Blue card rights and obligations for individuals

Individuals, including applicants and card holders, have rights and obligations under the blue card system. Employer organisations, including business operators, also have obligations.

Your rights

We are committed to ensuring a fair application process.

• If we are doing a risk assessment and we are considering refusing your application, we will:
• explain the process and how the information will be assessed
• give you a copy of the assessable information we have about you
• give you an opportunity to tell your side of the story by making a submission
• consider all information you provide before making a decision.

You also have the right to:

• withdraw your application before a decision is made
• cancel your blue card at any time
• use your valid blue card for other child-related work.

If you are refused a blue card, you may be able to apply to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) to have our decision reviewed. Find out more about appealing a decision (Opens in new window) or read our Right to review fact sheet (Opens in new window) .

Your obligations

As an applicant or card holder, you must meet certain obligations. If you don't, you could face penalties.

Changes to personal and employment information

As an applicant, you must let us know within 7 days if:

• your personal details change
• your employment or business information changes (e.g. you start or stop carrying on a child-related business)
• you have a change to a disclosable matter

As a card holder, you must let us know:

• within 7 days if:
  • your personal details change
  • your employment or business information changes (e.g. you start or stop carrying on a child-related business)
  • you have a change to a disclosable matter
• Within 14 days if:
  • you lose your blue card
  • your card is stolen
  • you are transferring from volunteer to paid employment or business

Renew your blue card

You must submit your renewal application before your current card expires for you to continue working in child-related activities regulated by the blue card system.

Changes to police information

As an applicant or blue or exemption card holder, you must immediately let us know if your police information changes by completing a change in police information notification (Opens in new window) .

A change in police information includes:

• any charge or conviction for an offence (conviction means being found guilty by a court, or the acceptance of a plea of guilty by a court, regardless if a conviction is recorded and regardless of when and where it took place)
• the existence of police investigative information relating to allegations of serious child-related sexual offences, even if no charges were laid
• being the subject of an application for a disqualification order (i.e. where a court prohibits a person from holding or applying for a blue or exemption card)
• being a respondent to an application for an offender prohibition order under the Child Protection (Offender Reporting and Offender Prohibition Order) Act 2004
• becoming subject to reporting obligations or a child protection offender prohibition order under the Child Protection (Offender Reporting and Offender Prohibition Order) Act 2004, or a disqualification order, or a sexual offender order.
  We will notify employers of a change in police information when the change is considered relevant to child-related employment.

We will notify employers of a change in police information when the change is considered relevant to child-related employment.

Changes to disclosable information

As an applicant or blue or exemption card holder, you must let us know within 7 days if your disclosable information changes by completing a change in disclosable information notification.

A change in disclosable information includes:

• the issue of a domestic violence order (whether temporary or final) or a police protection notice
• a finding by a child protection agency in Australia or New Zealand confirming an allegation of harm against you relating to a child/children
• an adverse working with children check decision made by another state or territory.

Suspension of blue card or exemption card

If your card is suspended, you are a restricted person and you must:

• not start or continue child-related work regulated by the blue card system
• not start or continue a child-related business regulated by the blue card system
• not work in restricted employment
• return your card to us immediately unless you have already given it to the Queensland Police Service.

learn more about suspended and cancelled card.

Cancellation of blue card or exemption card

If your blue or exemption card is cancelled, you must:

• not start or continue child-related work regulated by the blue card system
• not start or continue a child-related business regulated by the blue card system
• return your card to us immediately.

If you have been issued with a negative notice, you are also a restricted person.

Restricted person cannot do restricted employment

There are additional child-related activities which a restricted person cannot take part in.

A restricted person is a person who either:

• has been issued a negative notice
• has a suspended blue card
• is a disqualified person
• has been charged with a disqualifying offence that has not been finalised, or
• is the subject of an adverse interstate Working with Children Check decision that is in effect.

A restricted person cannot do Restricted employment, which is:

• volunteering as a parent
• volunteering when you are under 18
• working in child regulated employment for no more than 7 days each year (paid or unpaid)
• working as a person with a disability where you receive disability services or NDIS supports or services
• work experience as a secondary school student carrying out risk assessed NDIS work or disability services (even if supervised by a person with a blue card).

If you are a restricted person, you must not start or continue to work or volunteer in restricted employment.

If you are a restricted person who currently works or volunteers in restricted employment, you must immediately stop or you will be breaking the law and can be prosecuted.

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