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Occupational Licensing Act 2005 (TAS): what the Act establishes

The Occupational Licensing Act 2005 (TAS) is the statute behind CBOS builder licensing: four sub-classes, mandatory CPD, and licence terms set by determination.

By Dan Waring. Last updated 30 May 2026. Verified 8 May 2026.

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TL;DR

The Occupational Licensing Act 2005 (TAS) is the statute that makes building services work in Tasmania a licensed activity and gives CBOS (Consumer, Building and Occupational Services) the power to license, set conditions, and discipline practitioners. It creates the framework; the operational detail (the builder sub-classes, qualifications, experience and CPD specifics) is set in the Occupational Licensing (Building Services Work) Determination 2021 made under the Act. Builder licences come in four sub-classes (Domestic, Low Rise, Medium Rise, Open), carry a mandatory CPD requirement of 12 points per year, and run for 1 or 3 years. For the classes, qualification pathways and current fees, see the TAS builder licence guide.

In plain English

The Act is a general occupational-licensing statute: it licenses several regulated occupations, and building services work is one of them. Rather than hard-code every trade rule into the Act, Parliament gave the responsible authority a power to make determinations: subordinate instruments that set the licence classes, qualifications and conditions for each occupation. For builders, the live instrument is the Occupational Licensing (Building Services Work) Determination 2021. This is why the Act itself reads thin on builder detail: the detail is in the Determination, which can be updated without amending the Act.

CBOS administers the Act, maintains the public register of licensed practitioners, and handles compliance and discipline. A builder licence under the Act authorises building work within the sub-class held; working outside your sub-class, or unlicensed, is an offence.

What it requires

  • A licence to do building services work. Carrying out building work in Tasmania requires the appropriate CBOS licence for the scope. The Act also creates separate licence types for Fire Protection Services Builder and Demolisher work, each with their own sub-classes.
  • The right sub-class for the work. Builder licences run across four sub-classes: Domestic (houses and Class 10), Low Rise, Medium Rise (building work up to 3 storeys), and Open (unrestricted). The Determination ties each sub-class to a qualification (Certificate IV through to Advanced Diploma) and a minimum period of experience.
  • Mandatory CPD. Licence holders must complete continuing professional development: 12 points per year, 36 points over a 3-year term. Missing CPD blocks renewal. This is a harder line than several mainland states, which mandate no CPD.
  • Renewal on term. Licences are issued for 1 or 3 years and must be renewed before expiry. A lapsed licence means unlicensed work.
  • Owner-builder permits. For Class 1a work an owner can build under an owner-builder permit, limited to two permits in any 10-year period, with mandatory training before building or extending a residence.

What it doesn’t cover

  • Plumbing, gas-fitting and electrical work. These are licensed under their own occupational frameworks; a builder licence does not authorise them.
  • The building approval itself. Building approval and certification run under the building and planning legislation, not this Act. The Act governs who may do the work, not whether the building is approved.
  • Home warranty insurance (not yet in force). Tasmania has legislated a home warranty insurance scheme, but as at 2026 it had not commenced (awaiting proclamation). Until it does, Tasmania remains one of the few jurisdictions without an operating residential building warranty insurance scheme. Confirm current status with CBOS before relying on it.
  • The class and fee detail. Specific qualifications, experience years and fee amounts sit in the Determination and CBOS policy, covered in the TAS builder licence guide.

Practical implications

For the builder:

  • Hold the sub-class that matches your work. A Domestic licence will not cover a three-storey job; that needs Medium Rise or Open.
  • Track your CPD across the term. Tasmania enforces it at renewal, so a points shortfall can stop you working until it is made good.
  • Watch the home warranty insurance commencement. When the scheme is proclaimed it will change what you must arrange before contracting; build it into your planning now.

For the homeowner:

  • Check the builder’s licence and sub-class on the CBOS register before signing.
  • Until the warranty insurance scheme commences, there is no last-resort builder-insolvency cover in Tasmania the way there is in NSW or SA. Weigh that when choosing a builder and structuring progress payments.

References

See also

Last updated: 2026-05-30. Verified: 2026-05-08. Quarterly review for currency.

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