When you need a stock and station agent licence, eligibility requirements, and how to apply.
On this page
When a stock and station agent licence is needed
Working interstate and mutual recognition
Key information
- In NSW, you need a stock and station agent licence to act as an agent for transactions concerning rural properties greater than 20 hectares, livestock and livestock agistment, and as an auctioneer of rural land or livestock.
- There are two licence classes – class 1 and class 2. Each class has different qualification and continuing professional development (CPD) requirements.
- Only class 1 agents can be nominated as a licensee in charge (LIC) of a business to be able to authorise trust account withdrawals.
- You need to hold a Class 2 Agent licence for 2 years and complete the required training before you can apply for a Class 1 Agent licence.
- You need to hold auctioneer accreditation if you want to conduct auctions as a stock and station agent.
- You can apply for a 1, 3 or 5 year licence.
When a stock and station agent licence is needed
You need a stock and station agent licence if you:
- buy, sell, exchange, let, lease, or conduct auctions of rural land greater than 20 hectares.
- act as an agent for the buying and selling of livestock.
- provide agistment for livestock or collect fees for agistment.
There are two classes of real estate agent licence – class 1 and class 2.
Before you can get a class 2 stock and station agent licence, you must first hold a certificate of registration as an assistant agent. You need to have a certificate of registration for at least 12 months and gain experience under the supervision of a licensee. Learn more about assistant agents.
Important: this licence (class 1 or class 2) does not allow you to conduct auctions. You must not act as an auctioneer unless you are an accredited auctioneer.
What is agistment?
Agistment is a feeding option for livestock if feed is in short supply on the home property.
A livestock owner or agent seeking agistment can negotiate with another property owner or agent to allow livestock to feed on their land for a period of time at an agreed price.
You can find more information in the Agistment guidelines.
What’s the difference between class 1 and class 2 licence?
You need a class 2 licence for two years before you can apply for a class 1 licence. This helps build your skills and experience, so you are ready to take on the additional functions of a class 1 agent.
A class 2 stock and station agent licence allows you to perform the following duties as an employee.
Where a transaction concerns rural land, you can act as an agent for:
- a real estate transaction
- negotiating with any person to enter into a real estate transaction or a contract for a real estate transaction
- the introduction of a prospective purchaser, lessee or licensee of land to another licensed agent or owner of land, or
- collecting rents payable for any lease of land and providing property management services for the leasing of any land.
For a livestock transaction, you can act as an agent for:
- negotiating with a view to make or accept a livestock transaction or a contract for a livestock transaction
- providing agistment for livestock or collecting of fees for the agistment of livestock
Class 2 licence holders are not allowed to open or manage a trust account or be nominated as a licensee in charge of a business.
A class 1 licence allows you to:
- perform all duties of a stock and station agent (as above)
- be nominated as a licensee in charge (LIC) to supervise a business
- work independently as a sole trader and act as the LIC of their own business
To be nominated as an LIC, you must hold a class 1 stock and station agent’s licence. Only an LIC can authorise trust account withdrawals for a business.
When a stock and station agent licence is not needed
There are several different licences and certificates of registration available for people in the real estate and property industry.
You may not need a stock and station agent licence for the work you want to do, so check the functions listed for each licence or certificate type to ensure you apply for the right one.
There is also a range of roles in agency business that may not need a licence or certificate of registration at all.
Here is a list to help you understand what can be done without a licence or certificate of registration:
- answering the phone
- responding to basic customer queries
- coordinating appointments for agents
- logistical support at open homes (for example, setting up A-frames outside the property)
- issuing keys or access devices to existing tenants
- receiving rent money from existing tenants (under instruction of the property manager), and
- sending work orders to contractors (with the authorisation of a licence or certificate of registration holder).
Learn more about your obligations working as a licensed property professional.
Eligibility
There are requirements you must meet to get a stock and station agent licence.
Who can apply
You must meet the following criteria:
- You are at least 18 years old.
