Licensed trades
To work in some trades in NSW, you must be licenced. The Commissioner does not issue licences or qualifications, only a Certificate of Proficiency. You will need to contact the relevant trade organisations to obtain a license.
Do I need a trade license?
A number of trades in NSW require a license issued by the relevant licensing authority. The Commissioner for Vocational Training does not issue licenses.
Below are trade or industry sectors requiring professional licenses and who to contact. You should contact the relevant licensing authority for further information regarding licensing matters.
Aircraft Trades
- Visit the Civil Aviation Safety Authority website or call 13 17 57.
Automotive, building, construction, electrical, plumbing and refrigeration/air-conditioning trades
NSW Department of Fair Trade licenses all residential builders, tradespeople specialist and motor vehicle repairers and insurers in NSW.
- for Automotive trades visit Motor repairers licensing
- for Building and Construction Trades, Electrical, Plumbing, and Refrigeration/Air-Conditioning visit Licence classes and qualifications
- for nearest department branch visit the NSW Fair Trading website or call 13 32 20 (8.30am to 5.00pm, Mon to Fri).
Related information
- Trades Recognition Australia - Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) is a skills assessment service provider specialising in assessments for people with trade skills gained overseas or in Australia, for the purpose of migration and skills recognition.
- Working in Australia - Information on how to apply for work visas, information on skilled occupations in Australia, licensing and registration requirement and regional employment.
- Federal Department of Education - Information about recognition of overseas qualifications in Australia.
- Translation Services - Multicultural NSW Language Services provides comprehensive interpreting and translation services in 104 languages and dialects.