This Circular advises all NSW Government departments and public service agencies (as defined under Schedule 1 of the Government Sector Employment Act 2013) must evaluate the use of Licence NSW as the preferred digital licensing platform, for all licensing-related ICT initiatives. This requirement applies when planning or seeking funding for new digital licensing systems and solutions and includes reviewing the suitability of Licence NSW prior to engaging any third-party vendors for licensing technology.   

Licence NSW All of Government Licensing Platform

Licence NSW is the NSW Government’s preferred digital licensing platform for end-to-end licence lifecycle management. It enables a consistent, streamlined experience for customers and businesses, while supporting regulators to manage licensing, registration and permitting through an integrated digital platform. It includes core functions such as workflow management, validations, and payments. 

Licence NSW has been established to replace the legacy OneGov Government Licensing System (GLS). To date, 52 licensing schemes have transitioned to Licence NSW, with approximately 80 additional schemes scheduled to migrate to the platform. This uplift improves service delivery, operational efficiency, and regulatory compliance. 

Licence NSW is a candidate State Digital Asset (SDA) and is available for reuse across multiple NSW Government agencies. For more information, visit www.digital.nsw.gov.au/delivery/state-digital-assets/whats-available    

Government Commitment

The NSW Government has made a significant financial commitment through the Licensing Program now Securing the Benefits of Digital Licensing program to transition GLS schemes to Licence NSW within the next 3 years. This investment demonstrates Licence NSW’s strategic importance in supporting all-of-government digital service delivery. 

The Department of Customer Service (DCS) recognises that agencies have existing pipelines of work and critical customer solutions that must be enabled. Accordingly, this circular provides notice in respect of firm requirements to be placed on agencies which started from 1 January 2022.  

Administrative requirement to use Licence NSW as preferred digital licensing platform (effective 1 January 2022; reaffirmed from 1 July 2025)

All NSW Government agencies have been required to evaluate Licence NSW as the preferred digital licensing platform since 1 January 2022. This requirement has been reaffirmed from 1 July 2025 to support all of government digital priorities and platform reuse. Specifically:

• Agencies must evaluate Licence NSW when planning or seeking funding for licensing-related ICT projects.

• Agencies are to consider the use of Licence NSW wherever suitable before submitting any funding proposal for licence management solutions.

• Agencies must consider Licence NSW before engaging third party vendors or developing alternative solutions.

• Access to government funding (e.g., via the Digital Restart Fund) will be conditional upon demonstrating that Licence NSW is unsuitable for the agency’s needs. 

Exemptions from the requirement to use Licence NSW (Effective 1 January 2022)

Exemptions from the use of Licence NSW as an agency licensing system may be considered where the platform is assessed as not suitable. Agencies seeking an exemption must demonstrate that one or more of the following criteria apply:

• Business justification 

• Cost-benefit analysis

• Interoperability and customer impact assessment or 

• Security assessment. 

Exemption process
Agencies seeking an exemption must submit a briefing paper to the Department of Customer Service, which includes:

• Evidence addressing the above assessment criteria;

• Evidence of collaboration and investigation with DCS to determine the suitability of Licence NSW; and

• Confirmation that any proposed alternative aligns with the NSW Government Procurement Policy Framework and the NSW Cyber Security Policy. 

Exemption requests must be endorsed by the agency head and submitted to the Department of Customer Service via email to [email protected]. All exemption requests must be approved by DCS prior to the commencement of any procurement activity or project planning involving an alternative licensing platform.  

Agency Requirement to Evaluate Licence NSW

All NSW Government agencies are required to evaluate the use of Licence NSW as the preferred all-of-government licensing platform. Agencies must consider the strategic and operational benefits of Licence NSW, including its ability to deliver a single view of the customer and improve cross-agency customer journeys. 

Agency Heads are accountable for ensuring compliance with this Circular prior to commencing procurement processes or project planning for any alternative licensing solution. 

Benefits to Agencies

By adopting Licence NSW, agencies will gain access to streamlined digital capabilities and common government services, including:

• Integrated services such as payments, proof of identity, data validation (e.g. addresses), and verification checks (e.g. business, qualifications, criminal history). 

• Reusable, pre-configured design patterns that support a broad range of licensing requirements.  Specific components of these will be available at no additional cost. Licence NSW also supports faster delivery through reusable modules and a standardised implementation model, reducing development effort and improving speed to market. 

Strategic Alignment

This Circular supports the implementation of the NSW Government Digital Strategy 2024–2027, the State Digital Asset (SDA) Framework, and the NSW Cyber Security Policy, enabling consistent, secure, and citizen focused digital service delivery. 

Enquiries about the Licence NSW platform can be sent to: [email protected]