Australia

At a glanceRequirements at a glance

No Mandatory Government Removalist Licence

No

Correct. Australia does not license the moving industry itself. There is no government-issued “removalist licence” to check, in any state or territory.

Australian Business Number (ABN): Required Where the Business Must Register for GST

Required where applicable. An Australian Business Number (ABN) is not compulsory for every business. However, a business must register for GST within 21 days once its GST turnover reaches $75,000 a year, and it needs an ABN to do so. An ABN is a tax registration, not a removalist licence.

Heavy Vehicle Compliance: an Ongoing Operating Obligation, Not a Licence Held by the Company

Yes, in six of eight jurisdictions, where heavy vehicles are used. Where vehicles over 4.5 tonnes gross vehicle mass are operated, the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) applies in the ACT, NSW, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, and Victoria, administered by the NHVR. HVNL compliance, including Chain of Responsibility, is a set of ongoing legal obligations on how vehicles are operated and loaded, not a licence or certificate the company holds and can simply produce. It does not apply in Western Australia or the Northern Territory, which run their own separate frameworks (see those pages). Where a mover subcontracts the transport, the carrier’s own vehicle registrations and operating obligations cover the transport it performs, and the mover should use carriers that meet them.

Chain of Responsibility

Yes, where the HVNL applies. Under the HVNL, all parties in the transport chain, not just the driver, share legal responsibility for safety, including mass, dimension, loading, fatigue, and speed compliance. This is an operating obligation that applies continuously, not a one-time credential.

Heavy Vehicle Accreditation

Voluntary. The amended Heavy Vehicle National Law took effect on 1 August 2026 and introduced a new, tiered Heavy Vehicle Accreditation (HVA) scheme, which is progressively replacing the earlier National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme (NHVAS). Accreditation recognizes operators with audited safety management systems. This scheme is voluntary, not a mandatory licence: a mover can be fully HVNL-compliant without holding it.

Consumer Protection

Yes. The Australian Consumer Law (ACL), a national law, prohibits misleading or deceptive conduct and unfair contract terms, and provides consumer guarantees around services being provided with due care and skill. Enforced by the ACCC nationally and by state/territory fair trading or consumer affairs offices locally.

Industry Association

Yes. The Australian Furniture Removers Association (AFRA) is the national industry association for furniture removers. Membership is voluntary and industry-run; it is not a government licence.

OverviewOverview & Scope

Australia does not license the moving industry through any government scheme: there’s no removalist licence to hold in any state or territory. The legal requirements that do apply are an ABN where the business must register for GST, heavy vehicle law where heavy vehicles are used, and the Australian Consumer Law. For vehicles over 4.5 tonnes, the Heavy Vehicle National Law applies in six of eight jurisdictions, administered by the NHVR. It is a set of ongoing operating obligations (Chain of Responsibility, mass/loading/fatigue management) rather than a licence the company holds, and the NHVR’s accreditation scheme sitting alongside it is voluntary. Western Australia and the Northern Territory are outside the HVNL entirely, each running their own systems.

Vehicle obligations attach to whichever company operates the vehicles. Where a mover subcontracts transport, the carrier’s own registrations and operating obligations cover the transport it performs, and the mover should use carriers that meet them. Chain of Responsibility can also reach other parties in the chain, such as those who load or schedule a heavy vehicle.

On the consumer side, the Australian Consumer Law provides the general framework nationally. No law requires a mover to insure a customer’s goods; customers should ask what protection, if any, is offered.

RegistrationRegistration & Compliance Essentials

Which heavy vehicle framework applies depends on where the vehicles operate: the HVNL in the ACT, NSW, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, and Victoria, or Western Australia’s and the Northern Territory’s own separate systems.

Company registration

1. Hold an ABN and register for GST within 21 days of GST turnover reaching $75,000 a year.

Heavy vehicles (HVNL jurisdictions)

2. Comply with Chain of Responsibility obligations on an ongoing basis under the HVNL where the mover operates heavy vehicles or is otherwise a party in the chain (for example by loading or scheduling), ensuring mass, dimension, loading, and fatigue management practices meet legal standards.

Subcontracted transport

3. Where transport is subcontracted, use carriers that hold the licences required for the transport they perform.

Customer practices

4. Ensure contracts and marketing comply with the Australian Consumer Law, avoiding misleading conduct and unfair contract terms, and honoring consumer guarantees around service quality.

ChecklistCompliance checklist

Company licensing

• ABN held, with GST registrationWhere applicable (GST turnover of $75,000 or more a year)Verified by DocumentRequired

Subcontracted transport

• Where transport is subcontracted, the mover uses carriers that hold the licences required for the transport they performWhere applicableVerified by AffirmationRequired

Vehicles and drivers (HVNL jurisdictions)

• HVNL Chain of Responsibility obligations met on an ongoing basis (mass, dimension, loading, fatigue and speed)Where applicable (heavy vehicles over 4.5 tonnes GVM in an HVNL jurisdiction that the mover operates, or for which it is otherwise a party in the chain, for example by loading or scheduling)Verified by AffirmationRequired

Customer practices

• Contracts and marketing comply with the Australian Consumer Law (no misleading or deceptive conduct or unfair contract terms; consumer guarantees honoured)Verified by AffirmationRequired