For home building or trade work

General building work licences and qualified supervisor certificates can only be renewed for 1 year. All other licences and certificates offer the option of a 3-year renewal.

A renewal form showing your licence number, expiry date, renewal fee, licence class and other details is mailed to you several weeks before your licence or certificate is due to expire.

If the expiry date nears and you have not received your renewal notice in the post, contact Fair Trading on 13 32 20. It is your responsibility to renew your licence on time.

All home building licences and certificates can be renewed online. Where a renewal fee is payable, you will receive a discount by renewing online.

Go to the NSW Government Licensing Service website www.licence.nsw.gov.au and have your renewal application form on hand:

• under the heading ‘or renew’ enter your licence or certificate number
• enter the renewal notice number and click ‘go’
• if any personal details such as your address has changed, click ‘Amend my details’ and follow the prompts to update
• if you have no events or occurrences to declare click ‘I agree’ to certify*
• if applicable, choose a renewal period (1 or 3 years)
• if applicable, enter your credit card details
• to proceed click the ‘ Lodge renewal ‘ button.

*Note: If you are unable to certify the declaration, do not proceed. Lodge your renewal using another renewal method.

For help to renew online, call Fair Trading on 13 32 20.

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You can also renew your licence or certificate by post, fax or in person at a Fair Trading Centre. If the expiry date is near, it may be wise to renew in person.

When renewing in person at a Fair Trading Centre you can pay by cash, cheque, money order, credit card or EFTPOS.

When renewing by post, you can pay by cheque, money order or credit card. Sign the declaration on the renewal notice and post it, together with the required payment, to the street address of your nearest Fair Trading Centre.

Call 13 32 20 or visit the Fair Trading website for the address details of your nearest Fair Trading Centre.

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Applications that are incomplete, missing documentation or the fee, will not be accepted, and may be returned to you. Once your completed application, supporting documentation, and any fee payable has been received, the application is assessed. If renewal is approved, your new licence card will be posted to you.

If you do not renew on time and your licence expires, you will have to pay a 'restoration fee'. If your licence expires and you do not apply to have it restored within 3 months, you will have to apply for a new licence. This takes time and you cannot trade until your new licence is issued.

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If one of the following situations applies to you, your licence may not be granted or renewed:

• you fail to provide particulars requested by Fair Trading
• your licence was surrendered or cancelled before the expiry date
• you have been disqualified from holding a licence 
• you owe money to Fair Trading as a result of a judgment 
• you hold a provisional licence or certificate 
• you are an apprentice or trainee 
• you have not complied or are unable to comply with insurance requirements 
• your licence has been suspended 
• you are bankrupt or were bankrupt within 3 years prior to your application for renewal
• you are or were a director or a person concerned in the management of a company:
  
  • that is or was the subject of a winding up order
  • when a controller or administrator has been appointed or 
  • when a controller or administrator was appointed (within 3 years prior to your renewal application)
• you are subject to an unsatisfied Tribunal order 
• you have had an unreasonable number of:
  • complaints 
  • penalty notices 
  • formal cautions 
  • paid insurance claims
• your application is made using false information 
• a close associate (who is not a fit and proper person to hold a licence) exercises a significant influence over you or your business
• you are deemed to be an unfit or improper person to hold a licence or certificate.

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If any of the circumstances of your licence or certificate changes, you must advise us in writing.

To change the kind of work you are authorised to do, you need to lodge a licence variation form. The fee payable will depend on the variation.

To change your licence from one issued to an individual or sole trader, to one in the name of a partnership or company, you need to lodge a new application in the name of the partnership or company. It may save time to call us on 13 32 20 first and check that you have all the necessary documents.

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It is an offence to make a false statement or omit information when applying for a licence. If it is found that your licence has been issued on misleading grounds, you may be prosecuted and your licence may be cancelled.

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If an individual or partnership holds a building or swimming pool building licence and the individual or a member of the partnership becomes bankrupt, the licence will be cancelled. The individual or member must immediately surrender the licence card to a Fair Trading Centre or Government Access Centre. If this is not possible, a statement explaining why the card cannot be surrendered must be signed by the individual or member and lodged with Fair Trading.

Any individual or member of a partnership holding a contractor licence who becomes bankrupt, regardless of licence class, should notify Fair Trading that they have declared bankruptcy. Fair Trading will request additional information from the licence holder in relation to the bankruptcy and will determine whether the licence should be cancelled.

If the contractor licence is not cancelled, the licence will have the condition imposed 'Only for Contracts not exceeding $20,000'.

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