You have finished your units. The next step is not automatic. Whether you are on the salesperson registration track or the full licence track, Queensland's Office of Fair Trading needs to see your paperwork, run its checks, and make its own decision before you can start work.
This guide sets out what to gather, whether you meet the eligibility rules, how to lodge the application, and what happens once it lands with the OFT. The detail below was checked against qld.gov.au and the Property Occupations Act 2014. Confirm current fees and processing times on the OFT site before you plan around them, since both change.
What you need before you apply
Two documents matter most. The first is your training evidence: a nationally recognised Statement of Attainment showing you have completed the required units. Salesperson registration needs 12 specified units from CPP41419. The full licence needs 19 specified units across CPP41419 and CPP51122. An Archer course gets you this evidence for either salesperson registration or the full agent licence.
The second is certified identity. You will need an original or certified copy of a birth certificate or extract, driver licence, passport or citizenship certificate. A plain photocopy will not do. Certification has to be done by a Justice of the Peace, a Commissioner for Declarations, a solicitor or a notary public.
If you are not an Australian citizen, add a certified copy of your passport plus evidence of a valid work visa or work rights. And if you were born in New Zealand, or you hold a New Zealand passport, both tracks also require a New Zealand criminal history check or a no-criminal-history letter from the NZ Ministry of Justice. There is no fee for this, but it can take up to 20 working days, so start it early rather than leaving it for the week you plan to lodge.
Are you eligible to register or hold a licence
Both tracks share the same starting rules. You need to be at least 18. You cannot hold either a registration or a licence if you have been convicted of a serious offence in the past five years, or if you are currently disqualified from holding one. A serious offence broadly means one punishable by three or more years in prison, things like fraud, violent offences, drug trafficking, extortion, arson, stalking or harassment, and sexual offences. The precise legal test sits in the Property Occupations Act 2014.
One rule applies to the full licence only, not to salesperson registration. You cannot hold the full licence while an insolvent under administration. If you are applying for salesperson registration and have a past insolvency, it is not an automatic bar. You will be asked to supply extra evidence instead, an employer letter and a written explanation.
The OFT also weighs a set of discretionary factors on either track: your general criminal history, past insolvency of a company where you were an executive, a successful claim fund action against you (money paid out of the claim fund because of something you did or failed to do), previous licence cancellations or suspensions, director disqualifications, character concerns, and your right to work in Australia.
For the full licence, no prior work experience is required, and you do not need to hold a registration certificate first. Eligibility comes down to age, suitability and completing the required training.
How to lodge your application
For salesperson registration, apply online via the OFT's licensing portal, linked from the application pages on qld.gov.au, or on paper with Form 3-1, Application to register as a real estate salesperson. Paper forms are lodged at an OFT customer service centre or sent by post. Under the 2026-27 fee schedule, registration costs $401.10 for one year or $681.50 for three years.
For the full licence, the process is the same, online through the same portal or on paper, this time with Form 1-1, the individual licence application form. The 2026-27 fee is $1,709.00 for one year or $3,205.00 for three years.
Every application also carries a $47.35 criminal history check fee, unless the OFT has already run a check on you within the last six months. Fees index each 1 July, so confirm the current amount on the OFT fee schedule before you pay.
What happens after you submit
Once your application is in, the OFT submits it to the Queensland Police Service for a criminal history check, which can take some time to come back. Stated processing for both tracks is four to six weeks, longer if anything in your application is incomplete. Check the OFT page for current processing notices before you plan a start date around it.
Completing your units makes you eligible to apply. It does not make approval automatic. The OFT still assesses your suitability and waits on the police check before deciding, so treat this stage as a real assessment, not a formality.
You cannot start work as a salesperson until your registration is granted. Under the Property Occupations Act 2014, an agent must not employ someone as a real estate salesperson unless that person holds a registration certificate, and registered salespeople can only work as employees, not contractors. Contracting work requires the full licence.
If you withdraw your application, or it is refused, partial refunds may apply, including the criminal history check component if that check has not started yet.
Common mistakes that slow things down
- Sending an uncertified photocopy of your ID instead of a properly certified copy.
- Leaving the New Zealand criminal history check to the last minute, when it can take up to 20 working days.
- Assuming you can start work as a salesperson while your application is still being processed.
- Submitting an incomplete application and stretching the four to six week estimate further.
- Letting a granted registration or licence lapse later. Renewal has its own deadline, so put it in your calendar the day you are approved.
Your next step
Applying to the OFT is the step that follows your training. Finish your units first, then gather your certified ID and lodge with the OFT. For the fees in full, see our guide to the real estate licence cost in QLD, and if you are still deciding which track to take, read how to become a real estate salesperson in QLD or how to get a real estate licence in QLD. Call our Australian-based team on 1800 069 273 if you want to check your eligibility before you start.
