How do you check a contractor's workers compensation is current in NSW, VIC, QLD and the ACT?

Last updated 2 November 2026

You check a contractor's workers compensation by asking for their workers compensation certificate of currency, then confirming four things: the employer name and ABN match the business you engaged, today's date falls inside the period shown, the certificate is for the state or territory where the work happens, and the details on it make sense for the job. In most states you can't look another business's policy up yourself, so the certificate is the evidence you work from.

Why is workers compensation the one that gets missed?

Public liability gets chased because everyone knows to ask for it. Licences get looked up because there is a public register. Workers compensation tends to arrive once, at onboarding, and then sit in a folder.

It is also the document that matters most on a bad day. If someone is hurt on site, the first question is whether they were covered, and by whom.

Two things make it easy to get wrong. Each state and territory runs its own scheme, so a contractor covered in one place may not be covered in another. And policies usually run on a financial year, so a certificate collected in August can be out of date by the following July.

What should you check on any certificate?

Whatever the state, check these against what the contractor gave you:

Employer name and ABN. They match the legal entity on your contract, not a similar trading name.
Period of insurance. Today's date, and the dates of the job, fall inside it.
State or territory. The certificate is issued under the scheme where the work is done. A contractor working in two states may need a certificate for each.
Type of certificate. A full certificate of currency, not an interim certificate or a premium notice. More on that below.
Industry and size. The industry description and the number of workers look reasonable for the work being done.

New South Wales

In NSW, most employers are insured through icare, which acts for the Workers Compensation Nominal Insurer. An icare certificate shows the employer name, ABN, policy number, the period it is valid for, the industry classification, the number of workers and estimated wages.

The certificate itself tells principals what to do with it. It asks you to make sure it comes with a subcontractor's statement under section 175B of the Workers Compensation Act 1987 (NSW), to compare the number of workers on site with the number estimated on the policy, to check the wages are reasonable for the labour in the job, and to confirm the industry description fits. It also warns that a principal contractor may become liable for a subcontractor's unpaid premium if no statement was obtained, or if one was accepted when there was reason to believe it was false.

That last point is the one most teams miss. In NSW, collecting the certificate on its own is not the whole check.

Victoria

In Victoria, the scheme is run by WorkSafe Victoria, and policies are managed by its authorised agents. WorkSafe describes the certificate of currency as confirmation that a business is currently registered for WorkCover insurance, and notes it is commonly required when hiring a contractor or going onto a building site.

Two details are worth knowing. Only employers that are required to register will have a certificate, so a contractor with no employees may genuinely not have one. And Victorian certificates are normally issued for a financial year, so check the date range rather than assuming last year's certificate still holds. A premium notice is not a certificate of currency.

Queensland

In Queensland, employers insure with WorkCover Queensland unless they are a self-insurer. WorkCover says the certificate shows the business entity's name, ABN or ACN, and the period of insurance.

WorkCover also says it will only give a business its own certificate. If you want to see a contractor's, you have to ask the contractor for it.

Watch for interim certificates. Around renewal, WorkCover issues an interim certificate of insurance that is valid only until premiums are due, with the full certificate of currency available once the premium is paid. If a contractor gave you an interim certificate, note the end date and ask for the full one after it.

Australian Capital Territory

In the ACT, private sector workers compensation is provided by approved insurers under the Workers Compensation Act 1951, and WorkSafe ACT administers the scheme. Employers must hold a policy, and WorkSafe ACT lists a certificate of currency, or current policy details, as the proof its inspectors ask for.

Because several insurers write ACT policies, certificates don't all look the same. Check the insurer is named, the policy is under the ACT Act, and the period covers the job.

What about sole traders?

A sole trader with no employees often isn't required to hold workers compensation for themselves, which is why some contractors have no certificate to give you. That isn't automatically a problem. But the rules about who counts as a worker differ between states and can catch arrangements people assume are exempt.

If a contractor says they don't need cover, ask them to confirm it in writing, and check the regulator's guidance for the state where the work happens. If they bring anyone else onto the job, ask again.

What a certificate can't tell you

A certificate shows cover on the day it was issued. If the policy is cancelled or the premium goes unpaid after that, the PDF in your folder doesn't change. That is why the date of issue matters, and why a certificate collected once a year leaves a long gap.

The fix isn't more paperwork. It's knowing when each certificate expires and asking for the new one before it does.

How Vettedmark handles it

On Vettedmark, a contractor uploads their workers compensation certificate once. Our team reviews it, and the expiry date sits on the contractor's record. When the date passes, their status changes on its own. Nobody sets it by hand.

Check your contractors or, if you're a contractor, claim your free profile.

Sources

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Check the regulator's current guidance for the state where the work happens.