Frequently Asked Questions

Go to the Verify Certificate page and enter the unique certificate code printed on the document. You can also scan the QR code embedded in the PDF with any smartphone camera — it will open the verification page automatically.

Results are returned in under two seconds. No account or login is required to verify.

The certificate code is printed directly on the certificate document — typically near the bottom alongside the issue date. It may appear in formats such as DGC12345C3IS, 12345678-1234567, or a similar alphanumeric sequence depending on the certificate type.

Every BadgeTrust certificate also includes a scannable QR code that encodes the verification URL directly — scanning it bypasses the need to type the code manually.

• Certificate verified — the certificate is valid, authentic, and has been confirmed by the issuing organisation.
• Certificate issued — not yet verified — the record exists in our database but the issuing organisation has not yet marked it as verified. This is normal for recently issued certificates.
• Certificate expired — the certificate was valid but has passed its expiry date (common with First Aid qualifications). The holder may need to renew.
• Certificate cancelled — the issuing organisation has cancelled this certificate. It should not be accepted as valid.

If a certificate code returns no result, it could mean:

• The code was entered incorrectly — check for typos, missing hyphens, or confusion between 0 (zero) and O (letter).
• The certificate was not issued through BadgeTrust — not all RTOs use our platform.
• The certificate may be fraudulent — if you have reason to believe a document is fake, contact the organisation named on the certificate directly.

If you believe a genuine certificate is missing from our records, please contact us with the certificate details.

Yes. Certificate verification is completely free for everyone — employers, graduates, HR teams, and any other third party. No account, subscription, or payment is required.

Yes — for certificates with a status of Certificate verified, a download button is shown on the verification page. This lets you download the original, unaltered PDF directly from BadgeTrust's servers.

Certificates with a pending, expired, or cancelled status do not have a download link available, as they are not considered currently valid.

BadgeTrust currently supports the following certificate types:

• CHC33021 — Certificate III in Individual Support
• CHC33015 — Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing)
• CHC43115 — Certificate IV in Disability
• CPP20218 — Certificate II in Security Operations
• HLTAID001 / HLTAID002 / HLTAID003 — First Aid

We are continuously adding support for new qualification types. Contact us if you need a certificate type that is not listed.

It depends on the qualification. Most vocational qualifications such as CHC33021 do not have an expiry date — once earned, they are permanently valid.

First Aid certificates (HLTAID series) are issued with a 2-year expiry period. Once expired, the verification page will show an "Expired" status and will not provide a download link. The holder will need to complete a refresher course to obtain a current certificate.

A cancelled certificate has been revoked by the issuing organisation. This can happen if:

• It was issued in error
• The holder was found not to meet the requirements of the qualification
• The certificate was identified as having been obtained fraudulently

Cancelled certificates should not be accepted as valid. If you believe a certificate has been cancelled in error, the holder should contact the issuing organisation directly.

To get started, visit our For Organisations page and submit an enquiry via the contact form. Our team will get in touch to discuss your requirements and set up your account.

Onboarding typically takes 1–3 business days depending on the certificate templates required.

Certificate records are stored indefinitely by default. This ensures that qualifications can still be verified years or decades after they were issued — consistent with the record-keeping obligations placed on RTOs under the Standards for RTOs 2015.

Records can be updated (e.g. cancelled) by authorised admin users at any time. Permanent deletion requests can be made by contacting us at info@badgetrust.info.

Yes. All data is transmitted over HTTPS (TLS encryption). Our database is hosted in a secured environment with access controls, and our admin panel is protected by authentication, session management, and rate limiting.

We handle personal information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Act 1988. You can read more in our Privacy Policy.