Who must hold a licence, and who regulates it?
There is no New South Wales labour hire licence to hold. The NSW Government has confirmed there is currently no licensing scheme in NSW, and that it is considering, with the Commonwealth and other states, the best approach to a nationally consistent framework.
Labour hire in NSW is instead governed by general workplace and work health and safety law. SafeWork NSW sets out the work health and safety obligations that apply to labour hire arrangements.
Supplying workers into New South Wales from interstate
The absence of a NSW scheme does not exempt a NSW-based operator from other jurisdictions’ schemes. A NSW business supplying workers into Queensland, Victoria, South Australia or the ACT must hold that state’s or territory’s labour hire licence.
The records gap a licence does not close
A labour hire licence confirms you’re permitted to supply workers. It says nothing about whether your record of the hours those workers actually worked will hold up if it’s ever challenged.
That is the gap the Workforce Ledger Evidentiary Standard (WLES) addresses: hours verified at the point of work, approved by the supervisor, and sealed into a tamper-evident record before payroll.
Labour hire licensing in New South Wales: FAQ
Do you need a labour hire licence in New South Wales?
No. As at June 2026 New South Wales has no dedicated state labour hire licensing scheme, so there is no NSW labour hire licence to hold.
If NSW has no scheme, do cross-border obligations still apply?
Yes. A NSW business that supplies workers into Queensland, Victoria, South Australia or the ACT must hold that jurisdiction’s labour hire licence — the requirement follows where the work is supplied.
How is labour hire regulated in NSW?
Through general workplace and work health and safety law. SafeWork NSW sets out the work health and safety obligations that apply to labour hire arrangements.
Sources: NSW Government — Update on labour hire regulation; SafeWork NSW — Contractors and labour hire.