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Short answer: a certificate of currency shows that an insurance policy is in force. It names the insured business and its ABN, the insurer, the policy number, the type and amount of cover, and the period. Before a subcontractor starts, check the name matches their ABN, the dates cover your job and the cover suits the work. For workers' compensation, also confirm it with the state: icare's Employer Lookup in NSW, a WorkSafe certificate request in Victoria, or WorkCover Queensland's cover check. Then ask again before it expires.

Facts checked against NSW, Victorian, Queensland and Australian Government sources on 29 October 2026. This is practical guidance, not legal or insurance advice; your head contract may require more.

What a certificate of currency shows

Queensland's workers' compensation law spells out what a workers' compensation certificate must state, and it's a good checklist for any certificate:

A certificate shows the position on the day it was issued. It can't tell you whether a policy was cancelled afterwards, so ask for a fresh one at each renewal.

Public liability: usually a contract requirement

• Public liability isn't compulsory for every business. business.gov.au says some states and territories require it for certain occupations.
• Some licences require it. For example, a Queensland electrical contractor licence needs public and products liability of at least $5 million, and Victorian registered electrical contractors need a minimum of $5 million cover.
• Otherwise the amount comes from your head contract. Check the limit on the certificate meets it, and write the same requirement into your subcontract.

Workers' compensation: how to check in each state

NSW: get the Subcontractor's Statement

SIRA says a principal contractor is liable for workers' compensation premiums its subcontractor owes, unless the subcontractor gives a written statement that its workers are insured for the contract period (section 175B of the Workers Compensation Act 1987). Revenue NSW's Subcontractor's Statement (OPT 011) does this:

• correctly completed, it relieves you of liability for the subcontractor's workers' compensation premiums, payroll tax and remuneration
• it must come with the relevant certificate of currency
• keep it: currently up to seven years
• knowingly giving a false statement is an offence.

The Employer Lookup confirms a policy exists but not its wages, classification or worker numbers, so read those on the certificate itself.

Victoria: the "deemed worker" risk

Victoria has no subcontractor's statement. The risk is that a contractor counts as your worker. Under the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2013, if one person does at least 80% of the contract work and at least 80% of their income comes from you, you're deemed their employer, unless WorkSafe decides they run an independent trade or business. WorkSafe says you may be liable if a contractor is injured working for you. It also calls a certificate of currency a prerequisite when hiring a contractor or getting on a building site.

Queensland: you can demand the certificate

On a construction project of $80,000 or more, the principal can ask a contractor in writing for a certificate of currency, and the contractor must provide it within 10 business days (section 576C of the Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003). WorkCover Queensland also says a contractor working outside their own trade or business can count as a worker.

Sole-trader subcontractors

• NSW: icare says a sole trader can't cover themselves under a workers' compensation policy, and suggests personal accident and illness or income protection insurance instead.
• Victoria: a sole trader with no workers doesn't need to register for WorkCover.
• Queensland: sole traders don't count as workers for their own cover, and personal injury insurance is optional. But a sole trader can still be a worker of the business that engages them.

So for a sole trader, ask for their public liability certificate and whatever personal accident cover your contract requires, and check they really have no workers. If they bring a helper, that helper needs cover.

Home warranty insurance is something else

Home building compensation in NSW, Home Warranty in Victoria and the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme protect the homeowner, and the builder who contracts with them arranges it. In NSW, SIRA says subcontractors to a building business don't need it, and in Queensland subcontractors don't pay a premium. See Home warranty insurance in NSW, VIC and QLD.

Your insurance check, step by step

1. Get the certificates: public liability, workers' compensation if they have workers, and anything else your contract requires. In NSW, the signed Subcontractor's Statement as well.
2. Match the name to the ABN on ABN Lookup.
3. Check the dates cover the whole job.
4. Check the cover and the limits against your contract, and the classification against the work.
5. Confirm workers' comp with the state lookup, and public liability with the insurer or broker if anything looks off.
6. Diary the expiry dates and ask for renewed certificates before they lapse.

Doing this in OpSpot

• Insurance on each person, with the policy number, insurer, issue and expiry dates and a copy of the certificate. Link it to a job type when it's what qualifies them for that work.
• Mark which job types need insurance (or a licence). Subcontractors see what you require and what's missing or expired, and expired documents are flagged on your subcontractor list.
• Expiry reminders: OpSpot emails the person 15 days before a document expires, once per document.
• Subcontractors keep their documents in their own company. General licences and insurance are kept once and shared with every builder they work with, so your office doesn't re-key them.
• Keep the NSW Subcontractor's Statement in the project's Sensitive Files, which other companies never see.
• OpSpot doesn't verify insurance with insurers, because there's no public register for public liability. Use the state lookups above for workers' compensation. NSW licences, on the other hand, are checked against the government register automatically.

See Subcontractor licence and insurance tracking and the subcontractor pre-qualification checklist.

FAQ

What is a certificate of currency? A document from the insurer showing that a policy is in force: who's insured, the policy number, the type and amount of cover, and the period.

Can I check a subcontractor's workers' comp myself? Yes. In NSW, use icare's Employer Lookup by ABN. In Victoria, request a certificate from WorkSafe with their employer number and postcode. In Queensland, use WorkCover Queensland's online cover check by ABN.

Is public liability insurance compulsory? Not for every business. Some licences require it, such as Queensland and Victorian electrical contractors, and most head contracts do.

Do sole traders need workers' compensation? Not for themselves; in NSW they can't cover themselves under a policy. They need it if they employ workers. Ask for personal accident cover if your contract requires it.

How often should I ask for a new certificate? Before each expiry date, usually every year, and whenever you start a new contract with them.

Sources

• Queensland legislation: Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003
• icare: Download a certificate of currency · Employer Lookup · Who needs a policy
• SIRA: Contractors and workers compensation · Home building compensation for builders and tradies
• Revenue NSW: Subcontractor's Statement (OPT 011)
• WorkSafe Victoria: Request a certificate of currency · Your WorkCover insurance responsibilities · Getting started with WorkCover insurance
• Victorian legislation: Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2013
• WorkCover Queensland: Check cover · Who your policy needs to cover · Determining who is a worker
• business.gov.au: Types of business insurance
• WorkSafe Queensland: Electrical contractor licences
• Energy Safe Victoria: Registered electrical contractors
• Australian Business Register: ABN Lookup
• QBCC: Who pays home warranty and when