Buying a home
Conveyancer or solicitor: who can do it in each state
Who may do a buyer's conveyancing in each state and territory, where to check their licence, and what official guidance says about costs.
Key points
- NSW: a licensed conveyancer or a solicitor, checked on VerifyNSW.
- Victoria: a lawyer or a licensed conveyancer, each on its own public register.
- WA: a licensed settlement agent or a certified legal practitioner.
- No government page cited here gives a typical price; ask for an itemised estimate.
The short answer
It depends on the state. In NSW a licensed conveyancer or a solicitor can do it (NSW Fair Trading (NSW Government), verified 22 Oct 2026); in Victoria lawyers and non-lawyer conveyancers may both do the work (Victorian Legal Services Board + Commissioner, verified 22 Oct 2026); in Western Australia it is a licensed settlement agent or a certified legal practitioner (Consumer Protection, Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (WA), verified 22 Oct 2026); and Queensland Government guidance refers to solicitors (Queensland Government, verified 22 Oct 2026). Whoever you choose, check them on the register for your state before you sign.
State by state
Each point is the state's own guidance, quoted as registered, with its source and the date Delora checked it.
New South Wales
- In NSW, conveyancers must be licensed with NSW Fair Trading, and conveyancers and solicitors are equally qualified to do conveyancing; both must have professional indemnity insurance. Fees vary between solicitors and conveyancers, and disbursements are usually charged on top of professional fees; the NSW Government's advice is to ask for an itemised statement of the likely costs. Legal practitioners and conveyancers must disclose certain information to clients, generally before or when they are retained. If you do your own conveyancing, you take on all the responsibility for the sale progressing in a legal manner. (NSW Fair Trading (NSW Government), verified 22 Oct 2026)
- The NSW Government advises checking that a property agent or conveyancer holds a current licence or certificate, using VerifyNSW, which shows the holder's name and business address, the category of licence and any conditions restricting the work, the licence number, the dates of issue and expiry, and any disciplinary action. (NSW Fair Trading (NSW Government), verified 22 Oct 2026)
Victoria
- In Victoria both lawyers and non-lawyers may do conveyancing work. A lawyer must hold a current Australian practising certificate to practise law in Victoria, which can be checked on the Victorian Legal Profession Register kept by the Victorian Legal Services Board + Commissioner. The Board regulates all lawyers but has no power over non-lawyers working as conveyancers, unless they work for a lawyer or law practice. (Victorian Legal Services Board + Commissioner, verified 22 Oct 2026)
- Consumer Affairs Victoria publishes a public register of conveyancers licensed in Victoria and says you should always confirm the conveyancer you are dealing with is licensed. The online register shows the licensee's name, licence number and type, business names and address, and licence conditions, and contains current information only. (Consumer Affairs Victoria (Business Licensing Authority), verified 22 Oct 2026)
- Consumer Affairs Victoria recommends a buyer engage their own legal practitioner or conveyancer, who can review and advise on the Section 32 statement and the contract of sale, find and review the property title, and ensure the transfer of title is done correctly. (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 30 Jul 2026)
Queensland
- Queensland Government guidance on appointing a solicitor to sell a home (last updated 29 October 2020) describes the solicitor checking the contract before it is signed, handling the final payment on settlement day and transferring the title. It advises asking for a detailed quote before appointing a solicitor, notes that some conveyancing solicitors charge a set price, says solicitors must have insurance, and directs complaints about a solicitor to the Legal Services Commission. (Queensland Government, verified 22 Oct 2026)
Gap: The Queensland Government page cited here is written for sellers and was last updated in 2020. Delora did not find a Queensland register of non-lawyer conveyancers.
Western Australia
- In Western Australia, settlement agents facilitate the legal transfer of property ownership from the seller to the buyer. A person can work as a settlement agent by holding a Consumer Protection settlement agent licence or as a certified legal practitioner. Anyone who falsely claims to be a licensed settlement agent may be liable to penalties of up to $100,000 for an individual and $500,000 for a body corporate. Consumer Protection's online licence search covers settlement agents and real estate agents. (Consumer Protection, Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (WA), verified 22 Oct 2026)
South Australia
- In South Australia you must be registered as a conveyancer with Consumer and Business Services if you prepare legal documents when property is transferred to a new owner; legal practitioners don't need to register. The CBS licensing register lists conveyancers and land agents. (Consumer and Business Services (SA), verified 22 Oct 2026)
Tasmania
- In Tasmania the Conveyancing Act 2004 requires a person to be licensed to carry on business as a conveyancer. Licensing moved from Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS) to Consumer Affairs Tasmania from 1 October 2026, whose search of licensed occupations includes conveyancers. (Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (Tasmania), verified 22 Oct 2026)
Australian Capital Territory
Gap: Delora has not yet sourced who may do conveyancing in the ACT or where to check them. Ask the person you are hiring which register lists their licence or practising certificate, and search it yourself before you sign.
