Queensland Blue Card Changes: Critical Deadlines and Compliance Actions

A Queensland Blue Card expansion has been announced, creating urgent compliance requirements for thousands of organisations.

Changes are coming to the blue card system to strengthen safeguards for children in Queensland. These changes are being introduced through a phased approach which began on 1 July 2025.

Here’s what risk and safeguarding managers need to execute immediately.

Critical Deadlines

• September 20, 2025 – No Card, No Start
  Anyone commencing child-related work on or after 20 September 2025 must hold a blue card before they can start. This applies to all new workers in expanded categories.

• March 20, 2026 – Grace Period Ends
  If you are already working or operating in business in the areas of child entertainment, beauty, or photography, you have six months, from 20 September 2025 to 20 March 2026, to apply for a blue card. This six-month transitional period also applies to educational services, child accommodation services, and gym/play facility staff.

• September 20, 2026 – Amusement Parks
  If you are already working at an amusement park or operating an amusement park business, you have 12 months, from 20 September 2025 to 20 September 2026, to apply for a blue card.

Immediate Action Required 

1 – Workforce Audit

Identify workers in these new categories who need Blue Cards:

• Entertainment/party services for children: You will need a blue card if you provide entertainment or party services, operating a beauty or talent program, or provide photography services mainly for children
• Educational services conducted inside schools: You will need a blue card if you own or operate a business whose business activities include carrying out work within a school
• Legal professionals: Lawyers and legal professionals providing services to children in Queensland need a blue card
• Gym/play facility staff: Workers providing services or activities for children in these facilities
• Church/club/association committee members: You will need a blue card if you provide services or conduct activities for children, or make decisions about children as part of an executive committee
• School administration, cleaning, groundskeeping staff: You will need a blue card if you carry out work within a school area accessible to children during operational hours
• Child accommodation services: Including homestay providers, overnight camps, and youth shelters
• Amusement park workers: Ride operators and staff whose activities are directed towards children

2 – Applications & Planning 

• Schedule existing workers to apply by December 2025 or January 2026 (to allow processing time before the March deadline)
• Update recruitment processes for new hires requiring immediate Blue Card
  • No card. No link. No start. A blue card is needed immediately for any new starters.
• Communicate deadlines clearly to affect staff and for internal process change
• Anyone who holds a position on a committee within a church, club or association involving child-related activities and does not already hold a blue card must stand down on 20 September and cannot resume until they hold a blue card.

3 – Enhanced Compliance Monitoring

On 1 July 2025, new laws began that impact compliance and monitoring of the organisations and individuals regulated by the blue card system. Blue Card Services has additional compliance and enforcement powers to ensure organisations and individuals comply with the blue card system.

The compliance landscape has changed, with safeguarding at the forefront. Organisations must now be prepared for:

• Written information requests from Blue Card Services for monitoring purposes
• Detailed employee register, as stipulated in legislation
• Enhanced penalties for non-compliance

60-Day Action Plan 

• Week 1-2: audit your workforce
  →  Complete a comprehensive workforce audit
  →  Identify all workers requiring Blue Cards under new categories
• Week 3-6: start BlueCard applications and ensure your staff are in process
  →  Begin applications for existing staff in these transitional categories
• Week 7-8: update recruitment processes for new hires to ensure compliant onboarding
  →  Update recruitment processes to include these mandatory Blue Card requirements
• Week 9 onwards: assessment & enhancement
  →  Update your records with Blue Card information as applications are completed
  →  Assess current verification systems and gaps
  →  Plan technology upgrades for continuous monitoring

Queensland Child Safeguarding Grants Program

The Queensland government recognises the significant investment required for organisations to meet the new safeguarding requirements and obligations, beyond this Queensland Blue Card expansion.

So the Queensland Family and Child Commission is offering grants of up to $90,000 to help eligible organisations that work with children in Queensland to comply with new laws and become child safe.

The grants are designed to support organisations preparing for new child safe legislative obligations that come into effect in October 2025 and apply to more than 40,000 organisations in Queensland.

Find out more about the grants here: https://www.qfcc.qld.gov.au/news-and-media/grants-grabs-child-safe-organisations

The Bottom Line

Queensland’s Blue Card expansion represents a significant step towards safer child protection and screening processes.

Success requires immediate action on two critical fronts: ensuring workers obtain required cards by the critical deadlines and implementing robust verification systems that provide continuous compliance assurance.

The window for action is now, and the tools for success are available.

For automated Blue Card verification solutions that provide continuous monitoring across the QLD Blue Card Portal and 22+ other right-to-work registers, contact Oho. Oho helps 138+ organisations protect 4M+ vulnerable Australians through real-time compliance monitoring.