How to Find and Verify a Vendor’s Trade Licence in Australia

Engaging a vendor for trade services, whether for a small home repair or a major construction project, is a significant investment of both trust and money. With over 2.7 million actively trading businesses in Australia as of June 2025, navigating the market to find a qualified, reliable, and legally compliant professional can be daunting. The single most crucial step in this process—one that protects your investment, your property, and your safety—is verifying their trade licence.

A trade licence is more than just a piece of paper or a number on an invoice; it is a declaration of competence, accountability, and adherence to Australian standards. Hiring an unlicensed individual or business exposes you to a cascade of risks, from substandard work and financial loss to voided insurance and potential legal liability. This comprehensive guide is designed to empower you with the knowledge and tools necessary to find and check a vendor’s trade licence confidently and effectively across every Australian state and territory. We will walk you through the entire process, from basic business verification to navigating the specific online portals of each state’s regulatory body, ensuring you make informed decisions every step of the way.

Why Checking Trade Licences Matters

Before diving into the "how," it's essential to understand the "why." A mandatory licence check is not bureaucratic red tape; it is a fundamental pillar of consumer protection in the trades industry. It provides a baseline of assurance that you are dealing with a legitimate professional.

A valid trade licence proves several critical points about a vendor. Firstly, it confirms they have met the minimum standards of training, qualification, and experience required by the governing body in their state. Secondly, it often necessitates that the holder maintains a required level of insurance, such as public liability insurance, which protects you from costs associated with property damage or personal injury. Finally, it means the vendor is registered with a regulatory authority, making them accountable for their conduct and the quality of their work. This provides you with a clear avenue for dispute resolution should something go wrong.

The risks of using unlicensed or incorrectly licensed vendors are severe and multifaceted. Financially, you may have no recourse to recover funds for incomplete or defective work. Legally, any work performed that legally requires a licence may be deemed non-compliant, potentially affecting your home insurance policy or future sale of the property. Most importantly, the safety risks are profound. Unlicensed electrical work can lead to fires, improper plumbing can cause significant water damage and health hazards, and non-compliant building work can compromise a structure's integrity.

In Australia, the requirement to hold a licence is typically mandated for trades that pose a high risk to public health, safety, and property. This includes most building and construction work, electrical services, plumbing and drainage, gas fitting, and handling hazardous materials like asbestos. The specific scope of work that requires a licence varies by state, but the principle remains the same: if the work can go dangerously wrong, it is almost certainly a licensed activity.

Start With the Basics: Business Verification

Before you even begin to investigate a trade-specific licence, your first step should be to confirm that the business entity you are dealing with is legitimate and accurately represented. This foundational check establishes the vendor's identity and ensures they are a registered Australian business. An ABN is a starting point, but it's crucial to understand what it does—and does not—confirm.

Check the ABN and Business Name

Every legitimate business in Australia should have an Australian Business Number (ABN). This 11-digit number is a public identifier used for various tax and business purposes. You should ask your potential vendor for their ABN and then verify it using the official ABN Lookup tool, a free service provided by the Australian Business Register (ABR).

To perform a search, navigate to the ABN Lookup website and enter the number provided. You can also search by the business or legal entity name if you don't have the ABN. The search result should provide a clear record of the business. Pay close attention to the details and match them against the information the vendor has given you. The legal name of the entity should align with the name on your quote or contract. It is common for a business to operate under a "trading name" that is different from its legal entity name. The ABN Lookup record will show any registered trading names, allowing you to confirm this link.

A key distinction to understand is the difference between a sole trader and a company. For a sole trader, the ABN will be registered to an individual's name. This means you are contracting directly with that person. For a company, the ABN will be registered to a proprietary limited (Pty Ltd) entity, which will also have a unique nine-digit Australian Company Number (ACN). This distinction is important because it affects who is legally responsible for the work and who holds the relevant trade licences.

Confirm the Business Type and Activities

The ABN Lookup record provides more than just a name and number. It also lists the "Main Business/Location" and details about the business's registered activities under the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC) code. This is a critical cross-referencing step.

The registered activities should logically align with the work you are hiring the vendor to perform. For example, if you are getting a quote for major home renovations, you would expect their ANZSIC description to be related to "Building Construction," "Construction Services," or a specific trade like "Plumbing Services" or "Electrical Services." If the business activities are listed as "Cafes and Restaurants" or "Computer System Design," this is a significant red flag. While a business can have diverse interests, a complete mismatch warrants further investigation and direct questions. Common mismatches to watch for include businesses registered for general "handyman services" quoting on specialised work that requires a specific licence, like structural building or switchboard upgrades.

