Mutual recognition
For the purposes of the information provided below, “mutual recognition” refers to the ability of a person who is registered in connection with an occupation in a State, Territory or New Zealand to carry on an equivalent occupation in Western Australia, subject to the provisions of the Mutual Recognition Act 1992 (Cth) or the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1997 (Cth) (“the MR Acts”). The MR Acts are adopted in Western Australia by the Mutual Recognition (Western Australia) Act 2010.
A centralised licence recognition website has been established by the Commonwealth Department of Education and Training to provide an overview of mutual recognition of occupational licences, access to relevant material, and an equivalency search function.
What you need to know
- Mutual recognition only applies to licensed individuals (not partnerships or bodies corporate).
- The licence (or equivalent) you are seeking to have mutually recognised must be current at the time you seek mutual recognition.
- You must lodge a completed notice in the form provided, seeking registration for the equivalent occupation, pay the required fee and provide evidence of your existing registration.
- Once you have lodged the notice, you are deemed registered and immediately become subject to all of the licensing and other relevant laws of Western Australia while carrying out the occupation.
- You will be notified in writing of the outcome and are entitled to seek a review of the decision with the Commonwealth Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
Deemed registration
Once you have been deemed registered, you can commence work in your licensed occupation in WA, under the same terms as your interstate/New Zealand authorisation but subject to all local laws which apply to the industry until a formal decision has been made. Any trading requirements under the WA licensing laws regarding insurance, fidelity funds, trust accounts and the like that are designed to protect the public, clients, customers or others will immediately apply and you cannot commence trading in WA without them.
You must familiarise yourself with the applicable occupational licensing legislation in Western Australia, to ensure compliance with the laws that apply to your industry.
What happens once the notice is lodged?
- The Department will make enquiries regarding your licensing history in any State/Territory/New Zealand in which you are currently licensed or registered.
- Conditions may be imposed on the Western Australian licence to achieve equivalency with the scope of your interstate/New Zealand authorisation. If your interstate/New Zealand licence is subject to any special conditions, those conditions will likely apply in WA.
- The relevant approving authority may refuse or postpone the grant of a licence/registration if the completed notice is materially false or misleading or if the occupation is not considered equivalent (or able to be made equivalent by the imposition of conditions). If you are aggrieved by the decision, you can apply to the Commonwealth Administrative Appeals Tribunal for a review.
- If a decision has not been made to grant, refuse or postpone a validly lodged registration within one month of the date on which it was lodged, you will be entitled to full registration immediately after that time.
- If granted, registration takes effect from the date the completed notice was lodged and all renewals are pursuant to the relevant WA licensing legislation.
Please refer to the drop-down options relating to your licence/registration for the required form(s), fees, and any supplementary requirements you will need to undertake following deemed registration. For further assistance or questions relating to your application, contact Licensing Services on 1300 30 40 64.
Building, painting, and surveying mutual recognition
Apply in writing to have your licence recognised in Western Australia
Registration as a practitioner in relation to the below registration types, does not authorise a person to provide services as a contractor. If your practitioner’s registration has conditions attached to the scope of work you are permitted to carry out this will be reflected on your contractor’s individual registration or the contractor’s registration of a partnership or body corporate for which you are the nominated supervisor. Mutual Recognition cannot be applied to contractor registration.
Two fees are payable for each of the registration types: a non-refundable application fee and registration fee.
Building practitioner
Application fee: $213.70
Registration fee (3 years): $614.30
Painting practitioner
Application fee: $88.15
Registration fee (3 years): $454.05
Building surveying practitioner
Application fee: $112.20
Registration fee (3 years): $927.35
GST is not payable on the application or registration fees.
If the Board does not grant your registration in accordance with section 23 of the Mutual Recognition Act 1992, the registration fee will be refunded.
Motor vehicle industry mutual recognition
Apply in writing to have your licence recognised in Western Australia
Motor vehicle dealer
Application fee to trade at one premises: $1,823.40
Application fee to trade at two premises: $2,732.95
GST is not payable on the application fee.
If you are granted a licence, you will be required to provide the address of all premises you intend to operate from. Once the premises are authorised by the Commissioner for Consumer Protection, your licence and certificate(s) of authorised premises will be issued to you.
Motor vehicle repairer
Application fee: $85.30
GST is not payable on the application fee.
If you are granted a licence, you will be required to provide two certified passport sized photographs and a certified copy of your photographic identification. Once this is received, a wallet sized identity card will be issued to you.
Motor vehicle repair business
Application fee for 1-2 repairers: $954.25
Application fee for 3 repairers: $1,099.05
Application fee for 4 repairers: $1,243.35
Application fee for 5-7 repairers: $1,388.65
Application fee for 8-10 repairers: $1,572.05
Application fee for 11 + repairers: $1,720.70
GST is not payable on the application fee.
