Working With Children Check for Teachers: State Rules

On this page (8 sections)

State-by-state rules for teachers
Why registration and a WWCC are different things
Student teachers and placements
Once you're a teacher: keeping it current
Border towns, casual work and teaching in two states
Is a working with children check tax deductible?
If your check is refused or suspended
FAQs

The short answer

It depends on the state. NSW teachers need a WWCC as well as NESA accreditation ($112, valid 5 years). In Victoria, VIT registration replaces the check. WA, SA, the ACT (WWVP) and the NT (Ochre Card) require their own clearance on top of registration. Queensland's registered teachers are generally exempt from a blue card.

Teacher registration itself includes a national criminal history check, renewed at least every 5 years.
Checks don't transfer between states. SA doesn't accept interstate checks.
Student teachers usually need a check for placements until they're registered.
A renewal is tax deductible; your very first check to get a first job generally isn't.

State-by-state rules for teachers

Working with children checks and teacher registration, by state

State	Check name	Do registered teachers also need it?	Cost (paid worker)	Validity
NSW	Working With Children Check (WWCC)	Yes, in addition to NESA accreditation	$112 (from 1 Jul 2026); free for volunteers	5 years
VIC	Working with Children Check	No: current VIT registration exempts you	Not needed while VIT-registered	n/a for registered teachers
QLD	Blue card	Generally no: QCT-registered teachers are generally exempt	Check Blue Card Services	Check Blue Card Services
WA	Working with Children Check	Yes, a WA check is required separately from TRBWA registration	Check WA WWC Screening	Check WA WWC Screening
SA	Working with Children Check (DHS)	Yes; interstate checks are not accepted	Check DHS Screening	Check DHS Screening
TAS	Registration to Work with Vulnerable People (RWVP)	Handled through TRB registration (confirm with TRB Tasmania)	Check TRB / Service Tasmania	Check
ACT	Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) registration	Yes, in addition to TQI registration	Check Access Canberra	Check Access Canberra
NT	Ochre Card (Working with Children Clearance)	Yes, in addition to TRB NT registration	Check SAFE NT	Commonly cited as 2 years

NSW cost and validity from Service NSW (page published 1 July 2026). VIC exemption from VIT. Other fees and validity periods change and could not be confirmed on the official sites in October 2026, so check the issuing body before you apply. Older pages quoting $105 or $107 for NSW are out of date.

Why registration and a WWCC are different things

Teacher registration is a professional licence. As part of it, regulators run a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check and won't accept one older than 5 years at renewal. Victoria charges $77.40 for the VIT check. A working with children check is a separate child-safety screening scheme run by each state for everyone in child-related work: coaches, volunteers, school staff and so on. Some states decided the teacher registration check is enough and exempt teachers. Others want teachers in the same scheme as everyone else.

Student teachers and placements

Until you're registered, you aren't covered by any teacher exemption. Universities require pre-service teachers to hold a valid check for their placement state before they start. Apply early, because processing can take weeks, and a missing check can delay your placement and your Prac Payment.

Getting your check for placement

1

Find out which state you'll be placed in

The check must be from the state where the school is. An interstate placement means a second check.
2

Ask your university which category to apply under

Some states treat students on a required placement differently from paid workers. NSW volunteer checks are free; ask whether your placement qualifies.
3

Apply on the official site only

Use Service NSW, the state's screening unit or the agency listed in the table. Avoid paid third-party 'application services'.
4

Give your number to your university and school

In NSW and some other states, the school must verify your check before you start.

Once you're a teacher: keeping it current

Keep these up to date

Your check's expiry date (NSW: every 5 years). Set a reminder 2 months before.
Your registration renewal and criminal history check (at least every 5 years).
Your employer's record of your check number, especially if you work casually across several schools.
Name or address changes, which some schemes require you to report.
Any new state's requirements if you move. Your old check and your old registration don't transfer.

If you're moving interstate, budget for the new state's check and the new registration together. For example, a NSW teacher moving to SA applies to TRB SA under mutual recognition and also needs an SA Working with Children Check, because SA doesn't accept interstate checks. See teacher registration in Australia.

Border towns, casual work and teaching in two states

Teachers in border regions often work on both sides: Albury and Wodonga, Tweed Heads and the Gold Coast, Canberra and Queanbeyan, Mildura and the NSW side of the Murray. Each state's rules apply to the school you're in that day, not to where you live. So a casual relief teacher working in both Queanbeyan and Canberra needs NESA accreditation and a NSW WWCC for NSW schools, plus TQI registration and ACT WWVP registration for ACT schools.

What you need if you teach across a border

You work in	Registration	Child safety check
NSW and ACT	NESA and TQI	NSW WWCC and ACT WWVP
NSW and VIC	NESA and VIT	NSW WWCC (VIT registration covers Victoria)
NSW and QLD	NESA and QCT	NSW WWCC; QCT registration generally covers Queensland
VIC and SA	VIT and TRB SA	SA Working with Children Check (VIT covers Victoria)
SA and NT	TRB SA and TRB NT	SA check and NT Ochre Card

Based on each state's rules as described above. Confirm with both regulators before you take work across the border.

Is a working with children check tax deductible?

The ATO rule is specific. You can claim the cost if you're an existing employee who must get or renew a check to keep earning income in your current role, or a new employee who's been continuously employed in child-related work. The ATO's own example is a teacher on successive contracts moving between schools. You can't claim an initial check you get to land your first child-related job.

Worked example

What a NSW WWCC renewal is worth at tax time (2026-27)

WWCC renewal fee: $112
Marginal rate at $92,882 (incl. Medicare): 32%
Tax saving if itemised: $112 x 32% = $35.84

Net cost of the renewal About $76

From 2026-27 the $1,000 standard deduction applies automatically. Itemising the WWCC only helps if your total work-related claims exceed $1,000. See the $1,000 standard deduction guide.

Free calculator

Teacher tax deductions calculator

Add your WWCC, registration, union fees and other work costs to see whether you'll beat the $1,000 standard deduction.

Check my deductions

If your check is refused or suspended

A barred or suspended check means you can't work in child-related employment in that state, including teaching where a check is required, and a regulator may separately review your registration. Each scheme has an appeal or review process with strict time limits. Get advice quickly: your union, a lawyer, or the community legal centre in your state. Don't keep working while a check is suspended.

Frequently asked questions

Do teachers need a Working With Children Check in NSW?

Yes. NSW teachers need a WWCC as well as NESA accreditation. It costs $112 for paid workers from 1 July 2026, is free for volunteers, and lasts 5 years.

Do teachers need a WWC Check in Victoria?

Not while they hold current VIT registration. VIT-registered teachers are exempt from needing a Working with Children Check clearance for their teaching.

Do teachers need a blue card in Queensland?

Generally no. Teachers registered with the Queensland College of Teachers are generally exempt from needing a separate blue card for their teaching work. Confirm with Blue Card Services for any non-teaching roles.

Can I use my NSW WWCC in another state?

No. Working with children checks are state-based. South Australia, for example, doesn't accept interstate checks, so you apply for the local one when you move.

What is an Ochre Card?

The NT's Working with Children Clearance, issued by SAFE NT. NT teachers need it as well as TRB NT registration.

Is a working with children check tax deductible for teachers?

A renewal, or a check you need while continuously employed in child-related work, is deductible. Your first check to get your first child-related job isn't.

Do student teachers need a working with children check?

Yes. Pre-service teachers aren't registered yet, so universities require a valid check for the state where the placement is before it starts.

Sources we checked · last verified 2026-10-16

About this page

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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