) or $65 (after month 6)	WWVP registration with Access Canberra also needed
NT	Teacher Registration Board of the NT	$111 (2025-26; rises each 1 July)	New applicants $170 total; CDU and BIITE graduates $111; mutual recognition $155	Ochre Card (Working with Children Clearance) also needed

Fees from each regulator's fee page or fee instrument, checked October 2026. QLD's figure comes from a QCT page excerpt and couldn't be read directly. NT fees rise each 1 July by the higher of Darwin CPI or 3%, so the 2026-27 fee is likely above $111. Detailed pages: NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA, TAS, ACT, NT.

How the national framework works

Registration is run by the states, but they follow a nationally agreed framework kept by AITSL. AITSL itself isn't a regulator. Its role is the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (7 standards in 3 domains across 4 career stages) and the national rules the regulators apply. That's why the stages are the same everywhere, even though forms, fees and names differ.

Minimum days before full registration

In an Australian or NZ school

Maximum time on provisional

5 years

Extensions case by case

Renewal cycle

Up to 5 years

100 days practice + 100 hours PD

Provisional to full registration

As a new graduate you get provisional registration (called conditional or provisional accreditation in NSW). It shows you meet the Graduate career stage. To move to full registration, you show you teach at the Proficient stage, based on your school's recommendation and evidence from your practice. Regulators require at least 80 days of teaching, and no more than the equivalent of one full-time year, before you can apply (South Australia asks for 200 days). The maximum time to meet full registration requirements is 5 years.

Moving to full registration: what differs by state

State	What we know
NSW	Proficient accreditation via eTAMS: orientation course, Accreditation Supervisor, observation report and 5 to 8 annotated evidence sets. Needed to move past pay Step 2
VIC	Provisional registration is granted for 2 years. Apply for full once you have 80+ days and meet Proficient. You can apply for an additional grant of provisional registration if needed
QLD	Paying the annual fee at the end of year 2 extends provisional registration for 2 more years
SA	Registration runs for 5 years. Moving from provisional to full registration needs 200 days of teaching
TAS	Full TRB registration is required to reach the top pay level (Band 1 Level 13)
Other states	National minimum of at least 80 days and Proficient-standard evidence; check your regulator for the process

The detail, including evidence sets and how to choose them, is in our Proficient teacher accreditation guide.

Staying registered: renewal, PD and fees

Once you're fully registered, your registration has a maximum period of 5 years. To renew, regulators look at the previous 5 years for 100 days of professional practice and at least 100 hours of Standards-referenced professional development. You declare your suitability, recency of practice, PD and proficiency, and keep the evidence for audit. Your criminal history check must be no more than 5 years old. PD approved in one state must be recognised by every other state.

NSW's Proficient maintenance rule is 100 hours of PD over 5 years for full-time teachers, or 7 years for part-time and casual teachers. Fee waivers apply in NSW for leave of more than 6 months. Tasmania lets you pay up to 5 years in advance.

Registration fees and tax

Annual registration renewal is a cost of keeping your current job, so it's generally treated as a work-related deduction if your employer doesn't reimburse it. A fee you pay to get your first teaching job is generally not deductible, which is the same logic the ATO applies to working with children checks. Our teacher tax deductions guide has the detail, and the new $1,000 standard deduction applies automatically from 2026-27.

Free calculator

Teacher tax deductions calculator

Add your registration fee, union fees and other work costs to see whether itemising beats the $1,000 standard deduction.

Check my deductions

Teaching in another state

Your registration doesn't travel with you. To teach in another state, you apply to that state's regulator under the Mutual Recognition Act 1992 (or the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1997 for New Zealand teachers). Teaching is exempt from automatic deemed registration, so you can't just start work on your home-state registration. You'll usually get like-for-like registration: full if you're full, provisional if you're provisional. You'll also need that state's child safety check. South Australia, for example, doesn't accept interstate working with children checks.

Registering in a new state

1

Apply to the new regulator under mutual recognition

Use the mutual recognition application, not the graduate one. In the NT the mutual recognition fee is $155; in WA the application fee is $140 (provisional) or $178 (full).
2

Get the local child safety check

Apply for that state's WWCC, Ochre Card, WWVP or equivalent if registration doesn't cover it.
3

Keep your old registration until the new one is granted

If you're still teaching in your old state, don't let it lapse. Cancel it once you've moved.
4

Tell your new employer your registration status

Your pay step may depend on your accreditation level, as in NSW.

Overseas-trained teachers follow a different process with qualification and English assessment. See overseas teacher registration by state.

Frequently asked questions

Do teachers need to be registered in Australia?

Yes. Every state and territory requires school teachers to be registered or accredited with its teacher regulator before they teach, including casual relief teachers.

How much does teacher registration cost?

Among the regulators with confirmed 2026 fees, annual fees range from $95 in WA to $137 in SA. NSW is $100, the NT $111 (2025-26), the ACT $115, Tasmania $121.32 and Victoria $131.30 when paid on time. First-time application fees apply in some states.

How long does provisional registration last?

It depends on the state. In Victoria it's granted for 2 years, with the option of another grant. Nationally, the maximum time to move to full registration is 5 years, with extensions decided case by case.

What do I need for full teacher registration?

At least 80 days (200 in South Australia) of teaching in an Australian or New Zealand school, evidence that you meet the Proficient standard, a recommendation from your school, and continued suitability.

Can I use my NSW accreditation to teach in Queensland?

Not directly. You apply to the Queensland College of Teachers under mutual recognition and are usually granted equivalent registration. Teaching is exempt from automatic deemed registration.

Is teacher registration tax deductible?

Annual renewal fees are generally deductible as a work-related expense if you aren't reimbursed. A fee paid to get your first teaching job generally isn't. Check the ATO's teacher guide or ask a registered tax agent.

Do I still need a working with children check if I'm a registered teacher?

It depends on the state. VIT registration replaces the Victorian WWC Check, but NSW, WA, SA, the ACT and the NT require their own check or clearance as well as registration.

Sources we checked · last verified 2026-10-16

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Written and fact-checked by the TeacherPay AU editorial team against the enterprise agreements, awards and official pages listed in the sources. It is general information, not personal financial, tax or legal advice. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it, usually within a day. See our editorial policy and how we calculate.

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