- You are a ‘fit and proper person’ to hold a licence (see below).
- You have the qualifications required for the licence type you are applying for.
- You have completed the required work experience tasks.
- Your previous licence (or certificate of registration) has not been disqualified.
- You have paid the relevant contribution to the Property Services Compensation Fund
- Your registered office must be in NSW. Alternatively, the registered office can be within 50 kilometres of the NSW border, but only if you hold a current licence or authority from that jurisdiction (see section 28 of the Property & Stock Agents Act 2002).
What does 'fit and proper' mean?
Fair Trading will perform checks (including financial and police checks) to determine whether you are a fit and proper person.
For example, this means you:
- have not been found guilty of an offence involving fraud or dishonesty in the last 10 years, and are not currently involved in court proceedings for such an offence
- have not been convicted of an offence under the Property and Stock Agents Act 2002, the regulations, or another Act administered by the Minister for Fair Trading
- are not a member of or regularly associate with members of a declared criminal organisation.
How to apply
What you need
Before you begin your application make sure you have:
- proof of identity (such as driver’s licence or passport)
- business registration details from ASIC (if applicable)
- evidence of your qualifications, including your continuing professional development (CPD) training from the previous year
- your work experience logbook completed and signed
- your interstate licence if operating outside of NSW
- payment for the licence fee. See our fees page for details.
You can apply for a 1, 3 or 5 year licence.
Apply now
You can apply for this licence online at the Service NSW website.
Your application will take about 20 minutes to complete .
This is for new applicants only. Find out how to renew your licence below.
To apply in-person, download and complete the application form and take it to your nearest Service NSW Centre.
1. Review application
Your application will be reviewed and assessed to check it meets eligibility requirements. This can take up to 30 business days.
We might contact you (by email or post) if we need more information.
2. Outcome advised
We will send an email to advise you if your application has been successful.
If your application is successful, the email will include a copy of your licence and your details will be added to the public register.
If your application is unsuccessful, you’ll be advised of the reasons in writing and be provided with your options.
Add a category to your licence
You can add categories to your stock and station agent licence. For example, you can add real estate agent or strata managing agent to your licence.
Before you add another category, make sure you have:
- evidence of the relevant qualifications and work experience for the category you’re applying for.
- completed the application for adding or removing a category.
- payment for the additional category. See our fees page for details.
Submit your completed application with supporting documents by email to [email protected].
You can also remove categories using the same form.
It can take up to 30 days to process your application. You will be advised of the outcome by email.
Renew a licence
You need to renew your stock and station agent licence before it expires.
Before you renew, make sure that you have evidence of your completed continuing professional development training.
CPD requirements vary between class 1 and class 2 licences. Learn which ones apply to you.
How to renew
We will send you a renewal form about four weeks before the expiry date with details of how to renew. We will also send you an SMS reminder.
You can renew your licence online (on or before the expiry date) and pay by credit card.
To renew, you will need:
- your licence number
- your renewal number (from your renewal notice), or full personal details
- evidence of professional indemnity insurance in your name, or in your employer’s name
- proof of your CPD training from the previous year
- a completed Notification of partnership particulars form (if applicable)
- completed the Licensee in charge details form for each place of business (if applicable).
If your licence isn't renewed by the due date it will expire, and you will no longer be authorised to work as a stock and station agent in NSW.
As a licence holder, it is your responsibility to tell us within 14 days if your name, address or other details change. You can do this by submitting the Notification of Change of Details form at a service NSW centre, or by email to [email protected].
Restoring your licence after expiry
If your licence expired less than three months ago, you can restore it online or at a Service NSW Centre.
You can use the details on your renewal form to apply to restore your licence.
If your licence is renewed or restored, you’ll keep your existing licence number. In this instance, your licence is considered to have been renewed from the day the licence expired.