Business Registration vs Trade Licences

This is arguably the most critical concept to grasp in the verification process. Confirming an ABN proves that a business is registered with the Australian Taxation Office. It is a licence to trade, not a licence to perform a trade. An ABN does not, in any way, certify a person's or a company's technical skills, qualifications, or legal authority to carry out specialised work like building, plumbing, or electrical services.

Many consumers mistakenly believe that a valid ABN is sufficient proof of a vendor's legitimacy. This is a dangerous assumption. An ABN is a prerequisite for operating a business, but the trade licence is the credential that confirms their competence and authority to perform a specific, regulated task. Therefore, verifying the ABN is only the first step. Once you have confirmed the business entity is real, your next and most important task is to verify the specific trade licences associated with that business and the work being performed.

Which Trades Require a Licence?

Determining whether the trade you need requires a licence is the next logical step. In Australia, the licensing of trades is not managed at a federal level. Instead, it is the responsibility of individual state and territory governments. This means that the rules, requirements, and even the trades that require a licence can differ significantly depending on your location.

Because of these variations and the fact that legislation is subject to change, it is always best practice to consult the official website of your state or territory's primary licensing authority. These government bodies are the definitive source of truth for all licensing matters. This article provides detailed guidance and links to these authorities, but it should not be considered a substitute for direct verification with the regulator responsible for the work you are having done. Assuming a trade does not require a licence without checking can lead to significant problems, so a quick visit to the relevant government website is a wise investment of time.

Common Licensed Trades in Australia

While specifics vary, a core group of high-risk trades are licensed in virtually every state and territory due to their direct impact on health and safety. The construction industry is Australia's largest by number of businesses, with 452,820 trading entities, making it a key focus for regulation.

• Builders: This is a broad category. Licences are often required for any residential building work over a certain monetary value (e.g., $5,000 in NSW, $10,000 in VIC). This includes new homes, extensions, and major renovations. Licences are often tiered into different classes, such as domestic, commercial, or limited to specific types of work like kitchen renovations or swimming pool construction.
• Plumbers and Drainers: Given the critical importance of sanitation and clean water, plumbing is a heavily regulated trade. Licensing is mandatory for nearly all plumbing and drainage work, from installing pipes and hot water systems to connecting fixtures and clearing blockages.
• Electricians: Due to the extreme danger of working with electricity, all electrical work must be performed by a licensed electrician. This is non-negotiable and covers everything from installing a power point to rewiring a house or upgrading a switchboard.
• Gas Fitters: Similar to electricians, the risk of explosion or carbon monoxide poisoning makes gas fitting a critically licensed trade. Only a licensed gas fitter can install, service, or repair gas appliances, pipes, and systems.
• Fire Protection: This category includes professionals who design, install, test, and maintain essential fire safety systems, such as smoke alarms, fire sprinkler systems, hydrants, and fire control panels. Licensing ensures these life-saving systems are functional and compliant.
• Demolition and Asbestos Removal: These high-risk activities are strictly regulated. A specific licence is required to perform demolition work and an entirely separate, specialised licence is needed to handle and remove asbestos-containing materials safely.

This list is not exhaustive. Other trades that may require licensing depending on the state include air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics, pest controllers, painters (for work over a certain value), and waterproofers. Always check with your state regulator based on the specific work you are getting done.

How Trade Licences Work in Australia

Understanding the structure of the licensing system is key to performing an effective check. It's not always as simple as matching a company name to a licence number. Often, the licence is held by an individual within the company who is responsible for supervising the work.

Licence Holder vs Business Name

A common point of confusion arises when the trade licence is held in an individual's name, while the business operates under a company or trading name. This is a standard and perfectly legal arrangement, but it requires you to verify the connection between the two. Small businesses make up 97.3% of all businesses in Australia, and many of these are small companies or sole traders where the distinction is crucial.

• Individual Licences: The most straightforward scenario is a sole trader, where the individual's name is on both the ABN registration and the trade licence.
• Company Licences: A company (Pty Ltd) cannot hold a technical qualification itself. Therefore, it must have a licensed individual associated with it to legally offer and perform licensed trade work. This person is often referred to as a Nominee Supervisor or Qualified Supervisor. Their role is to oversee the company's technical operations and ensure all work complies with Australian standards.
• Directors and Employees: The directors of the company may or may not be the licensed nominee. A company can employ a qualified individual to act as their supervisor. When you check a licence, the search result on the state regulator's website should ideally show a link between the licensed individual and the company you are hiring. If it doesn't, you must ask the company to clarify who their licensed supervisor is and provide that person's licence details for you to verify.

