How to check a builder licence in South Australia

In South Australia, building work contractors are licensed by Consumer and Business Services (CBS) under the Building Work Contractors Act 1995. Check the licence before work starts, not after a dispute.

Use the online licensing register

CBS says you can check whether a tradesperson holds a current licence through its online licensing register, or by asking to see their licence card. Start from the state government's building work contractor's licence guide to find the current register.

Note the licence number, then check which business names are linked to it. A card on its own is not enough, because it does not show whether the licence is still current.

Read the scope and conditions

The type of work a contractor can do is set out on their licence, and conditions may limit it further. Compare the register entry with your scope:

• Whether the licence holder is the business or person you are contracting with.
• The licence class and whether it covers the type and size of work.
• The current status and any conditions or restrictions.
• Whether other trades on the job need their own licences.

Check the advertising

A building work contractor must show their name or registered business name and licence number in advertisements for building work. CBS advises checking an advertised licence number against the register. An advert with no number, or a number that does not match the name, is a warning sign.

Licences from other states

Licences granted through mutual recognition appear on the South Australian register, so you can confirm that a contractor from another state is licensed to work in South Australia. Search the register for them, rather than relying on their home state licence.

Keep a record

Record the date, the licence number, the name you searched, the result and any conditions. Keep a copy or a screenshot. Check again when the licence is due to expire, when the scope changes, or when a new subcontractor joins the job.

Where Novato fits

For South Australia, Novato links you to the official register and keeps your check as a manual review. You record the licence number, class, date and conditions against the subcontractor, and the record stays with the project.

See how Novato records licence checks and manual reviews.

Source and review

Reviewed 31/10/2026 against the South Australian Government building work contractor's licence guide and Consumer and Business Services. Confirm current requirements with CBS for the actual work. This guide is not a full list of licence classes.