When you don't need a blue card

Visiting a place where children are present

You do not need a blue card if you are only visiting a place where children are present.

For example, you may be:

• dropping off or collecting a child
• attending a meeting
• delivering mail or parcels
• attending a performance or event.

Common exemptions

You may not need a blue card if you:

• are under 18 and volunteering
• volunteer as a parent in an activity your own child takes part in
• work or volunteer with children for no more than 7 days in a calendar year.

Restricted employment

A restricted person cannot use some exemptions.

This includes the exemptions for:

• volunteers under 18
• parent volunteer
• working or volunteering for no more than 7 days in a calendar year.

Learn more about restricted employment.

Volunteers under 18

If you are under 18 and volunteering with children, you do not need a blue card.

This also applies if you are a school student or trainee doing work experience or a placement as part of your course.

This exemption does not apply to a restricted person.

Examples

• a volunteer coach
• a junior referee
• a school student on work experience

Learn more about blue cards for young people.

Parent volunteers

You do not need a blue card if you volunteer in an activity your own child takes part in.

You will need a blue card if:

• the activity is an overnight camp or excursion
• your role involves close personal contact with another child, such bathing, toileting or dressing
• your own child is not taking part in the activity.

You must be the child's parent. Other relatives are not covered by the volunteer parent exemption.

This exemption does not apply to a restricted person.

Examples

You do not need a blue card if you are volunteering in an activity that involves your own child, such as:

• coaching your child’s soccer team
• helping in your child’s classroom
• going on a day excursion with your child’s class
• keeping time at your child’s sporting event.

You need a blue card if you:

• volunteer with children other than your own child
• go on an overnight camp or excursion
• provide personal care to children, such as toileting, bathing or dressing.

Working or volunteering for 7 days or less

You do not need a blue card if you work or volunteer with children for no more than 7 days in a calendar year.

This exemption does not apply if you:

• take part in an overnight camp or excursion
• run a business
• are a restricted person

The 7 days are counted across all regulated child-related work and volunteer activities.

They are not counted separately for each organisation.

A calendar year is from 1 January to 31 December.

Any work or volunteering on a day is 1 day. This applies even if you only work for part of the day.

Example

You volunteer at a school for 3 days.

You then volunteer at a dance club for 5 days.

That is 8 days in the same calendar year.

You cannot use the 7 day exemption and you may need a blue card.

Working with a child employee

You do not need a blue card to supervise or work alongside someone who is under 18.

A blue card is not needed if you are:

• supervising a 17-year-old colleague
• supervising a student doing work experience
• working alongside a 15-year-old colleague.

Professional exemptions

You do not need a blue card when you work with children as part of your professional role as a:

• Queensland registered teacher
• Queensland Police officer
• Registered health practitioner, including ambulance officers
• Corrective Services officer.

Disability work exemptions

A blue card is not needed if you:

• have a disability and work at a place where you also receive disability services or NDIS supports or services
• are a secondary school student doing work experience in disability related work supervised by a blue card holder.

This exemption does not apply to a restricted person.

Interstate and overseas emergency services workers

You do not need a blue card if you are an interstate or overseas emergency services worker who comes to Queensland to provide emergency services during:

• a declared disaster
• a declared significant fire event.

A disaster situation is a disaster declared under the Disaster Management Act 2003. A significant fire event is a fire declared under the Fire Services Act 1990.

Examples

A blue card is not needed for:

• a Canadian firefighter sent to Queensland during a significant fire event
• a Victorian SES volunteer sent to Queensland during a declared flood disaster.

Employees of registered training organisation

You do not need a blue card to teach, coach or tutor students at a registered training organisation (RTO).

This includes organisations such as TAFE Queensland or a university.

You may need a blue card if your work takes place in a regulated child-related setting, such as a:

• a school
• a boarding facility
• an education and care service
• a residential facility
• a youth detention centre.

Examples

A blue card is needed if you are:

• supervising students at an early learning centre
• teaching trade skills at a school
• tutoring at a youth detention centre
• providing training in a residential facility.

If you are not sure whether you need a blue card, check the requirements for your industry or role before you start work or volunteering.

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