Volunteer Police Check in Australia: Free & Discounted Options

A volunteer police check is a national criminal history check specifically designed for individuals who perform unpaid work for community organisations, charities, sporting clubs, and other not-for-profit bodies. In Australia, volunteer police checks are processed by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) through accredited bodies, and in many states they are available for free or at a significantly reduced cost.

The check itself is identical in scope to a standard national police check — it searches the same ACIC database and returns the same categories of disclosable court outcomes, pending charges, and findings of guilt. The only difference is the purpose category: when you apply, you nominate "volunteer" rather than "employment" as the reason for the check. This purpose code determines pricing and, in some jurisdictions, the fee waiver eligibility.

It is important to understand that a volunteer police check is not a lesser check. The criminal history results are drawn from the same national database used for paid employment checks. Organisations should treat the results with the same level of seriousness and apply the same assessment framework when reviewing disclosable outcomes.

Most volunteer police checks in Australia are valid for the same period as employment checks — typically 12 months from the date of issue, though some organisations accept checks up to 3 years old depending on their risk policies and the requirements of their funding bodies.

To qualify for a volunteer police check (and the associated free or discounted pricing), you must meet the definition of a genuine volunteer. The ACIC and state police agencies define a volunteer as a person who provides a service without receiving financial reward, other than reimbursement for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses directly related to the volunteer activity.

The following categories of people typically qualify for a volunteer police check:

• Charity and not-for-profit workers — people volunteering at registered charities, community organisations, and NGOs
• Sporting club volunteers — coaches, team managers, committee members, and canteen helpers at local sporting clubs
• School and education volunteers — parents helping in classrooms, excursion supervisors, reading helpers, and school board members
• Religious organisation volunteers — Sunday school teachers, youth group leaders, and church community workers
• Emergency service volunteers — volunteer firefighters (CFA, RFS), SES volunteers, and surf lifesaving club members
• Hospital and aged care volunteers — people volunteering in patient support, meal delivery, or companionship programs

The following people do not qualify for a volunteer police check:

• People receiving any form of payment, stipend, or honorarium beyond out-of-pocket expense reimbursement
• People undertaking unpaid work placements or internships as part of a paid course or degree
• People on government-mandated community service orders
• People doing unpaid trial shifts for a for-profit employer

If you receive any form of payment — even a small stipend — you will generally need to apply for a standard employment police check at the full fee. Some organisations also require statutory declarations confirming volunteer status before they will submit a volunteer-rate application on your behalf.

The process for obtaining a volunteer police check varies slightly depending on where you live and which accredited body you use. Below is a breakdown for each state and territory.

New South Wales (NSW)

Victoria (VIC)

Queensland (QLD)

Western Australia (WA)

South Australia (SA)

Tasmania, ACT & Northern Territory

The cost of a volunteer police check varies by state and provider. Here is a summary of typical pricing as of 2026:

• Free: VIC (through Victoria Police), WA (through WA Police), SA (SAPOL-registered organisations)
• Discounted ($5–$15): QLD, ACT (AFP), NSW (some accredited providers), TAS, NT
• Standard volunteer rate ($15–$30): Through national accredited bodies when not eligible for state-level free checks

It is worth noting that the "free" checks through state police are typically only available when the organisation submits the application on behalf of the volunteer. If you apply as an individual through an accredited body and select "volunteer" as the purpose, you may still be charged a reduced fee.

Many large volunteer-dependent organisations — such as the Red Cross, St John Ambulance, Surf Life Saving, and Scouts Australia — have arrangements with accredited bodies to process checks at no cost to their volunteers. Check with your organisation first, as they may already have a bulk screening arrangement in place.

If cost is a barrier and your organisation does not cover the fee, some community grants and local council programs provide funding for volunteer screening costs. Contact your local council or state volunteering peak body (such as Volunteering Australia, The Centre for Volunteering in NSW, or Volunteering Victoria) for assistance.

Volunteer police checks are processed through the same ACIC systems as employment checks, so the processing times are broadly similar. However, there can be slight variations depending on the channel used.

Online applications through accredited bodies: Most volunteer checks submitted online are returned within 1–3 business days when the applicant has no disclosable outcomes. This is the fastest method and accounts for the majority of volunteer checks processed in Australia.

Applications through state police: Free checks processed directly through state police agencies (e.g., Victoria Police, WA Police) may take slightly longer — typically 3–10 business days — due to manual processing steps and verification of volunteer status.

Complex cases: If the applicant has disclosable outcomes (charges, convictions, or pending matters), the check may be escalated for manual review. In these cases, processing can take 10–15 business days regardless of the provider used. In rare cases involving interstate matters or incomplete court records, it may take up to 4 weeks.

To avoid delays, ensure your identity documents are current and match the name on the application exactly. Common causes of processing delays include name mismatches, expired identity documents, and incomplete 100-point identity verification.

While not every volunteer role requires a police check, it is increasingly common — particularly for roles involving vulnerable people. The following types of organisations typically require volunteer police checks:

• Child-related organisations: Schools, childcare centres, youth groups, sporting clubs with junior members, and Scouts/Guides. In most states, a Working with Children Check is also required in addition to a police check.
• Aged care and disability services: Nursing homes, home care providers, disability support organisations, and Meals on Wheels. Under the Aged Care Act 1997 and the NDIS Quality and Safeguards framework, police screening is mandatory for workers including volunteers.
• Health organisations: Hospitals, community health centres, mental health services, and drug and alcohol support services.
• Emergency services: CFA, RFS, SES, Coast Guard, and Surf Life Saving clubs all require police checks for volunteers.
• Religious organisations: Churches, mosques, temples, and synagogues — particularly for roles involving children's ministry, youth programs, or pastoral care.
• Justice and legal services: Community legal centres, court support services, and victim assistance programs.
• Animal welfare: RSPCA, animal shelters, and wildlife rescue organisations.

Even if a police check is not legally mandated for your volunteer role, many organisations require them as part of their duty of care obligations. Insurance providers increasingly require evidence of volunteer screening as a condition of public liability coverage. If your organisation does not currently screen volunteers, it is worth reviewing your insurance policy and risk management framework.

The most common question about volunteer police checks is whether they are "less thorough" than employment checks. The short answer is no — the criminal history search is identical. Both check types query the same ACIC national database and return the same categories of information.

The key differences are:

• Purpose category: The application is flagged as "volunteer" rather than "employment," which affects pricing and may affect how spent convictions are disclosed under state legislation.
• Cost: Volunteer checks are free or discounted in most jurisdictions, while employment checks typically cost $30–$50.
• Spent convictions disclosure: In some states, the spent convictions scheme may apply differently depending on the purpose of the check. For volunteer checks in non-exempt categories, certain older or minor convictions may not be disclosed. However, for volunteer roles involving children or vulnerable people, the same exemptions to spent convictions apply as for employment in those sectors.
• Organisational endorsement: Many free volunteer checks require the organisation to countersign or submit the application, confirming the applicant's volunteer status. Employment checks can be self-initiated.

A volunteer police check cannot be used in place of an employment police check if you are being paid for the role. Similarly, if an employer asks you to get a police check, applying as a volunteer to save money could constitute a false declaration and may result in the check being rejected or the employer facing compliance issues.

If you volunteer for one organisation and work for another, you will generally need separate checks for each purpose — one volunteer check and one employment check — unless one of the organisations accepts a recent check from the other.