Blue cards for disability work

You need a blue card if you:

• provide disability services to a child with disability
• provide NDIS supports or services to a child with disability
• carry out risk-assessed NDIS work for a child with disability.

If you work for a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provider or provide disability services to children, you will also need a NDIS worker screening clearance or Queensland disability worker clearance.

Employees and volunteers

You need a blue card if your work includes:

• disability services to a child with disability
• risk-assessed NDIS work with a child with disability.

Disability services

You need a blue card if you:

• provide accommodation support services to a child with disability
• provide respite care to a child with disability
• deliver disability services funded by the Queensland Government.

NDIS services

You need a blue card if you:

• do risk-assessed NDIS work with a child with disability
• provide NDIS supports or services to a child with disability
• work for an NDIS provider and have contact with children.

You do not need a blue card if you are:

• a person with disability working at a place where you also receive NDIS supports or disability services
• a secondary school student on supervised work experience who does disability-related work
• a volunteer who is helping a family member receiving disability services or NDIS supports
• a parent volunteering in their own child’s activities
• providing disability services only to adults
• working in aged care.

Business owners and operators

You need a blue card if your business provides:

• disability services to children with disability
• NDIS supports or services to children with disability.

You need a blue card if you:

• operate a disability support services for children
• provide respite services to children with disability
• provide NDIS supports to children with disability.

A blue card is not needed if you:

• provide disability services only to adults
• operate an aged care business that does not provide services to children.

How to apply

People working with children with a disability can apply for both:

• a blue card or exemption card
• a disability worker screening clearance

using a combined application from Disability Worker Screening.

After you apply:

1. Disability Worker Screening checks your disability worker application first.
2. They tell you and Blue Card Services the result.
3. Blue Card Services then checks your blue card or exemption card application.

If both applications are approved, they will expire on the same date.

Make a combined application

Existing Worker Screening clearance holders

If you have applied for, or already hold, an NDIS or Queensland disability worker clearance and also need a blue card or exemption card, use one of these forms:

• Blue card application or renewal for disability service workers (DWS). This form can also be used if you have a volunteer card and are moving into paid work. You must pay the application fee before you submit the form.
• Exemption card application or renewal for disability service workers (DWS-E). This form is for Queensland registered teachers and police officers.

More information

Learn more about:

• disability workers screening information fact sheet
• linking an NDIS provider
• processing timeframes for combined applications
• executive officers and board or committee members
• linking requirements for organisations
• when you do not need a blue card
• who can apply for or hold a blue card.