Get your contractor licence back after disqualification
We prepare the reapplication as a case for why you are fit to hold the licence again.The disqualification has run and you want to work again. A reapplication after disqualification is not the standard form process. NSW Fair Trading starts from your history and asks whether you are now a fit and proper person. That is a case to be made, not a box to be ticked.
A case, not a form
The application is built as evidence that you are fit to hold the licence, which is what the Regulator is actually deciding.
Answers checked against the file
Every response is tested against the record the Regulator already holds, so nothing contradicts what went before.
No wasted attempt
We tell you if you are not ready to apply yet, rather than letting a refusal add to the history.
What the Regulator is deciding when you reapply
A reapplication after disqualification is an assessment of character, not just of qualifications. NSW Fair Trading considers whether the applicant is a fit and proper person to hold a contractors licence under the Home Building Act 1989 (NSW).
Fit and proper covers conduct, financial position, any criminal history, and the technical qualifications for the licence class. Where there has been a disqualification, the Regulator looks for evidence that what went wrong has genuinely been addressed. That evidence has to be assembled and presented. It is not assumed from the passage of time.
How is this different from a normal licence application?
The scrutiny is much greater. NSW Fair Trading reviews the circumstances of the original disqualification and asks whether you have genuinely addressed what went wrong. A standard application tests qualifications. This one tests character, against a file the Regulator already has.
What does fit and proper person mean?
Under the Home Building Act 1989 (NSW) it covers character, qualifications and financial standing. The Regulator looks at your previous conduct, any criminal history and your financial position. It also checks the technical qualifications for the licence class you want.
What if my reapplication is refused?
You can seek an internal review, and if that does not succeed, apply to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal for external review. We can advise on both and act for you. A refusal also becomes part of the history, which is why the first application is worth preparing properly.
How long does it take?
It varies with the complexity of your history and any further inquiries the Regulator raises. The delays that hurt most are usually self-inflicted, caused by answers that prompt more questions. Responding promptly and consistently is what keeps it moving.
Fit and proper is a case you make, not a period you wait out
The evidence of what has changed since the disqualification has to be assembled and put in front of the Regulator. It is not inferred from the calendar.
Serving the disqualification is not the same as being trusted again
The application form does not tell you what it is really asking. The questions look administrative, and the answers get written as if they are.
But the Regulator already has a file on you and reads every answer against it. An inconsistency with something you said years ago, or an answer that sounds like the matter is still someone else’s fault, is enough to refuse. You may not get a chance to explain what you meant.
- We will advise on the reapplication process and what the Regulator will be assessing.
- We will identify the evidence that demonstrates you are a fit and proper person.
- We will review every answer against the record the Regulator already holds.
- We will respond to any further inquiries or requisitions from the Regulator.
- We will act for you on internal review and at NCAT if the application is refused.
When the disqualification has run and you want to work again
You have served the period of disqualification and you are ready to reapply. You know NSW Fair Trading will look hard at the application, and you suspect the process is more demanding than the form suggests. A refusal would mean more time out of the industry. You would rather not find out the hard way what they were looking for.
What's included in your licence reapplication service
- Advice on the reapplication process and requirements.
- Fit and proper person evidence and strategy.
- Review of your application answers before lodgement.
- Response to Regulator inquiries and requisitions.
- Internal review and NCAT representation if refused.
The file from last time is open on the desk
A reapplication is read against everything that came before it. The Regulator knows the history, and every answer is checked against the record.
Most refusals are not about hopeless cases. They are about applications written as form-filling. An answer that minimises what happened. A gap in the employment history nobody explained. A referee who says less than the applicant expected. Each looks small alone, and together they read as someone who has not changed. Then there is a further period out of the industry before you can try again.
From disqualified to licensed and trading
We start with the original disqualification, because that is where the Regulator starts. What happened, what has changed since, and what evidence exists for the change. Courses, employment, references, financial records, and anything else showing the position now is not the position then.
Then we prepare the application around that, and check every answer against the record the Regulator already holds. Where further inquiries come back, we answer them. If the application is refused, we advise on internal review and act for you at NCAT.
How the reapplication is built
From disqualification served to licence reinstated.Understand the history
We go through the original disqualification and what has happened since, because that is where the Regulator starts.
Prove what changed
We identify and gather the material that demonstrates genuine change and meets the fit and proper test.
Lodge and follow through
We review the application before it goes, answer any requisitions, and act on review if it is refused.
Reapplications after disqualification, prepared as a case for reinstatement
Going back to a regulator that disqualified you takes something. People in this position often want to avoid discussing the original conduct at all, and that instinct is the one that causes refusals. The Regulator is not asking you to relitigate it. It is asking what has changed.
We prepare reapplications after disqualification. The work is assembling the evidence of what has actually changed since, and writing answers that are consistent with the file the Regulator already holds. Where an application is refused, we act on internal review and at NCAT.
Our great lawyer guarantee
Six principles we hold to, whatever you bring us and however long it takes.
Take the time
We listen carefully to understand what you want to achieve, then step you through the advice and the documents.
Share our knowledge
We pass on as much as we can, so you can make your own informed decisions.
Stick to our knitting
We only do what we are good at, so you never pay for our learning.
Work as one team
Someone is always available to answer your question or point you the right way.
Fair pricing
A fixed or capped quote for advice and documents, so you do not carry the price risk.
It is your show
We are in it for a front row seat to witness your success, not for our egos.
Talk to us before you fill in the form
The application is easiest to get right before anything is lodged. Once answers are on the file they are difficult to walk back. Tell us what led to the disqualification and what has happened since. We will tell you what the Regulator will be looking for and whether you are ready to apply.
More on this area of law
Read more about contractor licensing, the fit and proper person test and NCAT review, and how we can help.
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