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What is a fundraising licence?
A fundraising licence (also referred to as an authority, registration, or sanction) is a formal approval granted by a state or territory regulator that allows an organisation or individual to ask for donations or benefits for the purposes prescribed under the relevant state or territory law (generally, charitable or community purposes).
In Australia, there is no single national fundraising licence. Instead, each jurisdiction (except the Northern Territory) has its own distinct laws and terminology.
The terms used to refer to a fundraising licence vary across the country:
- in the ACT a fundraising licence is referred to as a ‘charitable collection licence’ (regulated by Access Canberra)
- in New South Wales a fundraising licence is known as an ‘authority to fundraise’ (regulated by NSW Fair Trading)
- in Queensland regulation involves either registration as a charity for ongoing efforts, or a ‘sanction’ for one-off or community purposes (regulated by the Queensland Office of Fair Trading)
- in South Australia a fundraising licence is known as a ‘Collections for Charitable Purposes licence’ (or ‘CCP’), or a ‘Section 6 Licence’ (regulated by Consumer and Business Services)
- in Tasmania a fundraising licence is referred to as ‘approval to solicit for a charitable purpose’ or ‘approval to collect for a charity’ (regulated by Consumer, Building and Occupational Services)
- in Victoria a fundraising licence is referred to as ‘registration as a fundraiser’ (regulated by Consumer Affairs Victoria)
- in Western Australia a fundraising licence is known as a ‘charitable collections licence’ (regulated by Consumer Protection)
The Northern Territory does not have general fundraising laws so does not require a licence for standard appeals like doorknocks. However, it does require organisations to be an ‘approved association’ (and potentially obtain a community gaming permit) under the Gaming Control Act 1993 (NT) for activities like raffles and lotteries.
The role of registration with the ACNC
As a result of legal reforms to reduce administrative red tape, many states now offer streamlined or deemed licence registration for organisations already registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC):
- Victoria, South Australia, and Queensland – ACNC registration is generally sufficient to fundraise, provided the organisation notifies the state regulator of its intent to do so
- ACT – ACNC-registered charities are ‘deemed’ to be authorised automatically without any requirement to notify the local regulator
- New South Wales – ACNC-registered charities are automatically eligible for an authority, but must still apply and not fundraise until it is granted. The application process is simplified for ACNC-registered charities
- Western Australia – under legislative changes passed in late 2025, ACNC-registered charities will be 'deemed' to be licence holders once they notify the Commissioner for Consumer Protection howeverthese changes have not come into force yet. Until they do (the timing is unknown), ACNC-registered charities will require a licence in WA (unless a different exception applies)
- Tasmania – no special treatment is afforded ACNC-registered charities – they must apply for specific approval.
Licence duration and exemptions
The periods for which licences are valid vary. Licences are valid for three years in Victoria, up to five years in New South Wales and the ACT, and for one year in South Australia. In Western Australia, licences are continuous and do not need to be renewed, although the standard licence conditions require the holder to surrender the licence if they go 12 months without any charitable collections.
Certain ‘small-scale’ fundraisers may be exempt from licensing in some states and territories:
- in the ACT no licence is required for organisations collecting less than $15,000 from collections in a financial year
- in Victoria organisations raising less than $20,000 gross per financial year from the conduct of fundraising appeals, are not paid for the conduct of a fundraising appeal and use only volunteers are exempt from registration
- in New South Wales fundraisers receiving less than $15,000 per financial year from fundraising appeals, who do not receive remuneration for conducting the appeals other than reimbursement of lawful and proper expenses (this means the fundraiser should not be paid for conducting the fundraising) and only use volunteers to participate in the appeal are exempt from holding an authority
Additional and ongoing obligations
Holding a licence typically triggers a range of legal responsibilities.
Responsibilities differ across states and territories, but generally include:
- identification – ensuring all collectors wear appropriate identification badges
- financial management – depositing funds into bank accounts within specified timeframes (for example, five days in the ACT, seven days in Western Australia, or ‘immediately’ in New South Wales)
- reporting – submitting annual financial returns or audited statements to the relevant regulator, unless reporting is handled through the ACNC
- National Principles – in Victoria (for ACNC-registered charities), New South Wales, South Australia, and the ACT, licence holders must now comply with 16 National Fundraising Principles regarding ethical conduct and transparency
View our guide to fundraising laws in Australia for more information.
How to find out if your organisation has a fundraising licence
To find out if your organisation holds a fundraising licence, check the publicly searchable registers maintained by the relevant state or territory regulator where you’d like to fundraise.
Because each jurisdiction (except the Northern Territory) has its own distinct laws and terminology, the status of any approval must be verified through the relevant local authority.
Most state and territory regulators provide online tools to verify registration status:
- in New South Wales, Service NSW maintains a register (available for online search through Verify NSW) of authorised fundraisers where you can search for organisations issued a licence under the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 (NSW)
- in Victoria, Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) provides a ‘Search for a registered fundraiser’ webpage to identify entities registered under the Fundraising Act 1998 (Vic)
- in South Australia, Consumer and Business Services (CBS) publishes a publicly accessible list on its website that includes current, expired, and revoked charity fundraising licences
- in Western Australia, the Commissioner for Consumer Protection maintains a public list of licensed charities
- in Queensland, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) provides a searchable register of charities and associations
- in the ACT, Access Canberra hosts a searchable register for entities holding a licence to conduct ‘collections’
- in Tasmania, Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS) provides a list of approved fundraisers
Checking your organisation’s status with the ACNC
If an organisation is a registered charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC), its status can often be verified on the ACNC Register.
Charities registered with the ACNC may be deemed in Victoria, South Australia or Queensland to be registered for fundraising purposes provided they have notified the state regulator of their intent to fundraise. In the ACT charities are automatically deemed authorised without having to notify.
What if your organisation fundraises in multiple states or online?
If your organisation fundraises in multiple states or online, it may need to hold multiple licences.
When donations are solicited other than in person – such as through a website, video conferences, telephone calls or by email – a licence may be required in any state where a potential donor receives the communication or donates. Organisations should, therefore, verify their status in every jurisdiction where their fundraising activities are considered to be ‘taking place’ and may need to put measures in place to reduce the risk of the organisation inadvertently engaging in fundraising activity outside of the intended targeted states or territories.
View our guide to fundraising laws in Australia for more information.
The content on this webpage was last updated in May 2026 and is not legal advice. See full disclaimer and copyright notice.
