business.gov.au

Child Employment - Employer's Authority - New South Wales

Description

You will need this authority if you intend to employ children for entertainment, exhibition, still photography, door-to-door sales or modelling activities. Specifically, you will need approval to employ a child who is either:

  • under 15 years for entertainment and exhibition activities
  • under 15 years for photography and film activities 
  • under 15 years for door-to-door sales activities 
  • under 16 years for modelling activities
  • an infant for any activity.

Employment is defined as providing payment or giving benefit (coupon, voucher, royalty, etc.) to a child or another person in return for services provided by the child.

As an employer, you must provide the parents of employed children with the Office's code of practice and your own organisation's code of conduct.

Service type

Licence

A licence defines the need to obtain recognition / certification and registration to undertake a certain business activity.

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible for this authority, you must:

  • be an organisation or individual who directs a child to perform tasks for payment or material benefit, or an industry student who directs a child to perform a task with or without payment or benefit
  • have a child safe code of conduct specific to your organisation or business
  • have a personal injury policy for any children that are to be employed
  • be able to comply with all requirements set out in the code of practice.

Ongoing eligibility requirements

As an employer with the authority to employ children in New South Wales, you must:

  • keep a detailed record of all the work that a child conducts
  • keep an incident register in an approved manner
  • notify the Office seven days in advance of any work to be carried out by a child
  • have a risk management strategy in place 
  • comply with all workplace standards set out in the code of practice
  • ensure that when a child is working, they are supervised appropriately for their age and level of maturity. 

If you intend to employ a baby under the age of 3, you must:

  • ensure a registered nurse or registered midwife is present at all times
  • ensure that the registered nurse or midwife has advised that the child is suitable for employment
  • ensure that the registered nurse or midwife has advised that the employment environment will not cause the baby distress
  • follow the advice of the registered nurse or midwife in all matters in relation to the baby.

Please note that a baby under the age of 12 weeks must not be employed without express authorisation from the agency.

Duration

Up to 12 months

Fees

Fees Details for this service in table format.

Task Type Business Structure Amount Description
Apply Application All $2400.00

Employer's authority in force for up to 12 months for any regulated activity. Fees for 2025-26
Apply Application All $1075.00

Employer's authority in force for up to 12 months only for still photographic sessions or door-to-door sales. Fees for 2025-26
Apply Application All $2040.00

Employer's authority in force for up to 6 months for any regulated activity. Fees for 2025-26
Apply Application All $914.00

Employer's authority in force for up to 6 months only for still photographic sessions or door-to-door sales. Fees for 2025-26
Apply Application All $1830.00

Employer's authority in force for up to 3 months for any regulated activity. Fees for 2025-26
Apply Application All $806.00

Employer's authority in force for up to 3 months only for still photographic sessions or door-to-door sales. Fees for 2025-26
Apply Application All $200.00

Employer's authority in force for up to 1 week for any regulated activity. Fees for 2025-26
Apply Application All $100.00

Employer's authority in force for up to 1 week only for still photographic sessions or door-to-door sales. Fees for 2025-26

Act(s) name

Children's Guardian Act 2019 New South Wales

Regulation(s) name

Children's Guardian Regulation 2022 New South Wales

Approval time

At least 7 business days prior to the commencement of their employment (including pre-employment activities such as rehearsals).

Administering agency

NSW Office of the Children's Guardian

Contact details

Contact Email, Phone and Address Details for this service in simple two column table format, header then data.