In certain circumstances, the Fair Trading Commissioner may extend the period to restore your licence if satisfied that:
- failing to apply before renewal was unintentional, or
- restoring your licence is a fair and just outcome.
If your licence has been expired for more than 3 months and you have not been granted an extension by the Commissioner, restoration will not be an option and you will need to reapply. You cannot trade until your new licence is issued.
To check the status of your licence, you can search the public register.
Working interstate and mutual recognition
If you hold a current and equivalent licence in another state or territory (or New Zealand) you can use this form to apply for recognition of your qualifications to work in NSW.
You must also complete the Application for a Licence – Agent form and pay a fee .
Both forms and supporting documentation must be submitted together by email to [email protected].
Qualification and training requirements
You need to hold certain qualifications and complete work experience to be a stock and station agent in NSW. These are set out in the Property and Stock Agents (Qualifications) Order 2019.
You also need to complete continuing professional development (CPD) training each year. The CPD calendar runs from 23 March to 22 March the following year and compulsory topics change each year.
Training needs to be provided by a Registered Training Organisation (RTO).
Fair Trading can suspend your licence if you do not comply with the qualification and CPD requirements outlined below.
Work experience
You must complete a range of work experience tasks to be eligible to apply for a stock and station agent licence.
Use the work experience logbook to keep track of the tasks as you complete them.
You need to complete the listed activities under the supervision of a licensee in charge. They must verify your ability by signing each task in your logbook as they are achieved.
Once you have finished your work experience tasks, you must scan and submit the logbook as an attachment to your licence application.
Keep your logbook for reference.
Class 2 qualification, work experience and CPD requirements
Pathways to be a class 2 agent
To be eligible for a class 2 stock and station agent licence you must meet one of the pathways below.
Pathway 1
You held a class 2 stock and station agent licence within 12 months of applying.
Pathway 2
You have held an assistant agent certificate of registration in stock and station for 12 months, and
- completed the following units from the Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice (CPP41419):
- 5 core units,
- 8 units from Group K - Stock and Station (Station),
- 4 units from Group J - Stock and Station (Stock),
- 1 elective unit,
or
- the prescribed units from the Certificate IV in Property Services (Stock and Station Agency) - you must have completed at least one unit before 23 March 2020, and
- completed the following work experience requirements for a class 2 agent during a 12 month period:
- a minimum of 9 tasks from Part 1 of the logbook, and
- a minimum of 5 tasks from Part 2.
CPD for class 2 agents
Class 2 stock and station agents must complete 6 hours of continuing professional development (CPD) learning each year. This includes:
- 3 hours of compulsory CPD topics (these are set by Fair Trading and change every year), and
- 3 hours of elective CPD topics.
See the full list of CPD requirements.
Class 1 qualification, work experience and CPD requirements
Pathways to be a class 1 agent
To be eligible for a class 1 stock and station agent licence you must meet one of the pathways below.
Pathway 1
You held a class 1 stock and station agent licence within 12 months of applying.
Pathway 2
You held a class 2 stock and station agent licence for 2 years, and
- completed the following work experience requirements for a class 1 agent during a 2 year period:
- all tasks listed in Part 1 of the logbook, and
- a minimum of 8 tasks from Part 2, and
- hold a Diploma of Property (Agency Management CPP51119), Diploma of Property Services (Agency Management CPP50307) or Diploma of Property (Agency Management CPP51122).
CPD for class 1 agents
Class 1 stock and station agents must complete 9 hours of CPD training each year. This includes:
- 3 hours of compulsory CPD topics (these are set by Fair Trading and change every year)
- 3 hours of elective CPD topics, and
- 3 hours of business skill topics.
See the full list of CPD requirements.
Contact us
Need help applying?
If you need help with your application or have a question, please call 13 32 20.
Unsuccessful applications
If your application is unsuccessful, you can ask for a review.
A review involves another officer from Fair Trading, who was not involved in the original decision, reviewing the decision on your application.
For more information about the process see reviews of Fair Trading decisions.