Understanding Licence Status

When you look up a licence on a public register, the "status" is the most important piece of information. A licence number alone is meaningless if it's not currently valid.

• Active / Current: This indicates the licence is valid, and the holder is legally permitted to carry out the work covered by their licence class.
• Expired: The licence holder has not renewed their credentials. They are not legally permitted to work or advertise for licensed trade services until the licence is reinstated.
• Suspended: This is a major red flag. A licence is typically suspended as a result of disciplinary action, failure to comply with an order, or bankruptcy. A tradesperson with a suspended licence is strictly prohibited from carrying out any licensed work.
• Cancelled or Surrendered: This means the licence has been permanently revoked, usually due to serious misconduct or breaches of regulations, or the holder has voluntarily given it up. In either case, they are no longer licensed and cannot perform regulated work. The rising number of businesses facing financial distress, with 8,212 entering external administration from July 2024 to January 2025, underscores the importance of checking for any adverse status that might indicate instability.

Licence Classes and Scope of Work

Another critical detail to check is the "class" or "scope" of the licence. A licence is not a blanket permission to do all types of work within a trade. It is restricted to the specific skills and qualifications the holder has demonstrated. Using an incorrectly classed tradesperson can be just as risky as using an unlicensed one.

Common examples of scope limitations include:

• A builder with a "Kitchen, Bathroom, and Laundry Renovation" licence is not permitted to build a new home extension.
• An electrician might have a "Restricted Electrical Licence" that only allows them to disconnect and reconnect appliances related to their primary trade (e.g., a plumber disconnecting a hot water system), not perform general electrical wiring.
• A plumber's licence may be endorsed for "Water Supply" and "Drainage" but not for "Gas Fitting," meaning they cannot legally work on your gas stove.
• A builder may be licensed for "Low Rise" construction (up to three stories) and would not be permitted to work on a high-rise apartment building.

When you check the licence record, carefully review the listed classes and endorsements. Ensure that the work you have quoted is explicitly covered by the scope of the licence. If you are unsure, contact the relevant state licensing authority for clarification.

How to Check Trade Licences by State

This section provides a state-by-state breakdown of the primary licensing authorities and direct links to their online search tools. When performing a search, you will typically need the vendor’s name, business name, or licence number.

Queensland (QLD)

Licensing Authority

In Queensland, the primary regulator for the building and construction industry is the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC). It is responsible for licensing builders, trade contractors, and other professionals in the construction sector. This includes:

• Builders and trade contractors (e.g., carpenters, painters, plasterers)
• Plumbers and drainers
• Fire protection and fire services
• Mechanical services (e.g., air conditioning)

While the QBCC covers the majority of construction-related trades, some specialised work, particularly in the electrical and gas fitting fields, is regulated by other bodies like the Electrical Safety Office (ESO) and Resources Safety & Health Queensland. For any project, it is best to confirm the specific requirements with the relevant authority. This guide is not a substitute for professional legal advice.

How to Check a Licence

The QBCC provides a free and comprehensive online search tool that allows you to check the licence status of any individual or company.

• Where to search: Use the official QBCC Online Licence Search.
• What details you’ll need: You can search using a licence number, the individual’s name, or the company name. Having the exact licence number is the most accurate method.
• What to confirm on the record: Once you find the record, carefully check the following:
• • Licence Status: Ensure it is "Active."
  • Licence Class: Verify that the classes listed cover the scope of work in your contract.
  • Disciplinary History: The record will show any public disciplinary actions taken against the licensee.
  • Nominee Details: If it is a company licence, confirm the name of the licensed nominee supervisor.

New South Wales (NSW)

Licensing Authority

In New South Wales, NSW Fair Trading is the main government agency responsible for licensing tradespeople in the home building industry. This is often accessed through the Service NSW portal. They regulate builders, tradespeople, and technicians across a wide range of fields.

How to Check a Licence

NSW Fair Trading maintains a public register that is easily accessible online. The state has also introduced digital trade licences, which can be verified instantly via a QR code.

