Police Check in Queensland: How to Apply, Fees and What Shows Up

In Queensland, a standard National Police Certificate costs $78.15 for a name-based online search (effective 01/07/2026), is requested through an Australia Post smartform, and typically arrives within 30 minutes if no further investigation is triggered.

This page covers Queensland's own layer on top of the national system, part of the wider Australia background checks coverage on this site. For how the AFP and ACIC-accredited National Police Checking Service fit together generally, see National Police Checks in Australia.

Two products, and which one you actually want

The Queensland Police Service sells two separate criminal history products, and it is easy to order the wrong one.

The National Police Certificate (NPC) is what almost every employer, volunteer coordinator, licensing body or visa application is asking for. It is the Queensland instance of the national route described on the anchor page above, drawing on the ACIC-coordinated national database rather than Queensland records alone.

The second product, Criminal history (Queensland only), covers only convictions arising from prosecutions that QPS itself initiated. It does not contain interstate convictions, and QPS's own product page tells applicants who need an Australia-wide check for employment, insurance or visa purposes to order the NPC instead. It is a niche, court-adjacent product, not a general background check, and it carries its own fee of $71.10.

How to apply for a National Police Certificate in Queensland

The standard route is a name-based online search through an Australia Post smartform. Applicants verify identity digitally or in person at an Australia Post outlet, using one document from each of two accepted identity-document lists (Queensland driver licence, passport, birth certificate, citizenship certificate and Medicare card are among the accepted types). Anyone whose identity documents show a different name needs supporting change-of-name documentation.

A fingerprint-based search ("national search of criminal history using name and fingerprints") is a separate, more thorough option, but it cannot be completed online. It requires an in-person appointment booked at a Queensland police station.

The narrower Criminal history (Queensland only) product uses a different, manual channel entirely: pay through the QPS Legal BPOINT payment page, complete a PDF application form, then email the form and payment receipt to QPS.

Fees, as at 01/07/2026

These figures come from QPS's official Schedule of Fees and Charges, effective 01/07/2026, whose footer notes that fees outside a small carved-out list are indexed at the government's 2026-27 rate of 3.4 percent. Expect the figure to move again on the next 1 July cycle, so confirm the live number on QPS's own fee schedule before paying.

No volunteer or concession rate is published for the National Police Certificate, on either the fee schedule or QPS's product pages. That is a genuine gap rather than an oversight in research: it matches the AFP's own national product, which also publishes no volunteer discount.

Turnaround, and how long the certificate stays current

QPS's own wording is specific on timing: an NPC that needs no further investigation is typically emailed within about 30 minutes. If the application is flagged for investigation, for example a common name or a record needing manual review, it can take 5 to 10 working days once transferred to the national database, plus postal delivery for a hardcopy. QPS asks applicants who have received nothing after 28 business days to contact support.

On currency, QPS's own product page states that a National Police Certificate is current as of its date of issue, so QPS imposes no formal period of validity; it is left to the requesting employer or organisation to decide whether a certificate is recent enough for their purposes. That statement comes with a practical limit attached, though: the certificate is only available for 90 days from the date of issue and cannot be reissued after that window closes. In practice, an NPC does not expire on its face, but the digital copy an applicant can retrieve or reissue does have a hard 90-day cutoff.

What shows up, and Queensland's spent-convictions filter

An NPC reports disclosable court outcomes drawn from the national database, filtered through Queensland's own Criminal Law (Rehabilitation of Offenders) Act 1986 scheme (itself overridden, for Blue Card disqualifying offences, by the Working with Children Act 2000). The mechanics of what becomes non-disclosable, and when, are covered in full on Spent Convictions in Queensland; this page does not repeat that detail.

Blue Card: Queensland's working-with-children check

Anyone working or volunteering in child-related regulated activity in Queensland needs a Blue Card, issued under the Working with Children (Risk Management and Screening) Act 2000, not a standard National Police Certificate. It is a distinct regime from the "WWCC" or "WWVP" labels used elsewhere in Australia. See the Blue Card in Queensland for how that screening works.

Using a criminal record against you in Queensland employment

Queensland's Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 sets out an exhaustive list of protected attributes at section 7: sex, relationship status, pregnancy, parental status, breastfeeding, age, race, impairment, religious belief or activity, political belief or activity, trade union activity, sex work activity, gender identity, sexuality, sex characteristics, family responsibilities, and association with someone who has one of those attributes. Criminal record, or an irrelevant criminal record, is not on that list, and the Queensland Human Rights Commission's own public attributes page confirms the same 17-item set.

That means a Queenslander who believes they were turned down for work because of a criminal record has no direct ground to raise under the state's own Anti-Discrimination Act. The only routes are the Commonwealth conciliation-only mechanism under the Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986, described on Criminal Record and Employment Rights in Australia, or the narrower protection the spent-convictions scheme itself provides by restricting what can be disclosed in the first place.

International or immigration checks

Someone in Queensland who needs a check for an overseas visa or immigration application uses the AFP's National Police Certificate, not a QPS-issued product. See National Police Checks in Australia for that route.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a police check cost in Queensland?

A standard, name-based National Police Certificate costs $78.15, effective 01/07/2026. A fingerprint-based search costs $260.60 and must be done in person at a police station. Both figures are indexed at 3.4 percent for 2026-27, so confirm the current amount on QPS's own fee schedule before paying.

How long does a Queensland police check take?

About 30 minutes if QPS needs no further investigation, delivered by email. If the application is flagged for investigation, it can take 5 to 10 working days once transferred to the national database, plus postal delivery time for a hardcopy. Contact QPS if nothing has arrived after 28 business days.

Does a National Police Certificate expire in Queensland?

QPS does not impose a formal validity period; a certificate is current as of its date of issue, and it is up to the requesting employer or organisation to judge whether it is recent enough. The certificate itself becomes unavailable and cannot be reissued once 90 days have passed since issue.

Is there a discount for volunteers in Queensland?

No. QPS does not publish a volunteer or concession rate for the National Police Certificate, on either the official fee schedule or the product page itself.

Can I be discriminated against for a criminal record in Queensland?

Queensland's Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 does not list criminal record as a protected attribute, so there is no direct ground under state law. The only avenue is the federal, conciliation-only mechanism under the Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986.

What is the difference between a National Police Certificate and the Queensland-only criminal history check?

The National Police Certificate draws on the national database and is what most employers, volunteer roles and visa applications require. The Queensland-only product covers only convictions QPS itself prosecuted and does not include interstate records; QPS itself directs general applicants to the National Police Certificate instead.