How to Check a Conveyancer Is Licensed in Victoria

We’re often asked how a buyer can tell whether the person handling their Melbourne property purchase is properly authorised. It’s a sensible question to ask before you sign a contract, transfer a deposit or send identity documents.

The short answer: a non lawyer carrying on a conveyancing business in Victoria must hold the appropriate licence under the Conveyancers Act 2006, issued through the Business Licensing Authority. You can check the free Consumer Affairs Victoria public register by name, business name or licence number.

Who needs a conveyancer’s licence in Victoria?

A non lawyer who carries on a conveyancing business in Victoria must be licensed. The licence system is administered by the Business Licensing Authority, while Consumer Affairs Victoria provides public information, compliance guidance and access to the register.

There are two common types of professional who may handle a Victorian property transfer:

A licensed conveyancer, regulated under the Conveyancers Act 2006.
An Australian legal practitioner, regulated by the Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner.

That distinction matters when you search the register. A lawyer can perform conveyancing work under their practising certificate and does not need a separate conveyancer’s licence. If you search the conveyancers register and the firm handling your Reservoir purchase doesn’t appear, don’t assume the worst straight away. Check whether you engaged a conveyancer or a solicitor, then use the register belonging to the correct regulator.

A licensed conveyancer’s authority is focused on conveyancing work. If a matter develops into court proceedings, a probate application, a serious contract dispute or advice outside the permitted scope of conveyancing, a lawyer may need to step in. Our guide to what a conveyancer can and can't advise on explains that boundary in plain language.

The penalties show that licensing isn’t a minor administrative detail. For the 2026–27 financial year, one penalty unit in Victoria is $209.10. Carrying on an unlicensed conveyancing business can attract a maximum court imposed penalty of 1,200 penalty units and two years in prison.

How do I search the Victorian conveyancers register?

The public register is free and usually takes about a minute to search. Start from Consumer Affairs Victoria’s public register page, then open the licensed conveyancers register.

You can normally search using:

The conveyancer’s licence number.
The licensee’s personal or company name.
A business or trading name.
A suburb or postcode, where that search option is available.

Ask the conveyancer for the exact legal name and licence number shown on their engagement letter or costs disclosure. Trading names can be similar, and a small spelling difference may produce no result.

The register may take at least an hour to reflect information received by the Business Licensing Authority. That means a newly recorded change may not appear instantly. A missing result still deserves attention, but first check your spelling, confirm the legal entity, and work out whether the provider is a lawyer rather than a licensed conveyancer.

What information does the public register show?

The online register shows the details most clients need for a quick licence check: the licensee’s name, licence number, licence type, business names, business address and any licence conditions.

Check each field against the information you’ve been given. The business name on an email footer should connect logically with the licensee shown on the register. The office address should make sense. The licence number should match exactly, including any letters.

Pay close attention to the licence conditions field. A licence can be unrestricted, provisional or subject to conditions. Most clients will see no special condition, but when one appears, read it before you sign an engagement letter or transfer money. A condition may affect how the person is permitted to practise.

The online search contains current information only. You can ask the Business Licensing Authority for a paid full historical extract, which may include current and historical licence information, dates of grant, suspension, cancellation or surrender, court or VCAT orders, company directors, employment relationships, refused applications and allowed claims against the Victorian Property Fund.

That deeper extract isn’t necessary for every ordinary home purchase. It can be useful when the register raises questions, a business has changed names, or you want a fuller record before entrusting a firm with a substantial transaction.

What should I check before sending money or identity documents?

A licence search is the first check, not the only check. Before sending a deposit, settlement funds, passport copy or driver licence, confirm that the person, firm, account details and contact channels all line up.

In our practice, we’ve seen buyers become concerned after receiving bank details by text or a late email that appears to change the payment account. The safest response is to pause and verify the details using a phone number you already trust. The same careful approach applies to verification of identity: ask why documents are needed, how they’ll be checked and how they’ll be handled.

Before transferring money:

Call the conveyancer or estate agency using a number from its official website or signed documents.
Read the account name aloud and ask the recipient to confirm it.
Treat changed bank details as a warning that requires fresh verification.
Keep the payment request, confirmation and receipt.
Ask who is holding the money and in what capacity.

A licence confirms legal authority and regulatory oversight. It doesn’t make every email genuine, so payment verification still matters.

Why does licensing matter if trust money is misused?

Licensing may affect access to the Victorian Property Fund if trust money or property is misused or misappropriated. The fund can compensate eligible individuals and companies for losses caused by defalcation by a licensed estate agent, licensed conveyancer or their representative in the course of licensed work.

‘Defalcation’ can include theft, embezzlement, failure to account and fraudulent misappropriation. Examples may include a deposit not being paid to the vendor after settlement, or money received for stamp duty, council rates or utilities not being applied for that purpose.

A claim must involve monetary loss caused by the relevant misuse. The fund is not a general compensation scheme for slow communication, poor service, bad advice or disappointment with the property.

The licensing requirement is central. If you knowingly hand money to someone who is not properly licensed, the statutory compensation pathway may not protect you in the same way. That’s why the one minute register check belongs alongside the practical steps used to keep your deposit safe.

