National criminal history check (builder licensing)
A national criminal history check is the police check most states require for a builder licence renewal. It feeds the fitness-and-propriety assessment. What to know.
Ask Chalkline about this →A national criminal history check (NCHC) is the national police check most state building regulators require as part of a builder licence application or renewal. It is one of the concrete inputs to the regulator’s fitness-and-propriety assessment, the test of whether a person is suitable to hold a builder’s licence.
What it is and where it fits
The NCHC is a nationally-coordinated check of an individual’s disclosable police history, obtained through an accredited check provider. The check itself is just the report; the regulator then assesses it as part of fitness and propriety. The two are distinct: the NCHC is the document you obtain and lodge; fitness and propriety is the judgment the regulator makes with it.
It is required at the points the F&P test applies, new application, renewal (typically annual), and restoration.
The practical mechanics
- It must be current. A check is valid only for a defined period (often around 12 months); a stale check will not be accepted with a renewal. Confirm the currency window with your regulator.
- Disclosable court outcomes matter, but are not automatic disqualifiers. Convictions and certain other outcomes are disclosed on the check. A disclosable outcome does not by itself cancel a licence; the regulator weighs its relevance to fitness and propriety (a fraud or building-related offence weighs differently to an unrelated minor matter).
- Allow processing time. A national check can take days, sometimes longer; do not leave it to the last day before a renewal deadline.
For a builder
- Build it into the renewal timeline. A current NCHC is part of the renewal pack in most states; order it early so it is current and processed before the deadline.
- Disclose, do not hide. Non-disclosure of a relevant matter is itself a fitness-and-propriety problem; the check will surface it anyway.
- It is state-by-state. Requirements and the relevant regulator differ by state, so follow your state’s licence renewal process.
Also known as: NCHC, national police check, criminal history check.
Related
- Fitness and propriety
- Builders licence renewal (NSW)
- Builders licence renewal (VIC)
- Builders licence renewal (QLD)
See also
Last updated: 2026-05-25. Verified: 2026-05-25. Quarterly review for currency.