business.gov.au

Field agent / debt collector or process server licence - Queensland

Description

You will need to have a licence to work as a field agent to:

  • find and recover goods (repossession)
  • collect debts in person
  • serve documents (process serving).

Alternatively, you can work as a collection agent without a licence if you only:

    • collect debts but do not repossess goods or do process serving
    • contact debtors over the phone or in writing.
    • perform evictions or vacant repossessions of real property.

    In most cases, a corporation that works in the debt collection industry must have a corporate licence. This is as a separate licence that individual field agents or debt collectors must have.

    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 a licence, you must:

    • be at least 18 years of age
    • be a suitable person.

    There are no educational requirements for field agent applicants. A criminal history check must be done for each person whose date and place of birth are stated on the application form.

    Duration

    One or three years

    Fees

    Fees Details for this service in table format.

    Task Type Business Structure Description
    Apply Application All

    You can find the current fees here.

    Application process

    Apply

    Your application must include:

    • an application fee
    • a licence issue fee
    • a criminal history check fee for each person whose date and place of birth appear on the application
    • a certified copy of your birth certificate, birth certificate extract, passport, Australian citizenship certificate or driver licence. Proof of identity can be certified by a justice of the peace, commissioner for declarations, barrister, solicitor or notary public (Note that none of the above are required to be provided for a renewal, provided that the name the licence was issued in has not changed or is otherwise requested).
    • two recent colour photographs of you, which must be at least 35mm x 45mm but not more than 40mm x 50mm, and certified by a person who is at least 18 years of age, has known you for more than 12 months immediately before the application and is not related to you by birth or marriage
    • evidence of eligibility to hold the licence.

    Approval time

    Processing time is between four and six weeks

    Administering agency

    Department of Justice and Attorney-General

    Office of Fair Trading

    Industry Licensing Unit

    Contact details

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