Teacher PD Hours Requirements by State

How Many PD Hours Do I Need?

Every Australian teacher must complete professional development (PD) to maintain their registration — but how much, how often, and what counts varies significantly from state to state.

NSW requires 100 hours over 5 years. Victoria requires 20 hours every year. Tasmania does not specify a minimum number of hours at all. And if you have moved interstate, you may need to navigate an entirely different system.

This page is a plain-English reference covering:

• How many PD hours each state requires
• Which registration body manages your accreditation
• What qualifies as professional development
• Annual fees for teacher registration
• Recent changes to be aware of (including NSW's major 2024 simplification)

All requirements relate to the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, which underpin registration nationally.

Key Takeaways

• NSW, WA, and the NT require the most hours (100 over 5 years), but spread over a longer cycle
• VIC, QLD, and ACT require 20 hours annually — smaller bites each year
• Tasmania is unique in not specifying a minimum number of hours
• No state registration body mandates specific PD topics — all PD must align with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, but you choose the focus. Your employer may require mandatory training on specific topics such as child protection and first aid
• NSW simplified its requirements in August 2024, removing the distinction between accredited and elective PD

The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) provides national leadership for the teaching profession. AITSL does not directly register teachers — that is handled by each state body — but it develops and maintains the national frameworks that underpin registration everywhere.

Australian Professional Standards for Teachers

All PD across Australia must reference these Standards, which are organised into 3 domains and 7 standards:

Domain 1 — Professional Knowledge

1. Know students and how they learn
2. Know the content and how to teach it

Domain 2 — Professional Practice

3. Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning
4. Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments
5. Assess, provide feedback and report on student learning

Domain 3 — Professional Engagement

6. Engage in professional learning
7. Engage professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and the community

Four Career Stages

Most classroom teachers maintain registration at the Proficient level. Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher accreditation is voluntary and comes with additional pay in most states — see our teacher salary comparison for details.

Source: AITSL — Australian Professional Standards for Teachers

At a Glance

What Counts as PD?

Since the August 2024 changes, NESA removed the distinction between "Accredited PD" and "Elective PD." Teachers now have full flexibility to choose any PD activities aligned to the 7 Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.

Key changes from August 2024:

• No mandatory priority areas — priority areas exist as guidance but completion is not required
• No PD evaluations required — teachers no longer need to write an evaluation for each PD activity
• Employer-mandated training aligned to the Standards now counts
• Attendance certificates not required — NESA only needs the PD log details
• Teachers must retain PD records for 12 months after maintenance submission in case of audit

Source: NESA — Professional Development Requirements | Changes to PD Requirements

At a Glance

What Counts as PD?

Both formal and informal professional learning counts, provided it:

• Develops professional knowledge and practice to support student learning
• Is relevant to your teaching context
• References the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers

Examples include:

• Webinars, online modules, and short courses
• Professional conversations and collaborative team learning
• Professional reading and research
• Workshops, seminars, and conferences

Recording Requirements

Teachers self-declare completion of their 20 hours of PD during the annual renewal process. You do not need to submit detailed evidence with your renewal — however, you should maintain records of your professional learning activities, as VIT may request evidence if you are selected for an audit.

Late Registration

If you do not complete annual registration and payment by 30 September, a late fee is applied and you have a grace period until 31 December.

Source: VIT — Professional Practice and Learning Requirements | VIT — Fees

At a Glance

What Counts as CPD?

Both formal and informal activities count. CPD must be differentiated from normal expectations of the role — not everything you do at school qualifies.

Qualifying activities include:

• Workshops, seminars, conferences, courses, online learning
• School-based and employer-provided PD days
• Syllabus, curriculum, and assessment PD conducted by QCAA or your employer
• Formal study leading to a qualification
• Professional reading, research, and mentoring

What does NOT count:

• Staff meetings
• Planning and preparation
• Assessment activities
• Extra-curricular activities
• Routine core business meetings

Five-Yearly Renewal

Every 5 years, the annual fee must accompany a formal renewal application through myQCT.

Source: QCT — CPD Requirements | QCT — Fees

At a Glance

What Counts as PD?

