Australian investigation rules and updates: where to start
Use official sources for the location and activity involved. This reference explains how to check licensing information and read our dated updates without treating a national service area as one uniform set of rules.
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Before you proceed
- Identify the jurisdiction and activity.
- Check the relevant official source and its date.
- Distinguish in-force rules from proposals.
- Seek tailored advice where the circumstances require it.
Start with the jurisdiction and the proposed work
Explain where the activity will occur, what information is sought and how the findings will be used. PartnerCheck is licensed to provide investigation services across Australia, with each assignment assessed for suitability, availability and scope. The official links below help clients find relevant licensing information. They are starting points, not a complete statement of every rule that may apply.
What should you check with a provider?
Ask for the relevant business identity, licence details and responsibility for the work. Confirm which activity is covered and raise any restriction, legal proceeding or sensitive circumstance affecting the brief. Different jurisdictions use different licensing categories and recognition arrangements. Ask the relevant regulator where a licence status or category is unclear rather than relying on an old directory description.
How do we label regulatory updates?
Each update identifies its jurisdiction, official source, effective date and whether the measure is in force or proposed. An article publication date is not the date a law changed. We explain the practical question a client should raise without deciding how a law applies to an individual matter. Older updates remain dated context and are reviewed when their sources change.
What has already changed?
Our first updates cover the federal privacy tort that commenced on 10 June 2025 and Victoria’s private-security changes that began on 19 June 2025. These are established changes, not announcements of new legislation this week. Read the linked update and current regulator guidance before relying on a summary.
When do you need tailored advice?
Where a court order, disputed authority, proposed recording or intended legal use creates uncertainty, discuss it with your solicitor before commissioning work. An investigator can explain the proposed factual scope, while legal advice addresses rights, obligations and procedure. A licence or the public availability of information does not remove every other consideration.
Sources and further reading
- Queensland: private investigator licensing
- New South Wales: private investigator licensing
- Victoria: licensing changes
- Western Australia: police security licensing help centre
- South Australia: investigation agent licensing
- Tasmania: search licensed security and inquiry agents
- Northern Territory: licensing and public register
- National privacy guidance: OAIC
General information only. Each enquiry is assessed individually. This guide is not legal advice.
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