How to register as a building practitioner under the Design and Building Practitioners scheme in New South Wales.
Key information
- A building practitioner must meet eligibility requirements to register for the Design and Building Practitioner scheme (‘the scheme’).
- Only the head building practitioner or principal contractor needs to register to make a building compliance declaration, not every subcontractor and tradesperson.
- Registration as a building practitioner is required before building work can start.
- Both individuals and body corporates can register. A body corporate cannot be a Trust or a Partnership.
Who needs to be registered?
You need to register if:
- you are working on a class 2, 3 or 9c building or a building that includes a class 2, 3 or 9c part, and
- you are a building practitioner that is required to declare or lodge documents in the NSW Planning Portal.
Learn more about building classifications under the National Construction Code.
Building practitioner registration classes include:
- general
- general (low rise)
- general (medium rise)
- body corporate
- body corporate nominee
- body corporate nominee (low rise)
- body corporate nominee (medium rise)
Body corporates
For the purposes of this scheme, a body corporate is a corporation or an incorporated association, and not an owners corporation. A body corporate cannot be a Trust or a Partnership.
A body corporate can also register to declare and lodge documents in the NSW Planning Portal provided it has registered as a building practitioner - body corporate, and has a building practitioner in the general class or building practitioner nominee who is registered to make building compliance declarations and lodge documents on their behalf.
Register to work on Sydney Metro projects only
From 3 July 2023, building works related to Sydney Metro that are over, beside, or near a train station (over station enabling works) must comply with the Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020 (the Act).
Building practitioners must be registered to continue working on these projects, and to declare or lodge documents in the NSW Planning Portal.
If you do not meet the full eligibility requirements to register as a building practitioner here, you can still register to conduct over station enabling work if technical capabilities are recognised under the Technically Assured Organisation Scheme.
Find out how to register on the Sydney Metro projects - building practitioner registration page.
If you register through this Sydney Metro pathway, you will only be registered under the DBP Act to conduct over station enabling work. You cannot work on or lodge documents for any other buildings regulated under the Act (class 2, 3 or 9c).
Eligibility
Mandatory Construct NSW online modules
Before you register as a building practitioner you need to complete these online modules:
Visit the Construct NSW Digital Learning Platform to learn more about these and other Construct NSW courses.
Who can register?
There are several classes of building practitioners eligible to register under the scheme. These are outlined below.
Building practitioner - general
This class is for building practitioners who want to prepare documents and make declarations related to building work on a class 2, 3, 9a or 9c building or a building with a class 2, 3, 9a or 9c part.
To be eligible to register you need to:
- be aged 18 or over
- hold an endorsed contractor licence authorised to do general building work under the Home Building Act 1989, or
- satisfy the qualification requirements to hold an endorsed contractor licence under the Home Building Act 1989 (applicable to practitioners for 3 and 9c classes only)
- have the relevant practical building experience
- have a current National Police Certificate that is no older than 4 months from when you submit your application (name and date of birth check only)
- complete and pass two mandatory online learning modules:
- meet insurance requirements as required.
Building practitioner - body corporate nominee
This class is for building practitioners who want to prepare documents and make declarations on behalf of a registered body corporate (namely, a corporation or incorporated association, not an owners corporation. Also, a body corporate cannot be a Trust).
To be eligible to register, you need to:
- be aged 18 or over
- have a current National Police Certificate that is no older than 4 months from when you submit your application (name and date of birth check only)
- hold a valid supervisor certificate authorising the holder to do general building work under the Home Building Act 1989, or
- satisfy the qualification requirements to hold a qualified supervisor certificate under the Home Building Act 1989 (applicable for practitioners for 3 and 9c classes only)
A building practitioner can be the nominee for more than one registered body corporate at a time provided they can manage the workload responsibly.
A building practitioner registered in this class cannot make a declaration and lodge documents on behalf of the body corporate until:
- the registered body corporate holds a 'building practitioner - body corporate' class of registration, and
- the registered body corporate has nominated the registered building practitioner.
Building practitioner - body corporate
A body corporate can be a company or an incorporated association. A body corporate cannot be a Trust.
Body corporates can make a building compliance declaration for building work and prepare and provide documents by a building practitioner provided:
- the body corporate is registered as a company or incorporated association
- the body corporate has a nominated individual who’s registered as a building practitioner in the general class (including medium-rise and low-rise conditions) or body corporate nominee class.
- the body corporate is not an owners corporation under a strata scheme constituted under the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015.
