The rules around spent convictions have changed. For more information about how the Business Licensing Authority now treats that information, view Spent convictions.
Apply for permission
To apply for permission to hold an estate agent’s licence, you must use our myCAV online licensing system. You will need to create your own myCAV account using a personal email address to verify your identity and sign in to your account.
If you already have a myCAV account, sign in to your account and select ‘Apply for permission’.
For more information on using myCAV, view About myCAV.
After creating your myCAV account (or signing in), you must then complete and lodge an estate agent’s permission application, including attaching the relevant supplementary permission application form.
Additional supporting documentation will be required, and these are set out in the supplementary permission application form.
Supplementary permission application forms
You must complete the relevant supplementary permission application form and attach it to your application in myCAV along with any other supporting information requested.
Start application
Processing time
The average processing time for permission applications is eight weeks.
Reasons for requiring permission - individual
You will need to apply for permission to be employed as an agent's representative or to hold an estate agent's licence if:
- within the last 10 years, you have been convicted or found guilty of a disqualifying offence involving fraud, dishonesty, drug trafficking or violence punishable by 3 months or more in prison. For information about spent convictions, view Spent convictions
- you have had a successful claim admitted against the Victorian Property Fund or a corresponding fund
- you are an insolvent under administration. This means:
- a person who is an undischarged bankrupt, or
- a person who has executed a deed of arrangement under Part 10 of the Bankruptcy Act 1966, or
- a person whose creditors have accepted a composition under Part 10 of the Bankruptcy Act 1966, or
- a person who has made a debt agreement under Part 9 of the Bankruptcy Act 1966.
Reasons for requiring permission - company
A company will need to apply for permission to hold an estate agent's licence if it or any of its directors:
- has ever had a successful claim admitted against the Victorian Property Fund or a corresponding fund
- within the last 10 years, has been convicted or found proven (whether or not a conviction was recorded) of a disqualifying offence involving fraud, dishonesty, drug trafficking or violence punishable by 3 months or more in prison. For information about spent convictions, view Spent convictions. The company can only apply for permission if this person is still eligible to be a director under the Corporations Act 2001.
Working during the permission application period
Licensed estate agents
If you are a licensed estate agent and you or in the case of a company licence, the company itself or any of its directors, are:
- convicted or found proven (whether or not a conviction was recorded) of any offence involving fraud, dishonesty, drug trafficking or violence punishable by three months or more imprisonment (whether a sentence of imprisonment is imposed or not), or
- had a successful claim admitted against you on the Victorian Property Fund or a corresponding fund
you can continue to work as a licensed estate agent until the BLA has made its decision, provided you lodge a permission application with the BLA within 30 days of these events.
Note: If you are already licensed as an individual estate agent and you become insolvent under administration, your licence will be cancelled automatically and you will be disqualified from practising. You can apply for permission and re-apply to be licensed as an estate agent. If you are granted permission, during your insolvency period you can only work as an employee of an estate agency. For more information, view Licence cancellation.
Agents' representatives
If you are currently employed as an agent's representative and you are:
- convicted or found proven (whether or not a conviction was recorded) of an offence involving fraud, dishonesty, drug trafficking or violence punishable by three months or more in prison (whether or not a prison term was imposed), or
- had a successful claim admitted against you on the Victorian Property Fund or a corresponding fund, or
- an insolvent under administration (bankrupt, debt agreements under Part IX or Part X)
you can continue to work as an agent's representative until the BLA has made its decision, provided you lodge a permission application with the BLA within 30 days of these events.