If you are granted a licence, you will be required to provide the address of all premises you intend to operate from, including mobile premises. Once the premises are authorised by the Commissioner for Consumer Protection, your licence and certificate(s) of authorised premises will be issued to you.
Motor vehicle salesperson
Application fee: $313.35
GST is not payable on the application fee.
Property industry mutual recognition
Apply in writing to have your licence recognised in Western Australia
Real estate and business agent
Application fee: $1,046.00
GST is not payable on the application fee.
All real estate agents intending to receive or hold trust money must have an auditor and a trust account in accordance with section 68 of the Real Estate and Business Agents Act 1978. If granted, the licence and triennial certificate will be held pending receipt of a letter from the nominated auditor and details of the trust account opened for this purpose.
Please note: In WA, auctioneer licensing is administered by the Magistrates Court, so if you are entitled to auction property in your home State, a real estate agent's licence issued in WA will not permit you to carry out this work. For further information about auctioneer licensing, please contact the Magistrates Court of Western Australia.
Real estate and business sales representative
Application fee: $252.90
GST is not payable on the application fee.
Real estate settlement agent / business settlement agent
Application fee: $968.95
GST is not payable on the application fee.
Settlement agents (also known as conveyancers in other jurisdictions) are required to hold professional indemnity and fidelity insurance at all times while operating. If you intend to hold or receive trust money you must also have a nominated auditor and a trust account.
If the application is granted, the licence and triennial certificate will be held pending receipt of a letter from the registered auditor, a copy of the insurance policy document and the details of the trust account.
Land valuer
Application fee: $829.75
GST is not payable on the application fee.
Land valuers must provide their employment details for the purposes of the register. If the licence is granted, you will be required to provide this information before the licence certificate is issued to you.
Debt collector
Apply in writing to have your licence recognised in Western Australia
Debt collector
Application fee: $2,525.35
GST is not payable on the application or registration fees.
A licence cannot be issued until a security (bank guarantee) in the approved form (proforma) or a fidelity bond in the form prescribed by the Debt Collectors Licensing Regulations 1964 is lodged with the Commissioner. The bond or bank guarantee must be the original and for the sum of:
- $6,000 for a natural person licensee
- $10,000 for a company licensee
Fidelity bonds are accepted from:
- Institute of Mercantile Agents Limited
- White Group (VIC) Pty Ltd t/as White Insurance Brokers
- any entity that is the holder of an Australian Financial Services Licence which confers the authorisation to provide general insurance products
Bonds underwritten by Lloyds of London are also accepted.
Should a bond be terminated during the licence period the licence is deemed to be suspended until a replacement bond, that is in force, is lodged with the Commissioner.
Electrical, plumbing, and gas mutual recognition
Apply in writing to have your licence recognised in Western Australia
If you hold more than one Electrical or Gas licence type that is mutually recognised in WA, and intend to carry out that work, you will be required to lodge separate Written Notice of Equivalent Occupation forms for each licence type.
Two fees are payable with the licence types listed below: a non-refundable application fee and registration fee.
Electrician
$164.85 (1 year) – application fee $72.45 & registration fee $92.40
$534.45 (5 years) – application fee $72.45 & registration fee $462.00
GST is not payable on the application or registration fees.
Restricted electrical worker
$164.85 (1 year) – application fee $72.45 & registration fee $92.40
$534.45 (5 years) – application fee $72.45 & registration fee $462.00
GST is not payable on the application or registration fees.
Gasfitter
$105.45 (1 year) – application fee $51.45 & registration fee $54.00
$321.45 (5 years) - application fee $51.45 & registration fee $270.00
GST is not payable on the application or registration fees.
The Gas Licensing Committee recommends that you complete the Gas Standards Legislation as this module covers Western Australian legislation requirements relating to gasfitting work.
Plumbing tradesperson
Application fee: $26.70
Licence fee (3 years): $228.65
GST is not payable on the application or registration fees.
If the Board does not grant your licence in accordance with section 23 of the Mutual Recognition Act 1992, the licence fee will be refunded.
If you are granted a licence, you will be required to provide two passport sized photographs and a certified copy of your photographic identification. Once this is received a wallet sized identity card will be issued to you.
Plumbing contractor
Application fee: $60.25
Licence fee (3 years): $617.50
GST is not payable on the application or registration fees.
If the Board does not grant your licence in accordance with section 23 of the Mutual Recognition Act 1992, the licence fee will be refunded.
If you are granted a licence, you will be required to provide two passport sized photographs and a certified copy of your photographic identification. Once this is received a wallet sized identity card will be issued to you.