Report unlicensed or unregistered painter
Under the Building Services (Registration) Act 2011, a painter is required to be registered to carry out painting work valued over $1,000.
Submitting an application
| Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 |
Make sure you’ve got all your documents ready to apply | Apply for your licence and pay licence fee | Application granted within 6-8 weeks |
Before you apply
1. Choose to apply under Set 1 or Set 2:
To become a painting practitioner, there are two registration pathways, called ‘sets’, that applicants can register under. Each of these sets requires specific qualifications and/or a particular period and type of experience.
To apply under set 1, you must have the following qualifications and experience:
- Certificate III in Painting and Decorating AND two units offered as part of the Painter's Registration course in small business management and estimating and specification; or an equivalent qualification as determined by the Board.
- OR Completed an apprenticeship in painting
- OR at least the equivalent of four years of full-time experience in carrying out painting work.
To apply under Set 2, you must have the following qualifications and experience:
- Complete the Painters' registration course, or an equivalent qualification.
- AND Confirmation of a completed practical trades test.
- AND Five years of experience in carrying out painting work.
2. Additional documents
You'll also need:
- Proof of identification ready to upload.
- A police check ready to upload (dated within the past 3 months, showing the same name as your identification).
- Visa/Mastercard for fee payment.
3. Complete application form
Print or digitally complete the relevant application form.
How to apply
Online
By post or in person
| By Post | In Person |
|---|---|
If posting your application and Post to: Licensing Services |
Customer Service |
After your application has been submitted
Licence applications typically take 6-8 weeks to process. We’ll contact you if we need any additional information, and you’ll receive an email once your licence has been finalised.
Already have a licence in Australia or New Zealand?
Show moreIf you are registered or licensed as a painter elsewhere in Australia or New Zealand, and want to carry out painting work in Western Australia, you can find out more information about having your licence recognised in WA.
Licence/registration search
Show moreThe online licence search can help you find a licensed painter 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. debt collector. Then type in either a name or location.
Experience and qualifications information
Show moreTo be considered for registration as a painting practitioner, qualifications and experience need to be correctly documented on your application form.
Experience
To become a painting practitioner, there are two registration pathways, called ‘sets’, that applicants can register under. Each of these sets requires specific qualifications and/or a particular period and type of experience.
Types of experience
What is 'painting work'?
For registration purposes, painting work is described as the application of paint, varnish, stain or wallpaper or similar material to a building or building fixture. The range of painting techniques includes but is not limited to:
- applying paint by brush and roller;
- applying paint by spray;
- applying texture coat paint finishes by brush, roller and spray; and
- applying stains to clear timber.
Painting work does not include:
- marine or automotive painting;
- industrial painting, such as pylons, bridges or mine sites;
- painting a floor, path or driveway composed of concrete or a similar material;
- the application of a protective coating to a building which has first been treated by abrasive blasting or mechanical cleaning; and
- signwriting.
What does 'carrying out painting work' mean?
'Carrying out' refers to performing painting work as an apprentice or tradesperson. If you performed a variety of work on a building project, some of it being carrying out painting work and some of it being other kinds of work such as labouring and bricklaying, you can only record the time spent carrying out actual painting work.
What is 'painting experience'?
Painting experience is time you have spent carrying out painting work. For example, if a set requires four years of experience, it means you need to have carried out painting work for four years on a full-time basis. If you were not working full-time on a project, calculate how much of your time was actually spent in carrying out painting work.
The Board does not recognise experience obtained while performing unlawful work, such as performing painting work with a value over $1,000 when not registered.
How to document your experience
All experience documented must be independently verified and signed as a true record by a relevant and credible and independent person. Do not claim experience than cannot be verified. Record and verify your experience using the templates at attachments 1 and 2 located at the back of the registration application form. Alternatively, you can attach a statement of verification of your experience to the registration application form.
Who is a credible and independent person?
A credible and independent person is in a position and has the skills to assess the scope and quality of the experience you are claiming.
For experience gained while employed, a credible and independent person is your employer or an authorised representative of your employer.
For experience gained while a contractor or subcontractor, a credible and independent person is the client, or the painting contractor. If it is not possible to obtain a signed verification from the client or contractor, obtain verification from a supervisor or manager.
A credible and independent person is not:
- a relative;
- under potential conflict (your employee);
- a co-worker or subordinate worker; or
- an office manager or HR manager.
Your credible and independent persons may be contacted by Licensing Services to verify your experience. It is an offence to falsely verify experience.
What is a statement of verification?
A statement of verification is a written document that outlines and verifies your experience. A statement of verification must include the following details of your experience:
- your duties and occupation;
- the type of work;
- the start and finish date; and
- the address of the building project.
A statement of verification must be signed and dated by a credible and independent person. It must also include the contact details of the credible and independent person.
Qualifications
What are equivalent qualifications?
The Board is empowered to accept equivalent qualifications. If you have a different qualification to that stated in the application form, the Board may accept your qualification as equivalent to the usual qualification. For further information see the Board's policy regarding equivalent qualifications.
What is a registered training organisation (RTO)?
Registered training organisations (RTOs) are training providers who are registered by the Australian Skills Quality Authority or the Training Accreditation Council of Western Australia to deliver vocational education and training services. RTOs are recognised as providers of quality-assured and nationally recognised training and qualifications.
Before you enrol in a training course, check that the training provider is an RTO and is authorised to offer the training course. To search for an RTO, visit training.gov.au or myskills.gov.au
South Metropolitan TAFE (Thornlie), South Regional TAFE, MPA Skills Maylands and the Wall and Ceiling Institute are the only RTOs approved to deliver the new 52921WA Course in Painters Registration. South Metropolitan TAFE (Thornlie), South Regional TAFE, MPA Skills Maylands and Best Option Training are the only RTOs approved to deliver the previous 52784WA Course in Painters’ Registration.
What is recognition of prior learning?
If you already have some of the skills and knowledge related to the qualification you need to obtain, you may be eligible to be assessed for recognition of prior learning (RPL) by an RTO. Through the RPL assessment you might find you have all the skills required to obtain a qualification, or the assessor might recommend that you undertake further training to help you gain a qualification.
To find out if RPL is the right option for you, contact an RTO that provides your preferred training course.
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