How to check if a pool has a safety certificate
To check whether a Queensland property has a pool safety certificate, search the property on the QBCC pool register, using its address or its lot and plan number. QBCC says the register records every regulated pool in Queensland, along with the pool safety certificates issued for them, and that it has no charge to access.
How to check, step by step
- Open the pool register search from QBCC's register a pool page (opens in a new tab). It opens in the QBCC Portal.
- Enter the property's address, or its lot and plan number if you have it (it's on the contract or the title search).
- Look at what the register shows for the property: whether a pool is registered and whether a pool safety certificate has been issued.
- Check the date on the certificate against the 2-year (non-shared pool) or 1-year (shared pool) period below.
QBCC's pages don't describe the register's screens in detail, so what you see may change. If you can't find the property, ask QBCC's pool safety team.
What the result tells you, and what it doesn't
- A current certificate means a licensed inspector found the pool met the pool safety standard when it was checked. It lasts 2 years for a non-shared pool and 1 year for a shared pool.
- An expired certificate no longer counts. What expiry means.
- No certificate is common. When a property is sold or leased, a Form 36 is lodged instead. Form 36 explained.
- No pool shown doesn't prove there isn't one. Every regulated pool must be on the register, so an unregistered pool is a problem for the owner. Registering a pool.
A certificate shows the barrier complied on the day it was inspected. The barrier must comply at all times, and only a licensed pool safety inspector can decide whether a pool complies. PoolPreCert can't tell you that either.
Buying, selling or leasing?
Buyers and tenants can use the register to check the paperwork they've been given. Buyer's guide, seller's guide, landlord's guide.
Lost your own certificate?
QBCC says you can download and print a new copy from its pool register.
Need a new certificate?
Check the barrier yourself first, so the licensed inspector's visit goes smoothly.
Common questions
Where do I check if a pool has a safety certificate in Queensland?
On the QBCC pool register, through the QBCC Portal. Search by the property's address or its lot and plan number. QBCC says the register records every regulated pool in Queensland, along with the pool safety certificates issued for it.
Does it cost anything to search the register?
No. QBCC describes the pool register as having no charge to access.
What if the register shows no certificate?
The seller (or lessor) must lodge a Form 36 notice of no pool safety certificate with QBCC and give the buyer a copy before the buyer signs. The buyer then has 90 days after settlement to get a certificate.
Can I download a copy of a certificate?
If you are the owner and have lost yours, QBCC says you can download and print a new one from its pool register.
Does a current certificate mean the pool complies today?
No. A certificate confirms the pool complied with the pool safety standard at the time it was checked. The barrier must comply at all times, and only a licensed pool safety inspector can decide whether a pool complies.