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General FAQs

How much does it cost and how long will it take?

Please click here to view the Commission's current full schedule of fees for blue cards.

As a guide, you should allow at least 28 business days for your application to be processed as the check includes a national criminal history check and a comprehensive assessment of a person's eligibility to work with children.

Applications will take longer to process if:

• forms are incomplete or not correctly filled in. Please ensure each part of the form is filled in by the appropriate person and completed correctly, or
• there is police or disciplinary information about an applicant that the Commission must retrieve and consider before determining a person's eligibility to work with children, or
• there is a potential name match and the police need to verify the information.

How long is my blue card valid for?

Blue cards are valid for three years.

When can I start working with children?

Paid employees can commence regulated child-related work after they have lodged a completed application with the Commission.

Volunteers, trainee students and business operators must hold a valid blue card before they can commence regulated child-related work.

Registered teachers and police officers can commence regulated child-related work after they have lodged a completed exemption card application with the Commission.

I'm looking for a job working with children, can I apply for a blue card before I start?

No. You may only submit an application for a blue card in circumstances where:

• an organisation proposes to employ you in a paid or voluntary capacity in a category of child-related employment regulated by the Act, or
• you are a trainee student doing a practical placement in a category of child-related employment regulated by the Act as part of your studies with an education provider, or
• you propose to carry on a child-related business which is regulated by the Act.

The Commission can only screen for activities that are regulated by the Commission's Act. If the work is not covered by the blue card system, you may not require a blue card / exemption card and the Commission may not be able to screen you.

For further information please contact the Blue Card Contact Centre on 1800 113 611 (freecall within QLD - calls from mobile phones may attract charges) or 3211 6999.

How can I pay for my blue card?

The Commission accepts the following forms of payment:

• Cash (for over the counter transactions only)
• Credit card (Mastercard or VISA). Please note that we are unable to accept payment over the phone and details must be submitted with the application or relevant form, or
• Cheque or money order, made payable to: Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian (ABN 51639217791).

When should I renew my blue card?

Business operators, volunteers and trainee students must ensure their renewal application is received by the Commission at least 30 days before their blue card expires in order to continue in regulated work after their blue card expires unless their blue card has been suspended or cancelled.

Paid employees must submit their renewal application before their blue card expires.

Exemption cards have no expiry date and remain valid as long as the person is a registered teacher or police officer in Queensland, unless suspended or cancelled earlier.

I work in more than one child-related area of employment (for example, I work in a child care centre and volunteer at a children's sporting club), do I need more than one blue card or exemption card?

No.

You can use your blue card or exemption card for other roles, however you must notify the Commission by submitting an 'Authorisation to confirm a valid card' form (PDF, 131KB). By submitting this form employers, volunteer coordinators or education providers will receive any important updates about an applicant or card holder's status.

Please note, if you have a volunteer or student card and have not previously paid for your blue card and are proposing to enter into paid work (either with another organisation or through operating your own business) you must submit the Volunteer to paid employment transfer form and pay the prescribed fee. You will receive a new card with an additional three years of validity from the date of issue.

Can a person with a criminal history have a blue card?

A person with a criminal history will not necessarily be refused a blue card.

If a person's criminal history suggests that a blue card should not be issued, the Commissioner will ask the applicant to provide a submission, explaining why the application for a blue card should not be refused.

The Commissioner assesses the information provided in the submission before making a final decision. For more information about how the Commission decides who is eligible to work with children, please click here.

Please note there are certain people who are disqualified from applying for a blue card. For more information on disqualified persons please click here.

What if there is a change in a card holder's police or disciplinary information?

The Commission monitors the police and disciplinary information of all blue card or exemption card holders and once made aware of a change in a person's police or disciplinary information they will take steps to protect the safety and wellbeing of children and young people, which might include:

• suspending or cancelling a person's blue card or exemption card, and
• notifying organisations or employers of any suspension/cancellation to a person's status and requiring them to be removed from child-related work or activities.

If there is a change in a person's police or disciplinary information, the card holder must notify their employer that a change has occurred. However, the card holder does not need to provide specific details of the change.

The person's employer, volunteer organisation or education provider should provide notice to the Commission that they are aware of a change in the person's police information by submitting a 'Change in police information' form (PDF, 127KB).

What is a negative notice and what does it mean?

If an application for a blue card or exemption card is not approved, a person is issued with a negative notice letter which prohibits that person from working in employment or carrying on a business regulated by the Commission's Act.

Last updated: 27 July, 2012

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