Pool safety certificate QLD: Form 23 explained

Selling or leasing in Queensland? Here is who can issue your Form 23, how long it lasts, and what happens if you do not have one.

Last reviewed July 2026. Pool rules change and vary by council, so confirm the current requirement with your state authority before you act.

Queensland uses different words for the same idea. Instead of a compliance certificate, you get a pool safety certificate, issued on a form called a Form 23. It certifies that the pool barrier complied with the pool safety standard at the time of inspection.

Who can issue it

A pool safety inspector who holds a current licence from the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) issues the certificate. You can check an inspector's licence on the QBCC website before you book. There is a separate route for newer work: if you have recently built a pool, you can replace the pool safety certificate with a Form 17 (final inspection certificate) or a Form 11 (certificate of occupancy), lodged by the building certifier who inspected it. If you have replaced or altered your pool fence and a building certifier inspected that work, you can replace it with a Form 17 too, though you only need to engage a building certifier for the fence if it needed development approval, otherwise a pool safety inspector checks it.

How long it lasts

Validity depends on the type of pool. For a non-shared pool (a typical single home), a pool safety certificate lasts two years. For a shared pool (such as one serving a block of units, a body corporate, or a hotel), it lasts one year. When it expires, a fresh inspection is needed for the next sale or lease.

When it is required

You generally need a valid pool safety certificate when you sell or lease a property with a pool. For a non-shared pool being sold without a current certificate, Queensland allows the sale to proceed if the seller gives the buyer a specific notice before settlement, after which the buyer becomes responsible for getting the certificate within 90 days. Leasing and shared pools are stricter, and a certificate is expected to be in place. Because the notice rules are easy to get wrong, confirm the current process on the QBCC pool safety pages before you list. Source: Queensland Government and QBCC, pool safety.

This is general information, not legal advice. The authorities are NSW Fair Trading and the NSW Swimming Pool Register in New South Wales, and the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) in Queensland. Always confirm the current rule for the state your pool is in.