Professional learning must be referenced to the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers at the Proficient career stage as a minimum. The TRB SA requires engagement in professional learning that ensures teachers:

• Continually update their knowledge and practice
• Are classroom-ready at any time

Key Notes

• New requirements for renewal are being introduced progressively according to each teacher's registration cycle
• Teachers who have not completed a minimum 100 hours of professional learning within a 5-year period may not be permitted to renew
• Renewal also requires a current Working With Children Check
• Fees are CPI-indexed — upfront payment of multiple years avoids future CPI increases

Source: TRB SA — Requirements for Renewal | TRB SA — Payment of Registration Fees

At a Glance

What Counts as PD?

Both formal and informal learning across all three Domains of the Professional Standards:

• Formal: Workshops, seminars, online learning, school-based development days
• Informal: Professional reading, reflective writing, professional meetings

Key Requirement

Teachers should aim to include learning activities from each of the three Domains of the Professional Standards (Professional Knowledge, Professional Practice, Professional Engagement).

Recording and Evidence

Teachers declare they have met their 100-hour obligation as part of the renewal application. TRBWA may request evidence to support this declaration. Keep records of all activities, including informal learning.

Source: TRBWA — Professional Learning | TRBWA — Fees

At a Glance

What Counts as PD?

The Professional Development Framework (mandated by the Teacher Registration (Northern Territory) Act) provides guidance for teachers to improve teaching practice. Activities must be:

• Relevant to your professional growth
• Referenced to the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers

An optional template is available from TRB NT for recording PD activities.

Source: TRB NT — Professional Development Framework | TRB NT — Fees

At a Glance

What Counts as PD?

Activities that contribute to professional competence and directly or indirectly enhance teaching and learning:

• Job-embedded opportunities (professional learning communities, collaborative team learning)
• Workshops, seminars, conferences, short courses
• Contributing to education system initiatives, pilots, trials, or projects
• School-based or employer-provided PD (including PD days and guest speakers)

The Tasmania Difference

Tasmania is unique among Australian states in not specifying a minimum number of PD hours. However, at least one PD activity must be recorded in TRB Online as part of renewal — teachers must list one or two key activities and be able to provide evidence of participation if audited.

Registration Lapse

If the annual fee is not paid by 31 December, registration automatically lapses and you must reapply.

Source: TRB Tasmania — Managing Your PLD | TRB Tasmania — Fees

At a Glance

The ACT's Two-Category System

The ACT is unique in requiring PD from two distinct categories:

TQI Accredited Programs (APL) — minimum 5 hours required

• Formal PD programs accredited by TQI
• Listed on the TQI online register

Teacher Identified Professional Learning (TIPL) — minimum 5 hours required

• Professional collaboration, coaching, and mentoring
• Professional reading, podcasts, and audiobooks
• Online learning and formal academic study
• Action research and communities of practice
• Supervising pre-service teachers
• Educational content on social media

The remaining 10 hours can be any combination of both categories.

TIPL Limits

• Most TIPL activities: up to 5 hours annually
• Formal academic study: up to 10 hours per unit
• Formal action research: up to 10 hours annually

Source: TQI — Professional Learning Requirements | TQI — Fees

Track As You Go

Do not leave PD tracking to the end of your cycle. Log activities in your state portal as you complete them. If you are audited, having records already entered is much less stressful than reconstructing a year's worth of PD.

Know What Counts

Every state accepts a mix of formal and informal PD. Activities many teachers do not realise count include:

• Professional reading (articles, educational blogs, research papers)
• Professional conversations with colleagues about teaching practice
• Online webinars and podcasts
• Attending store-based or publisher-provided PD sessions
• Contributing to school committees or curriculum initiatives

Plan Across the Standards

Most states require PD across all three domains of the Professional Standards, not just your comfort zone. If most of your PD falls under Domain 2 (Professional Practice), deliberately seek out Domain 1 (Professional Knowledge) and Domain 3 (Professional Engagement) activities.

Use Free and Low-Cost Options

PD does not have to be expensive:

• State education departments offer free PD through their websites
• AITSL offers free resources and self-paced learning
• Many TeachBuySell resources come with professional learning notes
• Professional associations (ALEA, AAMT, ASTA, etc.) often offer free webinars for members
• Your school's PD days count toward your hours in most states

Moving Interstate?

If you move between states, you will need to apply for registration with the new state's registration body. Your existing PD hours may or may not transfer — contact the new body before your move to understand the process. AITSL maintains the national framework that supports mutual recognition across states.