Tickets and licences guide

Know who can legally do the job.

In NSW, the business is responsible for making sure anyone directing traffic holds the right card. A ticket register with a photo and date for every card turns “is this person qualified?” into a ten-second answer.

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Tickets on file

5 workers, 4 ticket types

2 expiring in 30 days
WorkerWhite CardTraffic controllerImplement TCPFirst aid
Dave R.TCVerifiedVerifiednoneMar 2027
Priya S.Team leaderVerifiedVerifiedVerified19 days
Tom W.TCVerifiedIn reviewnonenone
Sam K.SpotterVerifiednonenoneExpired
Mel K.ImplementerVerifiedVerified6 daysJan 2027

Illustrative example data.

Three kinds of traffic control work, three cards.

Since 1 July 2020, traffic control work training has been part of the NSW WHS Act. According to SafeWork NSW, workers need a Traffic Control Work Training Card for any traffic control work on or next to public roads, and each type of work is its own qualification.

  • TCR

    Traffic controller

    Direct traffic in accordance with a work zone traffic management plan.

  • IMP

    Implement traffic control plans

    Implement a work zone traffic management plan in the immediate vicinity of a workplace.

  • PWZ

    Prepare a work zone TMP

    Design (including vary) or inspect a work zone traffic management plan.

Before you send someone out, check three things.

SafeWork NSW says a business must ensure a worker holds the card, and also that they:

  • The worker holds a SafeWork NSW Traffic Control Work Training Card for that type of work.
  • They have successfully completed the training for that type of traffic control work.
  • They have carried out that type of traffic control work in the preceding 2 years.

SafeWork NSW states that a penalty of up to $21,420 may apply to a business that directs a worker to do traffic control work without the required certification.

New starters waiting on a card

A worker who has finished training but not the workplace assessment can do traffic control work under supervision while they hold a current Statement of Completion. Once assessed, they must be able to show the Statement of Completion and the confirmation letter on request until the card arrives.

Crews from interstate

Traffic control work is part of the Automatic Mutual Recognition scheme, so licensed workers from other states and territories can work in NSW, except those licensed in Queensland. They need a current home-state licence and must notify SafeWork NSW first. NSW won’t accept Victorian training issued by a registered training organisation.

Working outside NSW

Each state sets its own traffic control qualifications. In Queensland, check with Transport and Main Roads. Victoria is the only jurisdiction that hasn’t adopted the model WHS laws, so its rules differ again.

Build a ticket register that actually gets used.

None of this needs special software. A spreadsheet and a shared photo folder will do, as long as someone owns it and looks at it every week.

  1. List the tickets each role needs

    TCR for controllers, IMP for whoever sets up the plan on site, plus the White Card, first aid and site inductions your clients ask for.

  2. Keep a photo of every card

    Front and back, taken when the worker starts. It saves a phone call when a client asks for evidence.

  3. Record the dates that matter

    Issue date, expiry date where there is one, and the last time each person actually did that type of work.

  4. Check new cards against the register

    NSW traffic control cards can be looked up on Verify.licence before someone’s first shift. Open Verify.licence.

  5. Look ahead every week

    A standing ten-minute check of what’s expiring in the next month gives people time to book a course.

Workers send the photo. You check it once.

Workers upload their tickets from their phone. CrewRing reads the details off the card, a person on your team verifies it, and verified tickets with an expiry date show up in one list as they get close.

Pending review

Uploaded by Tom W. from his phone

1 of 3
photo_0412.jpg
Ticket type
Traffic controller (TCR)
Holder
Thomas Walsh
Card number
TCT 0•• ••• 412
Issuing state
NSW
Issued
14 Aug 2024

Read from the photo. A person checks it before it counts.

RejectVerify

Expiring soon

Verified tickets due in the next 30 days

3 tickets
Today+15 days+30 days
  • Mel K.Implement TCP6 days
  • Priya S.First aid19 days
  • Jordan P.EWP licence27 days

Illustrative example data.

CrewRing does

  • Ready-made ticket types for the White Card, NSW, QLD and VIC traffic controller tickets, forklift, EWP and first aid, plus any you add.
  • Workers upload a photo or PDF of a ticket from their phone, and your team can upload for them, one at a time or in bulk.
  • Card number, holder, issuing state and dates are read from the image, then a person verifies or rejects it.
  • An “Expiring soon” list of verified tickets expiring in the next 30 days.
  • When you upload a SWMS, the tickets it lists as required are pulled out for you.

CrewRing doesn’t (yet)

  • Send expiry reminders to workers automatically.
  • Check cards against the government register. Use Verify.licence for that.
  • Block shifts or callouts for someone without a current ticket.
  • Track the two-year recency requirement for you.

Sources

  1. 1.Traffic control work training, SafeWork NSW
  2. 2.Verify a licence, NSW Government
  3. 3.Model WHS laws, Safe Work Australia

Checked September 2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice. WHS laws differ between states and territories, so confirm the details with your regulator.

Related guides

Get every ticket in one place.

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