Apply for registration as a design or building practitioner

Registering as a design practitioner - individual

Eligibility

Design practitioners working on regulated buildings (class 2, 3 or 9c buildings or a building with a class 2, 3 or 9c part) need to register to:

• Make declarations that buildings comply with the Building Code of Australia.
• Lodge regulated designs on the NSW Planning Portal.

Several classes of design practitioner are eligible to register.

You can register for more than one class if you meet the eligibility requirements for each.

You can also apply for registration as a:

1. professional engineer – for certain engineering work on class 2 buildings.
2. principal design practitioner – to coordinate and lodge designs by other practitioners.

What you will need to register online:

• MyServiceNSW account
• Proof of identity (e.g., driver licence, passport, Medicare card)
• National Police Certificate (valid for 4 months)
• Evidence of qualifications, experience, skills, and knowledge
• Certificates of completion for learning modules
• Details about project experience
• Contact details
• Payment for the fee.

Apply for design practitioner registration

Registering as a design practitioner – body corporate

Eligibility

A body corporate needs to register as a design practitioner or principal design practitioner to:

• make compliance declarations for regulated buildings (class 2, 3 or 9c buildings or a building with a class 2, 3 or 9c  part)
• lodge regulated designs on the NSW Planning Portal.

Note: You must be the director of a body corporate to apply for this registration. A body corporate cannot be a Trust or a Partnership.

What you will need to register online:

• MyServiceNSW Account
• ASIC extract listing all directors
• Proof of identity for each director
• Signed declaration form for each director
• National Police Certificate for each director (valid for 4 months)
• Body corporate details and contact information
• Payment for the fee.

Apply for design practitioner - body corporate registration

Registering as a building practitioner - individual

Eligibility

Building practitioners working on regulated buildings (class 2, 3 or 9c buildings or a building with a class 2, 3 or 9c part) need to register to:

• Make declarations that buildings comply with the Building Code of Australia.
• Lodge regulated designs on the NSW Planning Portal.

Building practitioners working on Sydney Metro projects also need to register if they need to declare compliance and lodge designs.

What you will need to register online

• MyServiceNSW Account
• Proof of identity (e.g., driver licence, passport, Medicare card)
• National Police Certificate (valid for 4 months)
• a current endorsed contractor licence or qualified supervisor certificate for general building work
• Contact details
• Payment for the fee.

Apply for building practitioner registration

Apply for Sydney Metro project registration

Registering as a building practitioner - body corporate

Eligibility

A body corporate needs to register as a building practitioner to:

• make compliance declarations for regulated buildings (class 2, 3 or 9c buildings or a building with a class 2, 3 or 9c part)
• lodge regulated designs on the NSW Planning Portal.

Note: You must be the director of a body corporate to apply for this registration. A body corporate cannot be a Trust or a Partnership.

What you will need to register online:

• ASIC extract listing all directors
• Proof of identity for each director
• Signed declaration form for each director
• National Police Certificate for each director (valid for 4 months)
• Body corporate details and contact information
• Payment for the fee.

Apply for building practitioner - body corporate registration

Note:

If you do not hold a contractor licence or qualified supervisor certificate authorising you to do general building work under the Home Building Act 1989, and you want to work on Class 3 and 9c buildings, you can still apply for registration by completing this online form. See the building practitioner registration page for more details about pathways to working on regulated buildings.

Registering as a professional engineer

Eligibility

• Professional engineers  who want to work on regulated buildings (class 2, 3 or 9c buildings or a building with a class 2, 3 or 9c  part) need to be registered under the Design and Building Practitioners scheme (‘the scheme’).
• A professional engineer who is not registered under the scheme can work under the direct supervision of a registered professional engineer.
• A professional engineer must also register under the scheme as a design practitioner in the relevant class to prepare regulated designs or make a compliance declaration.

If eligible, you can also apply for 2 other registration types in the same digital application:

1. design practitioner – if you’ll make design compliance declarations and/or lodge documents on the NSW Planning Portal
2. principal design practitioner – if you’ll coordinate and lodge designs on behalf of other design practitioners or building practitioners.

If you’re already registered in another Australian state/territory or in New Zealand, you can apply to have your registration recognised under mutual recognition provisions.

What you will need to register online

• MyServiceNSW Account
• Proof of identity (e.g., driver licence, passport, Medicare card)
• National Police Certificate (valid for 4 months)
• a copy of your qualifications and any transcripts
• evidence of existing licences in your field of work 
• details about your experience
• contact details
• payment for the fee.

Apply for professional engineer registration

Apply for professional engineer registration under mutual recognition

Varying your registration

You can apply to have your existing registration varied to add a new class. Depending on what class you wish to add, there will be a non-refundable fee. 

If you want to add a new registration type, this is not considered a variation. You will to make a new application and pay the new registration fee.

What happens next?

1. Once we have your completed application, supporting documents, and fee payment, we will assess your application. Learn more about the assessment process.
2. Processing times for completed applications can change. If we request more information, the processing time will increase. Find out more about current processing times.
3. If your application is successful, we will send you your certificate of registration and list your details on the public register for design and building practitioners.
4. Check your inbox for any emails from Building Commission NSW.
5. In the meantime, you can check the public register to see if your application has been granted.
6. If your application is refused, we will contact you in writing and outline the reason(s) for refusal as well as details of your options.
7. If we refuse your application to vary your registration, you will not receive a refund as the fee paid consists only of a processing fee.
8. Applications can be refused for several reasons. Find out more about why an application may be refused.