"High risk work licence" gets thrown around a lot on site, and it covers a lot more than most apprentices realise. It's a specific type of licence, regulated nationally, that you must hold before you're allowed to do certain dangerous work — operating cranes, forklifts, boom lifts, hoists, scaffolding, dogging and rigging, and running certain pressure equipment. Get the wrong end of this and you can end up doing work you're not licensed for, which is illegal and dangerous.
This is an advanced topic because the classes are many and the rules are precise. This guide explains what a high risk work (HRW) licence is, walks through the main classes, and covers how you get one, what it costs, and how it fits with your apprenticeship. The system is set by Safe Work Australia's model WHS laws and administered by each state and territory regulator.
What a high risk work licence actually is
A HRW licence is a nationally recognised licence that authorises you to carry out a specific class of high risk work. The key features:
- It's national. A HRW licence issued in one state is recognised in every other state and territory, unlike some state-specific tickets.
- It's class-based. Each type of work has its own class code (like LF for forklift or WP for boom lift), and you can hold several classes on the one licence card.
- You must be 18. You can't hold a HRW licence under 18.
- It's valid for five years, then you renew it.
- It's issued by the regulator, not the training provider. The RTO assesses you; the regulator issues the licence.
It's administered by your state or territory WHS regulator — SafeWork NSW, WorkSafe Victoria, Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, SafeWork SA, WorkSafe WA, WorkSafe ACT, NT WorkSafe and WorkSafe Tasmania.
The main licence classes
There are many HRW classes. Here are the common groups you'll come across as an apprentice or young tradie:
- Forklifts — LF (counterbalance forklift) and LO (order-picking forklift). Covered in detail in the forklift licence guide.
- Elevating work platforms — WP (boom-type EWP with a boom over 11 metres). See EWP tickets: scissor lifts and boom lifts.
- Cranes — several classes including slewing mobile cranes (rated by capacity: C2, C6, C10, C25, C100, CO/CN for over 100 tonnes), non-slewing (CN), vehicle loading (CV), tower (CT) and bridge/gantry (CB).
- Hoists — CB doesn't cover these; personnel and materials hoists have their own classes (CN, HM, HP).
- Dogging and rigging — DG (dogging), and rigging RB (basic), RI (intermediate) and RA (advanced). These cover directing crane loads and setting up cranes, structural steel and rigging gear.
- Scaffolding — SB (basic), SI (intermediate) and SA (advanced).
- Pressure equipment — boiler operation and turbine operation classes.
You only need the classes relevant to your work. Nobody holds them all, and there's no point paying for a class you'll never use.
When you actually need one
The rule is simple: if the work falls into a HRW class, you must hold that licence before you do it. There's no "learning on the job" without the ticket — although there's a specific, supervised pathway for gaining the experience you need to be assessed (more on that below).
You can't legally be directed to perform high risk work without the right licence, and both you and your employer face penalties if you do it unlicensed. As an apprentice, never let yourself be pushed into operating a crane, hoist or boom lift you're not licensed for — that's squarely within your rights as an apprentice, and worth raising if it happens.
How you get a high risk work licence
The pathway is broadly the same across classes:
- Step 1: Be at least 18 years old.
- Step 2: For classes that need experience (like rigging and some crane classes), gain supervised practice under a licensed person, sometimes recorded in a logbook.
- Step 3: Train and be assessed by a Registered Training Organisation approved to deliver that HRW class. This includes a knowledge assessment and a practical performance assessment.
- Step 4: Once you pass, apply to your state regulator within the required timeframe, providing photo ID and your assessment paperwork.
- Step 5: Receive your licence card, valid for five years.
Not every RTO is approved for every class, so check that the provider is authorised for the exact class you want.
What it costs
Prices vary widely by class, RTO and state, so treat everything as indicative. Simpler classes like forklift or basic scaffolding are cheaper and quicker; crane and rigging classes cost more and take longer because of the experience and assessment involved. On top of the training cost, there's a separate regulator application (and later renewal) fee.
Because these licences directly enable the work an employer needs done, many employers and Group Training Organisations will pay for the classes you need. Always ask before funding it yourself — it's often part of your development plan, similar to the paths described in upskilling courses worth doing after you qualify.
Which classes are worth it for you
Don't collect licences like footy cards. The smart approach is to get the classes your trade and your employer actually use, and add more as your career grows. Early on, a forklift ticket is a common, portable, affordable choice. Cranes and rigging tend to come later and often lead into more senior, better-paid roles.
If you're weighing up where to spend your money and time as a newer apprentice, read which tickets actually get you hired. And remember that HRW licences sit on top of the basics — most sites still expect a White Card before you set foot on them.
Ready to put your credentials to work? Browse apprenticeship jobs or create a free profile.
Key takeaways
- A high risk work licence is a nationally recognised, class-based licence issued by your state regulator, valid five years.
- You must be 18, and you must hold the right class before doing that work — unlicensed operation is illegal.
- Classes cover forklifts, EWPs, cranes, hoists, dogging and rigging, scaffolding and pressure equipment.
- The RTO trains and assesses you; the regulator issues the licence after you apply.
- Only get the classes your work actually needs, and add more as your career progresses.
- Many employers and GTOs will pay — ask before funding classes yourself.