Northern Territory
- In the Northern Territory, conveyancing agents hold a conveyancing agent licence granted by the Agents Licensing Board under the Agents Licensing Act 1979; to be eligible, an applicant completes the Advanced Diploma of Conveyancing (BSB60220), qualifies under mutual recognition, or has relevant experience assessed. (Northern Territory Government (Agents Licensing Board), verified 22 Oct 2026)
Gap: Licensing NT's public register lists a property agent scheme, but the page does not say whether it covers conveyancing agents, so no register is named here.
Costs and quotes
No government page cited here publishes a typical conveyancing price. NSW guidance is that fees vary between solicitors and conveyancers, disbursements are usually charged on top, and you should ask for an itemised statement of the likely costs (NSW Fair Trading (NSW Government), verified 22 Oct 2026). Queensland guidance is to ask for a detailed quote, and notes some conveyancing solicitors charge a set price (Queensland Government, verified 22 Oct 2026).
Their bank details
Scammers pose as conveyancers and solicitors to redirect settlement money. Get your conveyancer's phone number from a source you trust when you engage them, and if an email ever changes the payee details, call them on that number before paying (National Anti-Scam Centre (ACCC), verified 22 Oct 2026). Red flags and scams covers the checks in full.
Common questions
Is a solicitor better than a conveyancer?
Not as a rule. NSW Government guidance says conveyancers and solicitors are equally qualified to do conveyancing and both must have professional indemnity insurance.
How much does conveyancing cost?
No government page cited here publishes a typical price. NSW guidance is that fees vary, disbursements are usually charged on top, and you should ask for an itemised statement of the likely costs. Queensland guidance is to ask for a detailed quote.
Can I do my own conveyancing?
NSW Government guidance warns that if you do your own conveyancing you take on all the responsibility for the sale progressing in a legal manner.
Practical checklist
Before you engage a conveyancer or solicitor
- Check their licence, registration or practising certificate on your state's register
- Ask for an itemised statement of the likely costs, including disbursements
- Confirm they carry professional indemnity insurance
- Save their phone number from their website for checking bank details later
Questions for a professional
- Which register lists your licence or practising certificate, and under what number?
- What is included in your fee, and which disbursements will be added?
- Will you review the contract before I sign or bid, and by when do you need it?
- How will you send me your trust account details, and how can I confirm them by phone?
Official resources
- NSW Government: conveyancing for property buyers and sellers
- Consumer Affairs Victoria: public register of licensed conveyancers
- Consumer Protection WA: settlement agents
- SA.GOV.AU: conveyancer registration
Important limitations: General information only, not legal advice. It says who may do conveyancing and where to check them, as each state's own guidance puts it; it does not assess any practitioner. The ACT, the Northern Territory register and Queensland non-lawyer conveyancers are gaps, marked where they fall.
Sources and methodology
- Conveyancing for property buyers and sellers | NSW Government — NSW Fair Trading (NSW Government) (retrieved 22 Oct 2026). Licence: CC BY 4.0
- Working with your lawyer | Victorian Legal Services Board + Commissioner — Victorian Legal Services Board + Commissioner (retrieved 22 Oct 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site
- Appointing a solicitor | Queensland Government — Queensland Government (retrieved 22 Oct 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site
- Settlement agents | Consumer Protection WA — Consumer Protection, Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (WA) (retrieved 22 Oct 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site
- Consumer Protection licence and registration search | Consumer Protection WA — Consumer Protection WA (retrieved 22 Oct 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site
- Conveyancer registration | SA.GOV.AU — Consumer and Business Services (SA) (retrieved 22 Oct 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site
- Find a licence holder | Consumer and Business Services — Consumer and Business Services (SA) (retrieved 22 Oct 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site
- Apply for or renew a conveyancer licence | Consumer, Building and Occupational Services Tasmania — Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (Tasmania) (retrieved 22 Oct 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site
- Conveyancer | Consumer Affairs Tasmania — Consumer Affairs Tasmania (retrieved 22 Oct 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site
- Eligibility for conveyancing agents | NT.GOV.AU — Northern Territory Government (Agents Licensing Board) (retrieved 22 Oct 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site
- Check a licence for a property agent or conveyancer | NSW Government — NSW Fair Trading (NSW Government) (retrieved 22 Oct 2026). Licence: CC BY 4.0
- Public register of licensed conveyancers | Consumer Affairs Victoria — Consumer Affairs Victoria (Business Licensing Authority) (retrieved 22 Oct 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site
- Seek expert advice on property — Consumer Affairs Victoria (retrieved 30 Jul 2026, last checked 7 Aug 2026). Licence: CC BY 4.0
- Business email compromise scams | Scamwatch — National Anti-Scam Centre (ACCC) (retrieved 22 Oct 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site
Figures on this page are drawn from Delora's local knowledge graph, refreshed from these primary sources and checked for changes on a regular schedule. If a figure here looks out of date, the official source above is always the authority — please let us know.
Evidence record