High risk work licence (HRWL) renewal in Queensland: expiry, the 12-month rule and which class you need
A Queensland high risk work licence (HRWL) lasts five years. Renew it on or before the expiry date and you can keep working while it is processed. Miss the date and you stop work in that class; miss it by more than 12 months and you are back to training and assessment. Here is how it works, and the classes fabricators and site crews actually need.
Forklift, dogging, rigging, EWP and overhead crane tickets are the ones that quietly run out. The card goes in a wallet, the renewal notice goes to an old address, and nobody notices until a site induction or an inspector asks for it. Under the WHS laws, a worker can't do a class of high risk work without the right licence, and a PCBU (the business) must not let them. This guide covers the Queensland rules from Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) and the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld). If you are new to site, the White Card guide covers general construction induction, which is a separate thing.
The short answer
- A HRWL is valid for 5 years unless cancelled. Adding a class later does not reset the expiry date.
- WHSQ sends a renewal notice by post and email 4–6 weeks before expiry. Keep your contact details current: you must update them within 14 days of a change.
- Lodge the renewal on or before the expiry date and the licence stays valid until WHSQ decides.
- Lodge it after expiry (up to 12 months) and you can still renew, but you can't do that work until the renewal is granted.
- More than 12 months after expiry, renewal isn't accepted unless exceptional circumstances apply. You redo RTO training and assessment and apply for a new licence within 60 days of passing.
How to renew a Queensland HRWL
Renewals are lodged online through WHSQ's High Risk Work Licence Online Services. Australia Post outlets and TMR customer service centres don't process HRWL renewals. WHSQ lists what you need:
- Your HRWL number and personal details exactly as printed on the licence
- The renewal notice number (top left of the renewal notice)
- A Queensland Digital Identity (QDI)
- A customer reference number (CRN) from a TMR card, such as a Queensland driver licence or proof of age card (if you don't have one, you can still lodge and WHSQ will contact you)
- A Visa or Mastercard for the fee, paid within 14 days of lodging or the application is withdrawn (check the current fee on WorkSafe Queensland's fee table)
- A declaration that you have maintained your competency in each class. This is a legal declaration, and WHSQ can't renew a class you haven't kept up.
Worked example – a forklift and dogging ticket in a fab shop
Sam's licence shows classes LF and DG, expiry 14 March 2027. The renewal notice should arrive between about late January and mid-February 2027. Sam lodges online on 2 March 2027, before expiry, so the licence stays valid while WHSQ processes it and Sam keeps driving the forklift. If Sam had lodged on 20 March instead, the licence would have lapsed on the 14th and Sam couldn't drive the forklift or sling loads until the renewal was granted. If Sam waited until April 2028, more than 12 months after expiry, renewal would not be accepted and Sam would need to retrain and be reassessed.
Licence classes fabricators and site crews hit most
Schedule 3 of the WHS Regulations sets out the classes. These are the ones that come up in fabrication shops and on steel erection jobs:
- Forklift truck (LF): a forklift with a mast and elevating load carriage. Order-picking forklifts are a separate class (LO).
- Dogging (DG): slinging a load, including selecting and inspecting the lifting gear, or directing a crane or hoist operator when the load is out of the operator's view.
- Basic rigging (RB): includes dogging, plus rigging work such as structural steel erection, hoists, precast concrete members, safety nets and static lines. Intermediate (RI) and advanced (RA) rigging cover more complex work.
- Bridge and gantry crane (CB): a bridge or gantry crane controlled from a permanent cabin or control station, or remote controlled with more than three powered operations, including load estimation and slinging.
- Boom-type elevating work platform (WP): where the boom is 11 metres or more.
- Vehicle loading crane (CV): a vehicle loading crane of 10 metre-tonnes or more, including load estimation and slinging.
- Scaffolding (SB, SI, SA): basic, intermediate and advanced scaffolding work.
Not sure what the crew needs for a job? Write the licence classes into the SWMS and check them at the site induction. Lifting gear itself needs its own inspections, so see the lifting gear inspection guide.
What the business (PCBU) should check
- View the physical card and keep a copy on the worker's file. A valid card has a photo, the date it was produced, an expiry date and all endorsed classes. WHSQ says a card with no expiry date or photo is no longer valid.
- Check validity and classes with WHSQ's online licence search or by phoning 1300 362 128.
- If a licence looks wrong, don't let the worker do the work, and give the details to WHSQ.
- Track expiry dates for every worker and every class in one list, and chase renewals at least six weeks out, before the notice is even due.
The exceptions are narrow. A trainee enrolled in the course can work under the direct supervision of a licence holder of the same class. Someone who has passed the assessment can do the work while they hold certification no more than 60 days old, or once they have applied within 60 days of passing. Plant being tested, serviced or commissioned without load is also covered.
Quick answers
How long is a high risk work licence valid in Queensland?
Five years, unless it is cancelled. Adding a new class does not reset the expiry date. The expiry date is printed on the bottom right of the licence card.
Can I keep working if my HRWL has expired?
Only if you lodged the renewal on or before the expiry date. Then the licence stays valid until WHSQ decides the application. If you lodge after the expiry date, the licence is not valid and you cannot do that class of work until it is renewed.
What happens if my HRWL expired more than 12 months ago?
WHSQ will not accept a renewal more than 12 months after expiry unless exceptional circumstances apply (WHS Regulation 2011 (Qld) s 103). You need to redo training and assessment with an RTO and apply for a new licence within 60 days of passing the assessment.
Do I need a licence to drive a forklift or use an overhead crane in the workshop?
A forklift truck needs class LF (order-picking forklifts are a separate class, LO). A bridge or gantry crane needs class CB if it is controlled from a permanent cabin or control station, or is remote controlled with more than three powered operations. Slinging a load or directing a crane operator when the load is out of their view is dogging (DG).
Sources
- WorkSafe Queensland – Renew a high risk work licence
- WorkSafe Queensland – High risk work licensing: training and assessment
- WorkSafe Queensland – Apply for a high risk work licence
- Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld) – s 103 Renewal of expired licence
- Safe Work Australia – High risk work licence classes
- Model WHS Regulations – Schedule 3 High risk work licences and classes
Related guides
- White Card QLD: general construction induction
- Welding tickets in Australia (AS/NZS 2980, ISO 9606)
- SWMS for high risk construction work
- Workshop plant and lifting gear inspection
- Site induction checklist
General information only, summarised from the official sources above as at the review date. It isn't legal or WHS advice. Rules change, other states have their own regulator, and your situation may differ, so check the source or contact WHSQ.