Crane operator rules in New South Wales
What SafeWork NSW says about the high risk work licence needed to operate a crane in New South Wales, the 12 crane classes, how a licence is assessed, applied for and renewed, the 2026-27 fees, and what the Tree works code of practice says about crane licences.
Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 9, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.
This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. The sources are three SafeWork NSW web pages read on October 9, 2026 and the SafeWork NSW Tree works code of practice, dated March 2026. The national picture is on the parent page, cranes in tree work, which also lists the crane classes with their codes.
At a glance
| Item | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| Rule | Under the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW), high risk work requires a licence |
| Regulator | SafeWork NSW, phone 13 10 50 |
| Crane classes | 12 crane classes and one reach stacker class, among 29 classes of high risk work |
| Licence term | 5 years; added classes expire with the licence |
| Minimum age | 18 |
| Public register | Verify NSW |
What SafeWork NSW says about the licence
SafeWork NSW says generally in Australia a high risk work licence is needed for high risk work that is residential, commercial or industrial, regardless of the cost or size of the work. It says a person must hold the relevant class for every class of work they do, and can add classes to a licence at different times. Work done while training towards a licence is not covered by that rule if a licence holder supervises. Direct supervision is expected unless it is impractical or unnecessary and the reduced supervision does not put anyone at risk.
The crane page says a licence with the relevant class is needed to operate specified cranes and reach stackers in NSW. The classes cover non slewing mobile cranes, slewing mobile cranes, vehicle loading cranes, reach stackers, derrick cranes, portal boom cranes, bridge and gantry cranes, tower cranes, self-erecting tower cranes and concrete placing booms. The page sends readers to the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 for the full class definitions. Two of the classes are described here:
- Vehicle loading cranes of 10 mt capacity or more (class CV) are mounted on a vehicle to move a load on or off it. SafeWork NSW says a CV holder can also do the full range of slewing operations without a slewing mobile crane licence, if the equipment is suitable, used within its operating parameters and the operator has been adequately trained.
- Slewing mobile cranes come in four classes by capacity: C2 up to 20 t, C6 up to 60 t, C1 up to 100 t and C0 over 100 t, each including the lower classes. The page says this does not include front end loaders, backhoes, excavators and other earthmoving equipment configured for crane operation.
Getting and keeping a licence
To apply, a person must be at least 18, have trained in the class with a registered training organisation, have been assessed as competent by a SafeWork NSW accredited assessor working for that organisation, and speak English well enough to carry out the work safely with other people. The order is: apply online for an assessment enrolment number, attend the assessment, then apply for the licence within 60 days of the Notice of Satisfactory Assessment. New applicants then visit a Service NSW Centre to have their photo taken, and SafeWork NSW adds them to the Verify NSW register and mails a photo licence. A digital licence is available through the Service NSW app.
A licence lasts 5 years. SafeWork NSW says it reminds holders about 60 days before expiry, that a person cannot do high risk work on an expired licence, and that a licence can be renewed up to 12 months after expiry. After 12 months the person must retrain, be reassessed and apply again. A holder who submits a renewal before expiry can keep working until the renewal is confirmed. A licence can be moved between states if it has not expired or is within 12 months of expiry, and must be issued by the state or territory where the holder usually lives. Holders must report a change of name, address or other details within 14 days.
Fees for 2026-27
SafeWork NSW lists its fees for 2026-27 and says they are adjusted each year in line with the consumer price index.
| Item | Fee | Term |
|---|---|---|
| New high risk work licence | AU$95 per class | 5 years |
| Licence renewal | AU$88 | 5 years |
| Replacement licence | AU$43 | Not applicable |
| Replacement licence, online | AU$36 | Not applicable |
What the Tree works code says about crane licences
The Tree works code of practice commenced on March 27, 2026 and replaced the 1998 Amenity Tree Industry Code. Its chapter on the crane access method says a person lifted by a crane must hold a high risk work dogging licence if they direct the crane operator while out of the operator's view, and that any observer who directs the operator must hold one too. It says the person operating a crane that needs a high risk work licence must hold a valid one. The section on cranes lists holding the high risk work licences required for the class of task among the points to ensure before a mobile crane is used for tree removal or pruning. The code calls tree work with cranes high risk because of the chance of overturning or boom failure.