Fundraising and holding events

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• Does a fundraiser need a fundraising license?
• Does a charity registered with the ACNC need a fundraising licence?

Does a fundraiser need a fundraising licence?

Whether an organisation needs a fundraising licence depends on:

• the specific Australian states or territories where the fundraising activity occurs
• the type of fundraising activity and its purpose, and
• the amount of money it intends to raise

Most jurisdictions require some form of registration, authority, or licence, but there are various exemptions for small-scale activities and other types of activities, including, in some states and territories, relief (in the form of a deemed licence) for ACNC registered charities.

Jurisdictions that require a licence (or authority)

In most Australian states, if your organisation is not an ACNC-registered charity (other than Western Australia and Tasmania), you must apply for a formal state-based approval, unless an exemption applies (see What fundraising activities are not regulated under fundraising laws?):

• In New South Wales, a person or organisation conducting a ‘fundraising appeal’ for a purpose that includes a ‘charitable purpose’ must apply for an ‘authority to fundraise’.
• In Victoria, a person or organisation conducting a ‘fundraising appeal’ must generally register as a fundraiser with Consumer Affairs Victoria.
• In the ACT, a person or organisation generally needs a ‘charitable collection licence’ issued by Access Canberra to conduct a ‘collection’.
• In Queensland, an organisation must generally either register as a charity (under Queensland law) for ongoing fundraising or obtain a sanction for community purposes or one-off appeals, for an ‘appeal for support’ for a ‘charity’, or for a ‘charitable purpose’ or ‘community purpose’.
• In Western Australia, you must generally obtain a ‘charitable collections licence’ in order to collect or attempt to collect money or goods for, conduct entertainment or, a function for, or advertise the proceeds of a function will be paid or applied to, wholly or partly, for a ‘charitable purpose’. .
• In South Australia, you must obtain a ‘Section 6 Licence’ if you are a ‘collector’ wholly or partly for a ‘charitable purpose’.
• In Tasmania, you generally must obtain approval from Consumer, Building and Occupational Services Tasmania to ‘solicitor’ for a ’charitable purpose’. However, incorporated associations based in Tasmania and corporations with a principal office in Tasmania are exempt from this requirement.

Jurisdictions with no general licence requirement

The Northern Territory does not have laws governing general fundraising, so people and organisations do not need an authority for standard activities like doorknock appeals or tin collections. But if an organisation is conducting community gaming (like raffles), it must be an ‘approved association’ or hold a permit, which is regulated by Licensing NT.

Special considerations for unincorporated groups

If your organisation is unincorporated, it may be difficult or impossible to obtain a licence in certain states.

In Western Australia, licences are generally only granted to incorporated bodies and unincorporated groups must instead obtain authority to fundraise from an existing licence holder.

In Tasmania, is it unclear whether unincorporated groups located outside Tasmania can apply for fundraising approval.

In New South Wales, South Australia, and the ACT, unincorporated groups often fundraise under an arrangement with an existing authority holder rather than seeking their own licence.

Community gaming (raffles and trade promotions)

Regardless of whether you need a general fundraising licence, most states require separate permits for community gaming activities like raffles, lotteries, and bingo.

In the Northern Territory, while general fundraising is unregulated, you must be an ‘approved association’ to conduct community gaming.

For more information, see our resources on raffles and trade promotions.

Ongoing obligations

Even if your organisation is exempt from holding a formal licence (for example, by meeting a small-scale threshold), a number of states and territory’s fundraising laws include record keeping and conduct obligations which can still apply, and other relevant laws may apply also. (See What are the obligations of an organisation conducting fundraising activities where the organisation is not required to hold a fundraising licence?)

Does a charity registered with the ACNC need a fundraising licence?

Whether a charity registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) needs a fundraising licence depends on the specific Australian states or territories where the fundraising activity occurs.

In particular, for the relevant state or territory:

1. is the proposed fundraising activity of a kind that, in general, requires a licence / authority / approval in that state or territory? (See Does a fundraiser need a fundraising licence?)
2. are ACNC-registered charities exempt from needing that licence (or do they hold a deemed licence)?

While most jurisdictions have streamlined requirements for charities registered with the ACNC, the process varies from ‘deemed’ registration to mandatory applications.

Jurisdictions with ‘deemed’ registration

In some states and territories, ACNC-registered charities are no longer required to apply for a separate fundraising licence:

• In the ACT, ACNC-registered charities are not required to hold a charitable collections licence, and they do not need to notify or register Access Canberra in relation to their proposed fundraising activity.
• In Victoria, charities registered with the ACNC do not need to register separately with Consumer Affairs Victoria. They must simply notify the regulator through the myCAV portal of their intention to fundraise to be considered a registered fundraiser.
• In South Australia, an ACNC-registered charity is deemed to hold a collections for charitable purpose licence if it notifies Consumer and Business Services (CBS) of its intention to fundraise.
• In Queensland, ACNC-registered charities are deemed to be registered under Queensland law on notifying the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) of their intent to fundraise.

Jurisdictions requiring streamlined or full applications

Despite ACNC registration, some states still require charities to obtain a formal state-based authority:

• In New South Wales, ACNC-registered charities are automatically eligible for an authority to fundraise, but they must still complete an application form. However, the process is streamlined, requiring only their ACNC registration details.
• In Tasmania, ACNC-registered charities are still required to apply for and obtain specific approval from Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS) to solicit for a charitable purpose.
• In 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 so (the timing is unknown), ACNC-registered charities will require a licence in WA (unless a different exception applies).

Jurisdictions with no general licence requirement

The Northern Territory does not have laws governing general fundraising (such as doorknock appeals or tin collections), so no authority or licence is required for charitable appeals that do not involve gaming.

Ongoing obligations

Note that ACNC-registered charities:

• with a fundraising licence have ongoing obligations (see What are the obligations of an ACNC-registered charity with a fundraising licence?)
• who are exempt from holding a fundraising licence (even a deemed one) in a state or territory may still have ongoing obligations in relation their fundraising activities (See What are the obligations of an organisation conducting fundraising activities where the organisation is not required to hold a fundraising licence?)

The content on this webpage was last updated in May 2026 and is not legal advice. See full disclaimer and copyright notice.

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