To be eligible to apply, each and every member of the body corporate must:
- be aged 18 or over
- be a director or public officer of a body corporate
- have a current National Police Certificate that is no older than 4 months from when you submit your application (name and date of birth check only)
Note: If you do not hold a current licence or certificate under the Home Building Act 1989, your application will be assessed and if approved, you will be restricted to making a building compliance declaration for class 3 and 9c buildings only. A registered building practitioner with this condition is not authorised to make a building compliance declaration or carry out building work on a class 2 building or building with a class 2 part.
Maintaining your registration
Once registered, building practitioners have additional obligations to maintain their registration, including:
- complying with a code of practice
- undertaking continuous professional development (CPD) each year
- retaining records for 10 years even if you stop working as a registered practitioner
- having an appropriate level of insurance, which will be mandatory from 1 July 2024.
Qualification and experience requirements
You need to have certain qualifications and building experience to be able to register as a building practitioner in NSW. These are outlined below.
Note: If you worked on two or more building sites at the same time, it will be counted as one period of time only when calculating your equivalent full time work experience.
Building practitioner - general
A building practitioner is someone who agrees to do building work under a contract or other arrangement, or, if there's more than one person, the principal contractor for the work.
Qualifications
There are 2 pathways applicants can apply for registration as a building practitioner:
- Pathway 1: Must be a holder of an endorsed contractor licence authorising the holder to do general building work under the Home Building Act 1989.
- Pathway 2: Must satisfy the qualification requirements to hold an endorsed contractor licence authorising the holder to do general building work under the Home Building Act 1989.
Note: If you apply under pathway 2 and are granted registration, you will have a condition applied to your registration restricting you to work on class 3 and 9c buildings only. A registered building practitioner with this condition is not authorised to make a building compliance declaration or carry out building work on a class 2 building or building with a class 2 part.
Building experience
You must have five years of practical experience carrying out of building work involving a class 2, 3, 9a or 9c building. Your experience must have been in the last ten years including at least two years in Australia.
Building practitioner - general (low-rise)
A building practitioner is someone who agrees to do building work under a contract or other arrangement, or, if there's more than one person, the principal contractor for the work.
Low-rise defined
Low-rise building means a class 2, 3 or 9c building (or a building containing a class 2, 3 or 9c part that has a maximum gross floor area of no more than 2,000m2, but does not include a building that is a Type A or Type B construction (refer to Volume 1 Specification C1.1 of the Building Code of Australia).
Qualifications
There are 2 pathways applicants can apply for registration as a building practitioner:
- Pathway 1: Must be a holder of an endorsed contractor licence authorising the holder to do general building work under the Home Building Act 1989.
- Pathway 2: Must satisfy the qualification requirements to hold an endorsed contractor licence authorising the holder to do general building work under the Home Building Act 1989.
Note: If you apply under pathway 2 and are granted registration, you will have a condition applied to your registration restricting you to work on class 3 and 9c buildings only. A registered building practitioner with this condition is not authorised to make a building compliance declaration or carry out building work on a class 2 building or building with a class 2 part.
Building experience
You must have three years of practical experience carrying out of building work which includes one year coordinating or supervising building work. Experience must be a class 1, 2, 3, 9a or 9c building. Your experience must have been in the last seven years including at least two years in Australia.
Building practitioner -general (medium-rise)practitioner -
A building practitioner is someone who agrees to do building work under a contract or other arrangement, or, if there's more than one person, the principal contractor for the work.
Medium-rise defined
Medium rise building means a class 2, 3 or 9c building (or a building containing a class 2, 3 or 9c part), limited to:
- a maximum of 3 storeys; or
- a maximum of 4 storeys (where the ground level or first story is classified as a class 7a building (carpark)). Medium-rise building does not include Type A construction (for class 4, 5, 6, 7b and 8).
Qualifications
There are 2 pathways applicants can apply for registration as a building practitioner:
- Pathway 1: Must be a holder of an endorsed contractor licence authorising the holder to do general building work under the Home Building Act 1989.
- Pathway 2: Must satisfy the qualification requirements to hold an endorsed contractor licence authorising the holder to do general building work under the Home Building Act 1989.
Note: If you apply under pathway 2 and are granted registration, you will have a condition applied to your registration restricting you to work on class 3 and 9c buildings only. A registered building practitioner with this condition is not authorised to make a building compliance declaration or carry out building work on a class 2 building or building with a class 2 part.
Building experience
You must have three years of practical experience carrying out of building work which includes two years coordinating or supervising building work. Experience must be a class 1, 2, 3, 9a or 9c building. Your experience must have been in the last seven years including at least two years in Australia.