A person considering a claim should contact Consumer Affairs Victoria, confirm the eligibility criteria, complete the relevant claim form and provide supporting documents. If a claim is rejected, an application for VCAT review may be available within three months of receiving the decision.

How are conveyancer trust accounts checked?

When a licensed conveyancer receives trust money, it must be handled under Victoria’s trust account rules, not treated as ordinary business income. Many purchase deposits are held by the selling agent as stakeholder, so it also helps to understand who holds your deposit in your particular transaction.

Where a conveyancer is required to keep trust records, those records must generally be audited by an approved auditor for each financial year, unless an exception or prior agreement applies. The conveyancer must lodge the audit report through myCAV within 10 business days after receiving it. Failure to lodge can attract up to 120 penalty units.

Approved auditors must meet professional membership, public accounting and education requirements. Auditors must also report serious irregularities, including a deficiency in a trust account, failure to pay or deliver trust money, or other non compliance identified during the audit.

Trust records must be kept in a permanent form for at least seven years. The practical point is simple: client money must be traceable and the records must be capable of proper audit.

At the serious end, causing a trust account deficiency or failing to pay or deliver trust money without reasonable excuse can attract up to 1,800 penalty units and 15 years’ imprisonment. For 2026–27, 1,800 penalty units equal $376,380.

Should I check the estate agent’s licence too?

Yes, especially when the selling agent will receive your deposit. Victorian estate agents have a separate public register, also administered through the Business Licensing Authority.

At a Saturday auction in Footscray, the agent taking the deposit is acting for the vendor, not for you. Your conveyancer may never hold that deposit. Check the agency’s legal name, licence details and trust account payment instructions before transferring a large amount.

The estate agents register can show licence and business details, directors, branch managers, representatives, office addresses and relevant orders. A quick search won’t replace careful contract advice, but it can help confirm that the agency named in the contract matches the business asking for your money.

Who should I contact if something seems wrong?

Contact the regulator responsible for the professional you engaged. Problems involving a non lawyer licensed conveyancer generally go to Consumer Affairs Victoria. Complaints about a lawyer, including a lawyer handling conveyancing, go to the Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner.

If you believe a non lawyer is performing legal work outside conveyancing, the Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner may also be able to consider concerns about unqualified legal practice.

Keep copies of the engagement letter, costs disclosure, contract, emails, payment instructions and receipts. Write down dates and the names of people you spoke with. Clear records make it easier for the firm or regulator to understand what happened.

A licence check tells you that a person or business is authorised and subject to regulatory requirements. It can’t tell you whether they answer calls promptly, understand off the plan contracts, explain special conditions clearly or have experience with your type of property. Use licensing as the first filter, then ask the wider questions that help you choose a good conveyancer.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check a conveyancer is licensed in Victoria?

Search the free Consumer Affairs Victoria public register using the conveyancer’s licence number, legal name or business name. Match the licence number, business address and any licence conditions against the firm’s written documents before you pay money or sign an engagement letter.

Is the Victorian register of licensed conveyancers free?

Yes. The current online register is free and shows the licensee’s name, licence number, licence type, business names, business address and licence conditions. A fuller historical extract can be requested from the Business Licensing Authority for a fee.

What if my conveyancer doesn’t appear on the register?

First check whether the person is a lawyer, because lawyers can handle conveyancing under a practising certificate and won’t appear on the licensed conveyancers register. If they’re not a lawyer, pause before paying anything, confirm the spelling and legal business name, and contact Consumer Affairs Victoria. If confidence has broken down, get advice before changing conveyancer, especially close to settlement.

Do lawyers need a conveyancer’s licence in Victoria?

No. A lawyer can undertake conveyancing under their practising certificate and is regulated by the Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner. Use the lawyer register and complaint process rather than the Consumer Affairs Victoria conveyancers register.

What do licence conditions mean on the register?

Licence conditions are restrictions or requirements attached to the licence. Read any published condition carefully and ask the conveyancer to explain how it affects the work they can perform for you before you engage them.

Can the Victorian Property Fund repay money taken by a conveyancer?

It may compensate eligible losses caused by defalcation involving a licensed conveyancer, estate agent or their representative during licensed work. It doesn’t cover every complaint, service problem or incorrect piece of advice, so contact Consumer Affairs Victoria to check the criteria and required evidence.

Does a licence check prove a conveyancer is good?

No. It confirms legal authority and lets you see current public licence details and conditions. You should still compare communication, relevant experience, service scope and what a conveyancer costs before deciding who will handle your property matter.

About the Pearson Chambers Conveyancing team

Pearson Chambers Conveyancing is a Melbourne practice helping first home buyers, sellers and investors with Victorian property transactions. Our licence number is 002077L, and our team handles first home buyer settlements, contract reviews and Section 32 checks as part of its daily work. Checking licensing, trust money handling and the identity of the people receiving funds is part of that same careful process.

Sources we consulted

Talk to us before you sign or transfer a deposit

If you’re preparing to buy a Melbourne property, Pearson Chambers Conveyancing can review the contract and Section 32 vendor statement before you commit. We offer a complimentary Section 32 contract review and can help you understand the key risks, conditions and next steps.

Email: contact@pearsonchambers.com.au

General information only, current as at the date of publication. Victorian conveyancing rules and legislation change frequently. Please contact the Pearson Chambers Conveyancing team for advice on your specific contract.