How to renew your NDIS Worker Screening Check
Your NDIS Worker Screening clearance lasts 5 years. Here’s how and when to renew in 2026, the renewal window, the cost, and what happens if you let it lapse.
Do you actually renew, or reapply from scratch?
When should you start your renewal?
Step-by-step: how to lodge your new check
What it costs to renew (indicative)
Can you keep working while your renewal is processed?
Moving states or changing employers at renewal time
Documents and details to have ready
Common renewal mistakes to avoid
After your new clearance is granted
Frequently asked questions
How long does an NDIS Worker Screening Check renewal take?
There is no guaranteed timeframe. A straightforward application with clean, well-matched details can be decided within a few days, but any application referred for further assessment — because of a criminal history record, an interstate matter, or an identity mismatch — can take several weeks. Because you cannot predict which path yours will take, lodge your new application 8 to 12 weeks before your current clearance expires and confirm current processing times with your state or territory screening unit.
Does my NDIS Worker Screening clearance renew automatically?
No. It does not auto-renew. Your clearance is valid for five years and then simply expires unless you lodge a new application and are granted a fresh clearance. You may receive a reminder, but you should never rely on one — set your own calendar reminder for about three months before your expiry date and apply then. Because it is a new application, the fresh clearance also gets its own new five-year expiry date.
Can I keep working as a support worker while my renewal is being processed?
Yes, but only if your existing clearance is still valid. While your old five-year clearance has not expired, you keep working normally as the new application is assessed. Once your old clearance lapses, you cannot legally perform any risk-assessed role until the new clearance is granted — which is exactly why applying two to three months early is so important.
How much does it cost to renew an NDIS Worker Screening Check?
You pay a screening fee to your state or territory unit each time you apply, including at renewal. As an indicative range as at 2026, a paid-worker application is roughly $110 to $150, with reduced or nil fees often available for volunteers, but fees vary by jurisdiction and change over time. Always confirm the exact current fee with your own state or territory screening unit, and ask your employer whether they reimburse it. This fee is what you pay for your own clearance — it is separate from any NDIS price a provider charges a participant's plan.
Do I need a new check if I move to another state?
Not automatically — the NDIS Worker Screening Check is nationally recognised, so a valid clearance stays valid across every state and territory for its full five years even if you relocate. However, when it comes time to renew, you apply through the screening unit in your current state of residence, not the one where you originally applied. Make sure your address and employer links are up to date so there are no delays.
Is the NDIS Worker Screening Check the same as a police check or Working With Children Check?
No, they are separate. The NDIS Worker Screening Check is a specific national check with its own risk assessment, run through state and territory screening units, and it is not interchangeable with a standard police check or a Working With Children Check. Each has its own application, fee and expiry date, so renewing one does not renew the others — track them separately.
What happens if my clearance expires before the new one is granted?
You must stop performing risk-assessed work — essentially all direct disability support — until your new clearance is granted, and there is generally no grace period. A registered provider is legally required not to let you work in a risk-assessed role without a valid clearance, so you may be stood down or moved to non-risk-assessed duties while you wait. The only reliable way to avoid this is to apply well before your expiry date.