Changes to Blue Cards

The Blue Card system has changed to strengthen safeguards for children in Queensland. These changes are being introduced a phased approach which began on 1 July 2025.

Blue Card Services has additional compliance and enforcement powers to ensure organisations and individuals comply with the blue card system. There are changes to a number of components of the blue card system, which include Volunteer Parent Exemption from 20 September 2025.

Parent volunteers

Under the parent volunteer exemption, you do not need a blue card to volunteer for activities your own child is participating in, unless:

the activity is an overnight camp or excursion
the service or activity includes close personal contact with a child, such bathing, toileting or dressing.
You will need a blue card to volunteer for activities your child isn’t directly participating in.

This exemption does not apply to a Restricted person.

For the exemption, a parent of a child is defined as:

The biological mother or father
Someone exercising parental responsibility
Someone who is regarded as the parent of the child under Aboriginal tradition
Someone who is regarded as the parent of the child under Torres Strait Island custom.

Other relatives (such as grandparents and uncle and aunts) are not considered parents and are not afforded the volunteer parent exemption.

Examples

A blue card is not needed if you are a volunteer parent:

coaching your child’s under 14 soccer team
timekeeping at your child’s under 16 swim meet
umpiring your 12-year-old child’s Saturday cricket match
doing reading in your child’s year 3 class
going on a day trip excursion to the zoo with your child’s year 6 class
refereeing a school rugby league match your child is playing in
timekeeping for a school sports day that your child is participating in.

A blue card is needed if you:

Are coaching team your child is not part of, even if your child plays for another team at the same club
Reading with a class other than your child’s, even if it is at your child’s school.
Go on an overnight camp or excursion with your child’s under 10’s soccer team
Are required to help children (other than your own child) to go to the toilet
Go on an overnight school, club or sports camp
Are required to help children (other than your own child) to change their clothes or costume.

Frequency

If you work or volunteer with children less than 7 days in a calendar year, you will not need a blue card unless you are:

Working or volunteering as part of an overnight camp (including school camps or sporting camps)
Running a business.

This exemption does not apply to a restricted person.

A calendar year is from 1 January to 31 December, and a day is for any period of time in one day, regardless of whether it is a full day or part day.

The 7-day frequency exemption applies to volunteering for all regulated organisations not just a single organisation.

For example, if you volunteer to work with children for a school for 3 days and for a sports club for 5 days, then you cannot rely on the frequency exemption as you would have exceeded the 7 day limit.

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