Building practitioner - body corporate nominee
This class if for building practitioners who want to prepare documents and make declarations on behalf of a registered body corporate. Registration in this class allows you to work under low-rise and medium-rise conditions below.
Qualifications
There are 2 pathways applicants can apply for registration as a building practitioner:
- Pathway 1: Must be a holder of a supervisor certificate authorising the holder to do general building work under the Home Building Act 1989.
- Pathway 2: Must satisfy the qualification requirements to hold a supervisor certificate authorising the holder to do general building work under the Home Building Act 1989.
Note: If you apply under pathway 2 and are granted registration, you will have a condition applied to your registration restricting you to work on class 3 and 9c buildings only. A registered building practitioner with this condition is not authorised to make a building compliance declaration or carry out building work on a class 2 building or building with a class 2 part.
Building experience
You must have five years of practical experience carrying out of building work involving a class 2, 3, 9a or 9c building. Your experience must have been in the last ten years including at least two years in Australia.
Building practitioner - body corporate nominee (low-rise)
This class is for building practitioners who want to prepare documents and make declarations on behalf of a registered body corporate but restricted to low-rise buildings.
Low-rise defined
Low-rise building means a class 2, 3 or 9c building (or a building containing a class 2, 3 or 9c part that has a maximum gross floor area of no more than 2,000m2, but does not include a building that is a Type A or Type B construction (refer to Volume 1 Specification C1.1 of the Building Code of Australia).
Qualifications
There are 2 pathways applicants can apply for registration as a building practitioner:
- Pathway 1: Must be a holder of a supervisor certificate authorising the holder to do general building work under the Home Building Act 1989.
- Pathway 2: Must satisfy the qualification requirements to hold a supervisor certificate authorising the holder to do general building work under the Home Building Act 1989.
Note: If you apply under pathway 2 and are granted registration, you will have a condition applied to your registration restricting you to work on class 3 and 9c buildings only. A registered building practitioner with this condition is not authorised to make a building compliance declaration or carry out building work on a class 2 building or building with a class 2 part.
Building experience
You must have three years of practical experience carrying out of building work which includes one year coordinating or supervising building work. Experience must be a class 1, 2, 3, 9a or 9c building. Your experience must have been in the last seven years including at least two years in Australia.
Building practitioner - body corporate nominee (medium-rise)
This class is for building practitioners who want to prepare documents and make declarations on behalf of a registered body corporate but restricted to medium-rise buildings.
Medium-rise defined
Medium rise building means a class 2, 3 or 9c building (or a building containing a class 2, 3 or 9c part), limited to:
- a maximum of 3 storeys; or
- a maximum of 4 storeys (where the ground level or first story is classified as a class 7a building (carpark)). Medium-rise building does not include Type A construction (for class 4, 5, 6, 7b and 8).
Qualifications
There are 2 pathways applicants can apply for registration as a building practitioner:
- Pathway 1: Must be a holder of a supervisor certificate authorising the holder to do general building work under the Home Building Act 1989.
- Pathway 2: Must satisfy the qualification requirements to hold a supervisor certificate authorising the holder to do general building work under the Home Building Act 1989.
Note: If you apply under pathway 2 and are granted registration, you will have a condition applied to your registration restricting you to work on class 3 and 9c buildings only. A registered building practitioner with this condition is not authorised to make a building compliance declaration or carry out building work on a class 2 building or building with a class 2 part.
Building experience
You must have three years of practical experience carrying out of building work which includes two years coordinating or supervising building work. Experience must be a class 1, 2, 3, 9a or 9c building. Your experience must have been in the last seven years including at least two years in Australia.
Details about your project experience
You need to keep records of your project experience for 10 years, including the:
- project address
- DA/CC/CDC number
- building class
- licensed builder or principal contractor responsible for the project
- employer or contractor who engaged you for the project
- dates you started and finished the work
- name and contact details of a referee who can validate these details about your experience.
Insurance requirements
From 1 July 2024, building practitioners must have professional indemnity insurance. It can be either an individual policy, a partnership policy or a corporate policy.
The insurance policy must provide an adequate level of indemnity. You have an ongoing obligation to assess your insurance cover to ensure it is adequate.
When selecting an insurance policy, you must consider factors including:
- your financial resources
- any risks associated with your work
- any limits of the policy and other factors outlined in the Regulation.
You may need to show us that you have assessed the adequacy of your cover. You should seek independent advice on the amount and type of cover you need.
