Under the Employment Agents Act 1976, you need an employment agent’s licence in Western Australia if you run an employment agency and charge a fee to help people find work or to help businesses find employees (full‑time, part‑time or occasional), including where you place someone in a job and charge the employer a fee or ongoing payment, even if the worker does not pay you directly. This includes businesses and individuals operating as:
- employment agencies or employment brokers
- booking, babysitting, housesitting or cleaning agencies
Privacy Collection Notice
The Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety (LGIRS) collects personal information to:
- administer employment agent licensing and registration functions;
- process general, restricted and interim licence applications;
- verify your details and determine eligibility;
- maintain licensing and registration records;
- undertake regulatory, compliance, investigation, audit and enforcement functions.
Your personal information is collected under the provisions of the Employment Agents Act 1976.
If you do not provide the requested information, LGIRS may be unable to process your application or provide the relevant licence or service.
Your information may be included in an online license search, a publicly available register, disclosed to relevant government agencies, regulatory bodies, employers, industry bodies, and other third parties where authorised or required by law, including for verification, compliance, investigation, enforcement, or audit purposes.
See the Privacy Policy for how we handle your information, how to access or correct it, and who to contact for enquiries or complaints.
Already have a licence in South Australia or ACT?
Show moreIf you are registered or licensed as an employment agent elsewhere in South Australia or ACT and want to be registered in Western Australia, you may be able to apply for mutual recognition to get a WA licence or automatic mutual recognition to have your licence recognised in WA.
Licence/registration search
Show moreThe online licence search can help you find a licensed employment agent or check your licence status.
How to use the online licence search
Search by number: You can check if a licence number is still valid. Type the number into the field on the opening screen.
Search by type of licence: You can look for licensed people in your neighbourhood. Click on ‘Type’. Start typing in the licence type in the box eg. motor vehicle repairer. Then type in either a name or location.
Exemptions from holding a licence
Show moreThe following are specifically exempted from the need to be licensed:
- newspaper publications;
- labour hire companies;
- Disability Employment Service Providers who are engaged under the Disability Services Grant Agreement with the Commonwealth. (This agreement falls within the Employment Agents Exemption Order 2002)
- people licensed under other Acts of Parliament to handle the employment of seamen; and
- State or Federal Government departments or instrumentalities.
Other exemptions from the Act can be granted by an Order in Council made by the Governor.
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