Who must hold a licence, and who regulates it?
The scheme is administered by Labour Hire Licensing Queensland, within the Queensland Office of Industrial Relations, and commenced on 16 April 2018. A provider must be licensed before it supplies labour hire services in Queensland.
The obligation runs both ways: a person who uses labour hire must use a licensed provider. Providing, or using, unlicensed labour hire is an offence under the Act.
Supplying workers into Queensland from interstate
The obligation follows where the work is supplied, not where the business is based. A provider based in another state — including New South Wales, which has no scheme of its own — must hold a Queensland licence to supply workers in Queensland.
Penalties and the public register
Licensed providers appear on Queensland’s public register, which anyone can search to confirm a provider holds a current licence before engaging them.
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 Queensland: FAQ
Do you need a labour hire licence in Queensland?
Yes. Any business that supplies workers to another business in Queensland must hold a licence under the Labour Hire Licensing Act 2017 (Qld), and businesses that use labour hire must only engage licensed providers.
Who administers labour hire licensing in Queensland?
Labour Hire Licensing Queensland, within the Office of Industrial Relations. The scheme commenced on 16 April 2018.
Does an interstate business need a Queensland licence?
Yes. The requirement applies to anyone supplying labour hire in Queensland regardless of where the business is based. An operator based in New South Wales that supplies workers into Queensland needs a Queensland licence.
How do I check whether a provider is licensed in Queensland?
Search the public register of licensed providers on the Labour Hire Licensing Queensland website before you engage a provider.
Sources: Labour Hire Licensing Queensland — About the licensing scheme; Labour Hire Licensing Act 2017 (Qld).