General Questions

Q: Can I get a refund of a licence application fee?

A: You may be eligible for a refund in certain circumstances. Please refer to the Refund Guidance available here.

The Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Regulations 1995 (the Regulations) cover licensing requirements for those who work with fluorocarbon refrigerants and refrigeration and air conditioning systems.

In June 2005 the Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC) was appointed by the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources to administer the refrigeration and air conditioning aspects of the Regulations.

The ARC is responsible for granting refrigerant handling licences and refrigerant trading authorisations approved under the Regulations, as well as conducting compliance and communications activities.

Whilst the ARC can investigate areas of non-compliance or breaches against the regulations, enforcement activities are conducted by the Department.

A Refrigerant Trading Authorisation is a business level permit that allows a business to acquire, possess and dispose of refrigerants.

A Refrigerant Handling Licence is a technician level permit that allows the holder (the technician) to do certain types of work on RAC equipment.

Depending on which state or territory you live in, you may need a state level contractors licence or similar to operate your business. However, state authorities no longer issue licences for refrigerant purchase or handling. To legally undertake either of these activities you must hold the national licence / authorisation, issued by ARC.

You should also become aware of any other state / territory regulations that may impact on your activities.

With the introduction of the new online application facility, processing times of applications have reduced. New applications and re-applications may take up to 30 days to process, however the ARC will do its best to process all applications as efficiently as possible.

To read about current penalties under the Ozone legislation view ARC Fact Sheet 11