Licensing · NSW
How to check a builder's licence in NSW
How to confirm a builder or tradesperson holds a current NSW licence, and what the public register does and does not show. Draft, pending review.
Last updated 2026-07-12
In short
In NSW, builder and tradesperson licences sit on a public register anyone can search, with no permission needed. Use the Service NSW licence check or Verify.Licence: enter a name, business name or licence number to see the licence held, the class of work it authorises, its status as at today, and any conditions. Match that name to the name on your contract.
As at
In NSW, residential building work and many trades must be licensed, and the licence details sit on a public register that anyone can search. You do not need the builder's permission to look.[1]
Where the record lives
Service NSW publishes a “Check a builder or tradesperson licence” tool. You enter a name, business name or licence number, and it returns the licence held for that person or business.[1]
The same information is available through Verify.Licence, the NSW Government's licence-verification service, which confirms whether a licence or registration is current as at the date you check it.[2]
What the register shows
| Field | What it means |
|---|---|
| Licence number and holder | The number and the name it is held under |
| Licence type and classes | The classes of work it authorises |
| Status | Current, or otherwise, as at the date you read it |
| Conditions | Any conditions recorded against the licence |
Source[1]
What to match
The name on your building contract should match the name and licence on the register. A licence held by one entity does not cover work contracted through a different name. We report what the register holds; we do not rate or characterise any licensee.
What the register does not do
A public register records the licence as it stands. It is a record, not a recommendation, and it does not speak to the quality of a builder's work. Read it for what it is: the current, sourced state of the licence, with the date you checked it attached.
Sources
- NSW builder and tradesperson licences are recorded on a public register searchable through Service NSW. Service NSW - Check a builder or tradesperson licence (retrieved 2026-07-04)
- Verify.Licence is the NSW Government service for confirming a licence or registration is current. Verify.Licence - NSW Government (retrieved 2026-07-04)
Property Assurance is an independent information service. We are not a government body, insurer or credit provider. This guide explains public records; it is not legal or financial advice.
Common questions
- How do I check if a builder is licensed in NSW?
- Search the Service NSW licence check or Verify.Licence by name, business name or licence number. The register returns the licence held, the class of work it authorises, its current status, and any conditions recorded against it.
- Is the NSW builder licence register free to search?
- Yes. The NSW licence register is public and free. You do not need the builder's permission, and you can read the licence status as at the date you check it.
- What does the licence register not show?
- It records the licence as it stands, not the quality of a builder's work. It is a record, not a recommendation. Read it for the current, sourced state of the licence, with the date you checked it attached.
Checking a specific builder? See builders we have checked in New South Wales.
See what the registers say
14,722 Australian companies entered external administration in the 2024 to 2025 financial year, the highest annual number on record.Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), Corporate Insolvency Update (issue 37)
Reads the public registers directly. Sources named and dated.