National Police Check certificates for licence applications
From 23 June 2026, applications for certain Building Commission NSW licences, certificates and registrations must include a National Police Check (NPC) certificate.
What is a national police check certificate?
A NPC is issued following a police check with an Australian law enforcement agency. The certificate provides a summary of a person’s criminal history.
The certificate will include:
- a list of ‘disclosable court outcomes’
- local and interstate criminal and traffic court outcomes
- outstanding warrants
- pending charges, where a person has been charged with an offence but has not yet been to court.
Certain details may not be included on the certificate, for example spent convictions that occurred more than 10 years ago.
Find out more about what is included and excluded from a certificate
Why is a NPC required for Building Commission NSW licence applications?
NPCs help us make more informed decisions when assessing applications. They ensure only suitable applicants are able to obtain a licence or certificate, preventing unfit individuals from joining the industry.
NPCs can prevent applicants from making false declarations in their applications, giving us more transparency about their fitness and propriety before a licence is issued.
As part of our regulatory functions, we may request a NPC during the life cycle of an authorisation (i.e. while your licence, certificate or registration is active). Where required, you will be asked to provide consent so we can obtain a NPC directly from NSW Police.
Which applications require a NPC?
If you are applying for the following licences or certificates as an individual in any building and trade general and specialist work category, you’ll need to provide a NPC for:
- Individual contractor licence
- Qualified supervisor certificate
- Tradesperson certificate
Learn more about the different types of licences and certificates.
It is an existing requirement to provide a valid NPC when registering for the following authorities:
How to get a national police check certificate
A valid national police check certificate must be issued by state or federal police.
NSW Police Force
If you live and work in NSW, you can apply for a certificate on the NSW Police Force Community Portal website.
When completing your online application on the NSW Police Force Community Portal, you should:
- Choose the ‘Name and date of birth check’ option.
- Select 'probity' as your answer for the question 'What is the purpose of your application?'
- In the field 'Please specify the applicant's probity reason', enter 'licence application' as your response.
Learn more about the NSW Police NPC process
Australian Federal Police (AFP)
You can apply for a certificate on the Australian Federal Police website using the online application form.
When the completing form, you'll need to provide information about the purpose of the NPC. When answering question 2.3 'Purpose of check', you should:
- Select 'Commonwealth Employment Purpose' from the options for the purpose type.
- Select '40 – Other Commonwealth Purpose Only' as your answer for the purpose of the check.
If you live interstate
You may need to apply for a NPC in your current State or Territory of residence. Costs and timeframes for checks and issuing of certificates may vary.
What do I need to provide with my application?
You must provide a current NPC that is no older than 4 months from when you submitted your application (name and date of birth check only).
Submit your NPC as part of your application in person at a Service NSW centre or as part of your online application.
Learn more about the application process
Can I apply for a licence/certificate/registration if I have a criminal history?
Applicants can apply for a licence or certificate if they have criminal history. Any history will be shown on their provided NPC and they must declare this in their application.
The application will be assessed by the Building Commission NSW licensing team.
See the reasons why an application may be refused page for more details.
Requirements for company or partnership applicants
Whilst NPCs for directors, members or partners are not required at this time, if criminal history is declared at application by any person concerned in the management of the company/partnership you will be required to provide more detail as part of your application, including providing a NPC.
More information and support
If you have any questions about the requirements for Building Commission NSW applications and registrations you can contact our team for support.