How to register
Building practitioner – all classes (except building practitioner - body corporate)
To register you will need:
- a MyServiceNSW Account – you can create one when you start your application
- proof of identity such as an Australian driver licence, passport or Medicare card
- a National Police Certificate that is no older than 4 months from when you submit your application (name and date of birth check only)
- your endorsed contractor licence authorising you to do general building work. If you are applying as a building practitioner – body corporate nominee, you need a supervisor certificate or an endorsed contractor licence, or
- if you do not hold an endorsed contractor licence or qualified supervisor certificate under the Home Building Act 1989, you must satisfy the qualification requirements to hold the relevant licence and will be restricted to working on class 3 and 9c buildings only
- your contact details
- payment for the fee.
If you hold an existing licence in your field of work, make sure those licence details are up to date and match your proof of identity documents.
Apply online
You can apply online for a 1, 3 or 5 year registration.
Note: this is for individual registrations only, not as a body corporate.
Your application will take about 15 minutes to complete.
Building practitioner – body corporate
To register you will need:
- a MyServiceNSW Account – you can create one when you start your application (Note: the account is created as an individual who declares that they can act on behalf of the body corporate as either a director or public officer)
- a current ASIC extract listing all directors of the body corporate
- proof of identity such as an Australian driver licence, passport or Medicare card
- a signed and completed declaration form for each director of the body corporate, other than the applicant
- a National Police certificate for each and every director that no older than 4 months from when you submit your application (name and date of birth check only)
- the body corporate’s details including:
- contact details for each director of the body corporate
- your contact details
- payment for the fee.
Apply online
You can apply online for a 1, 3 or 5 year registration.
Your application will take about 15 minutes to complete.
What happens next?
We'll assess your application
You need to wait for us to assess your application. This may take up to 28 days (unless we need more information from you).
A NSW Fair Trading officer will contact you if we need more information to make a decision.
You cannot work on a regulated building under the DBP scheme until your application has been assessed
We'll notify you of the outcome
We will notify you about the outcome within 28 days (unless we need more information from you).
If your application is successful, we will:
- send you your certificate of registration with the registration ID
- list your details on the public register for Design and Building Practitioners.
If your application is unsuccessful, you will receive a notice outlining why your application was refused and what options are available to you.
Renew your registration
You need to renew your building practitioner registration before it expires.
When your registration is nearing its expiry date, you will receive a renewal notice. You can then renew your registration online.
Make sure your continuing professional development (CPD) is up to date. You will need to provide evidence of your CPD to renew your registration.
Building practitioners must complete 3 hours of CPD each year from the Construct NSW learning platform. Some building practitioners will need to complete additional CPD each year. (Note: building practitioners who do not hold a licence or certificate under the Home Building Act 1989 will need to complete 12 points of CPD each year.)
For more information, read the continuing professional development guidelines for prescribed practitioners.
What you need
To renew your registration you will need:
- your registration number and contact details
- your renewal number (as shown on your renewal notice)
- evidence of your CPD
- payment for the fee
Note: Any change of details must be completed before your renewal application is lodged.
To restore your registration after expiry, you need to apply within three months of the expiry date.
You can use the details on your renewal form to restore your registration online for a fee.
If your registration is cancelled due to disciplinary action, we will not refund any of the fees paid.
Your application will take about 15 minutes to complete.
If your registration has been expired for longer than three months, you’ll need to make a new application.
You cannot lodge designs and declarations in order to commence or vary building work, or make a building compliance declaration until your new application has been approved and you receive notification of this. If approved, you will retain your original registration number.
To check the status of your registration, you can search the public register.
Change the details on your registration
If you need to update the details on your existing registration, such as your name, address, phone number, company or director name, you must complete a change of details notification. This form authorises Fair Trading to amend your record, which will also be updated on the public register.
Once you have completed and signed the form, it can be lodged with supporting documents by email to [email protected]
You will be notified once your record has been updated.
Surrender your registration
You can surrender your registration at any time by using the request for surrender application form.
Once you have completed and signed the form, it can be lodged with supporting documents by email to [email protected]
You may be entitled to a partial refund of the fees paid for your registration.
Automatic Mutual Recognition (AMR)
Building practitioners are not eligible for AMR as there is no comparable scheme in other jurisdictions.
Interstate building practitioners will need to register under the Design and Building Practitioners scheme in NSW, to lodge designs and make a building declaration in the NSW Planning Portal.
Contact us
If you need help with your application or have a question, please call 13 32 20.
You can also contact Service NSW to ask a question, report an issue or give feedback about the application process.