• Where to search: Use the official NSW Fair Trading Public Register.
• What details you’ll need: You can search by licence number, name (individual or business), or suburb.
• What to confirm on the record: Check for an "Active" status, confirm the licence classes match your project's requirements, and review any listed disciplinary actions or past offences. The record should also clarify if the licence is for a contractor, a qualified supervisor, or a tradesperson.

Victoria (VIC)

Licensing Authority

Licensing in Victoria is split between several key authorities. For builders and plumbers, the primary regulator is the Victorian Building Authority (VBA). For electricians and gasfitters, the authority is Energy Safe Victoria (ESV).

How to Check a Licence

You will need to use the specific register for the trade in question.

• Builders and Plumbers (VBA):
• • Where to search: Use the VBA's Find a Practitioner search tool.
  • What to confirm: Verify that the practitioner is registered (for builders) or licensed (for plumbers). Check their registration/licence class and look for any disciplinary history displayed on the register.
• Electricians and Gasfitters (ESV):
• • Where to search: You must contact ESV directly or use their online gasfitter search tool. For electricians, you can ask to see their licence card and check its validity. ESV can be contacted to confirm the status of an electrical worker.
  • What to confirm: Ensure the licence is current and that the individual is authorised to perform the specific type of electrical or gas work required.

Western Australia (WA)

Licensing Authority

In Western Australia, licensing for building, plumbing, and electrical trades is managed by the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS), primarily through its Building and Energy division.

How to Check a Licence

DMIRS provides separate online search tools for different trades.

• Builders:
• • Where to search: Use the Registered Building Contractors Search.
  • What to confirm: Check the registration is current and note the name of the nominated supervisor for a company.
• Plumbers and Gas Fitters:
• • Where to search: Use the Licensed Plumbers Search.
  • What to confirm: Verify the licence is current and check for any specific endorsements or restrictions.
• Electricians:
• • Where to search: Use the Electrical Licence Search.
  • What to confirm: Ensure the licence is valid and covers the scope of work.

South Australia (SA)

Licensing Authority

In South Australia, Consumer and Business Services (CBS) is the government body responsible for issuing and regulating trade licences for the building and construction industry.

How to Check a Licence

CBS maintains a comprehensive public licensing register that is accessible online.

• Where to search: Use the official CBS Public Licensing Register.
• What details you’ll need: You can search by name, licence number, or suburb.
• What to confirm on the record: Verify that the licence status is "Current." Check the authorised work categories to ensure they align with your project scope. The register will also list any disciplinary action taken against the licensee.

Tasmania (TAS)

Licensing Authority

In Tasmania, the regulatory body for building, plumbing, and electrical work is Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS), which is part of the Department of Justice.

How to Check a Licence

CBOS provides an online search tool to verify the credentials of licensed practitioners.

• Where to search: Use the CBOS Licensed Person Search.
• What details you’ll need: Search by the practitioner's name, licence number, or location.
• What to confirm on the record: Check that the licence is current and that the "Categories of Work" listed on the licence profile are appropriate for the job you are commissioning.

Conclusion

Verifying a vendor's trade licence is not an optional extra or a sign of mistrust; it is a fundamental and non-negotiable step in responsible project management. It is the most effective tool a consumer has to protect themselves against substandard work, financial loss, and significant safety risks. The process, while detailed, is straightforward and accessible, with every state and territory providing free online tools to empower you with the information you need. The growing professional focus on due diligence is reflected in projections that the Australia vendor risk management market is expected to reach USD 70.2 million by 2030, highlighting the importance of these checks at all levels.

To recap the essential steps for a thorough verification:

1. Start with the Business: Use the ABN Lookup tool to confirm the vendor's business entity is legitimate and that its registered activities align with the services offered.
2. Identify the Requirement: Determine if the trade requires a licence in your state by checking with the relevant regulatory authority. For high-risk work like building, plumbing, and electrical, the answer is almost always yes.
3. Use the Official Register: Navigate to your state's official online licensing search tool and enter the vendor's details. Never rely on photocopies or verbal assurances alone.
4. Scrutinise the Details: Meticulously check the licence status (it must be Active/Current), the licence classes (they must cover your scope of work), and the link between the licensed individual and the company you are contracting with.

By following this process, you are not just ticking a box. You are establishing a baseline of quality, accountability, and safety for your project. You are ensuring that the professional you hire has met the legal standards for their profession and is accountable to a higher authority. Taking these few extra minutes to perform a thorough check provides invaluable peace of mind and is the cornerstone of a successful and secure engagement with any trade vendor in Australia.