If you want to build, alter or dismantle scaffolding on an Australian worksite, you need a scaffolding high-risk work licence — what everyone on the tools just calls a “scaffolding ticket”. There are three levels, and each one lets you do more. Here’s the plain-English version of what they cover, who needs one, and how to get it.
Short version: Scaffolding tickets are nationally recognised high-risk work licences issued by your state WHS regulator. You start with Basic (SB), then step up to Intermediate (SI) and Advanced (SA). You train and get assessed by a licensed assessor, and you need a White Card first because it’s construction work.
What a scaffolding ticket is and who needs one
A scaffolding ticket is a high-risk work (HRW) licence. Under Australia’s model work health and safety laws, certain jobs are treated as high-risk because the consequences of getting them wrong are serious — and erecting scaffolding is one of them. The licence is nationally recognised, so once you hold it, it’s valid in every state and territory.
You need a scaffolding ticket if your work involves erecting, altering or dismantling a scaffold from which a person or object could fall more than four metres. That covers most commercial and residential construction scaffolding. You do not need a scaffolding ticket simply to work or walk on a completed scaffold that someone else has signed off — but the moment you start putting it up, changing it or pulling it down, the licence applies.
Because scaffolding is construction work, you also need a White Card (general construction induction) before you can be on site at all. Think of the White Card as the front door and the scaffolding ticket as the key to the specific job.
What each class covers
There are three scaffolding classes, and they build on each other. You must hold the lower class before you can move up.
| Class | Code | What it broadly covers |
|---|---|---|
| Basic scaffolding | SB | Modular and prefabricated scaffolds, tube-and-coupler scaffolds, cantilevered materials hoists, ropes, gin wheels, safety nets and static lines, and bracket scaffolds. |
| Intermediate scaffolding | SI | Everything in Basic, plus cantilevered and spurred scaffolds, barrow ramps and sloping platforms, scaffold stairways, mast climbers, tube-and-coupler scaffolds including complex designs, and cantilevered crane loading platforms. |
| Advanced scaffolding | SA | Everything in Intermediate, plus hung scaffolds (including scaffolds hung from tubes and wire ropes) and suspended (swing stage) scaffolds. |
The exact list of activities under each class is set nationally, but the safest habit is to confirm the current scope with your state WHS regulator before you book any training — the descriptions above are a guide, not the legal wording.
How to get a scaffolding ticket
The process is the same across the country because it follows the national HRW licensing framework. Here’s how it runs.
Step 1: Get your White Card first
You can’t do construction work — including scaffolding training on a live site — without general construction induction. Sort this out before anything else.
Step 2: Meet the minimum age and prerequisites
You must be at least 18 to hold a HRW licence. For Intermediate you’ll need to already hold Basic, and for Advanced you’ll need Intermediate. Start at Basic and work up.
Step 3: Train and be assessed by a licensed assessor
You complete the training for the relevant class and are then assessed by an assessor who is licensed to test high-risk work. Assessment has a written knowledge component and a practical component where you actually erect, alter and dismantle scaffold. Training runs over several days depending on the class and your experience.
Step 4: Apply to your state regulator with your assessment result
When you pass, the assessor issues a notice of assessment. You then apply to your state WHS regulator for the licence, usually within 60 days of passing, showing proof of identity. The regulator issues the licence — the assessor does not.
Step 5: Carry your licence on site
Once issued, keep your HRW licence card on you when you work. A supervisor or inspector can ask to see it at any time.
How long it lasts and how to renew
A high-risk work licence is typically valid for five years. Renewal is an administrative step — you don’t normally re-sit the assessment, you just renew before the expiry date and keep your details current. If you let it lapse, you may have to reapply, so put the expiry date in your phone.
Costs vary by training provider and by state, and there’s a separate licence fee charged by the regulator. Don’t rely on a fixed figure you saw somewhere — check the current training cost with a registered provider and the current licence fee with your state regulator.
Where to confirm the rules
Scaffolding rules are set under the model WHS laws but administered by each state and territory, so the licence you apply to is your state regulator. Always confirm the current class scopes, fees and application steps with them.
- Safe Work Australia — the national model WHS laws and high-risk work licence framework.
- Your state WHS regulator — SafeWork NSW, WorkSafe Victoria, Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, WorkSafe WA, SafeWork SA, WorkSafe Tasmania, NT WorkSafe or WorkSafe ACT — for applications, fees and renewals.
- training.gov.au — the national register, to confirm a qualification or unit of competency is genuine.
FAQ
Do I need a ticket to work on a scaffold someone else built?
No. If the scaffold is complete and handed over, you can work on it without a scaffolding ticket. You need the licence to erect, alter or dismantle it — not to stand on a finished one.
Can I start at Intermediate or Advanced?
No. The classes stack. You must hold Basic before Intermediate, and Intermediate before Advanced.
Is my scaffolding ticket valid in another state?
Yes. High-risk work licences are nationally recognised, so a licence issued in one state is valid across Australia. Just keep it current.
What’s the difference between a scaffolding ticket and a rigging ticket?
Scaffolding tickets cover building temporary access structures. Rigging tickets cover moving and securing loads and plant. They’re separate licences with separate classes.
How long does the training take?
It varies with the class and your experience, but expect several days of training plus assessment. Ask the provider for their current schedule.
Where to confirm everything
- safeworkaustralia.gov.au — model WHS laws and the HRW licence system.
- Your state WHS regulator — for licence applications, current fees, renewals and the exact class scopes.
- training.gov.au — to check that a course or unit is nationally recognised.
General information only — not safety, legal or licensing advice. Scaffolding is high-risk work; always check the current rules with your state WHS regulator and only train with a registered provider before acting.
Related guides
- High-Risk Work Licences Explained
- White Card: Cost and Online Guide
- Rigging and Dogging Tickets Explained
- Crane Operator Licences Explained
- Your Rights on Site
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a White Card before I can get a scaffolding ticket?
Yes — scaffolding work is construction work, so you need a White Card first, then complete Basic, Intermediate or Advanced scaffolding training with a licensed assessor.
What’s the difference between Basic, Intermediate and Advanced scaffolding tickets?
Basic (SB) lets you build simpler scaffolds; Intermediate (SI) and Advanced (SA) let you build more complex types, with each level building on the last.
Is a scaffolding ticket valid in every state?
Yes — it’s a nationally recognised high-risk work licence, so once issued it’s valid across all of Australia.
Do I need a ticket just to walk on a finished scaffold?
No — you only need the licence to erect, alter or dismantle a scaffold; working or walking on one that’s already built and signed off doesn’t require it.
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