Checking a builder's licence in New South Wales
Here, the register shows public warnings — but not complaints. What to look for in any state, and what a licence never tells you, is on the main guide.
The direct search, not the regulator's front page. Opened and confirmed on 26 October 2026.
New South Wales publishes more on the face of its register than most jurisdictions here — and still leaves out the thing people assume they are seeing.
Public warnings and tribunal non-compliance are on the record
The licence check returns the usual status and expiry, and also public warnings and non-compliance with a tribunal order. A builder who has ignored an NCAT money order is visible here, which is unusual and genuinely useful: it is the closest thing to a conduct signal that any licence register on this site puts in front of you without a second search.
What it still does not tell you
It does not show whether complaints have been made, or whether the licensee is under investigation. Those sit in a separate Complaints Register. So a clean licence result in New South Wales means “no warnings, no suspensions, no unpaid tribunal orders” — not “nobody has complained”.
The threshold is also low here by national standards: a licence is required for residential building work over $5,000 including GST in labour and materials, and for all specialist work whatever it costs. Plenty of jobs people think of as handyman work are over that line.
Search the people as well as the company
If you are contracting with a company or a partnership, search the directors and partners by name too. A company's position can rest on an individual's licence, and the individual's history is not always visible from the company record.
New South Wales: the register at a glance
- Register
- Verify.licence NSW
- Search by
- Name, licence number, licence type, ABN, ACN or location
- Licence required for
- Residential building work over $5,000 including GST in labour and materials, and all specialist work regardless of cost
- The register shows
- Name, licence numbers, categories, expiry dates, status, any cancellation or suspension, conditions, public warnings and tribunal non-compliance
- The register does not show
- Whether consumer complaints exist, or whether a licensee is under investigation — those are in the separate Complaints Register
Read from NSW Fair Trading, Home building licence check on 26 October 2026. NSW Fair Trading is the authority on what applies to a particular licence, and a register is a record of permission rather than of competence.
Questions about New South Wales licences
Where do I check a builder's licence in NSW?
Verify.licence NSW. You can search by name, licence number, licence type, ABN, ACN or location.
What does the NSW register show that others don't?
Public warnings and non-compliance with a tribunal order, alongside the usual status, expiry and conditions. A builder who has ignored an NCAT money order is visible without a second search.
Does a clean result mean nobody has complained?
No. Complaints and investigations are not on the licence check — they sit in a separate Complaints Register. A clean result means no warnings, no suspensions and no unpaid tribunal orders.
What size job needs a licensed builder in NSW?
Residential building work over $5,000 including GST in labour and materials, and all specialist work regardless of cost. A lot of work people think of as handyman jobs is over that line.