NSW Swimming Pool Register: registering your pool or spa

Published 16 October 2026

Who has to register a pool in NSW

The NSW Government's guide for pool owners says all pool and spa owners must register. That covers in-ground pools, above-ground pools and spas on a property with a home, a movable dwelling, or tourist and visitor accommodation.

The barrier rules also cover portable and inflatable pools that can be filled to 300 mm or more, so an inflatable pool of that depth is treated as a pool for safety purposes. If you're unsure whether yours needs registering, ask your council.

In a strata or community scheme, the owners corporation or body corporate is responsible for a pool on common property. Councils also inspect pools at tourist and visitor accommodation and movable dwellings every 3 years, so those pools need to be registered and kept compliant too.

The new NSW Swimming Pool Register (16 March 2026)

Building Commission NSW relaunched the register on 16 March 2026. It describes the new register as the "single source of truth for NSW pool registrations and compliance status".

• Registered by address. Pools and spas are now recorded against the property address. The commission's words: "Pools and spas will no longer be registered under an owner's personal details."
• Compliance status in one place. The register holds registrations and compliance status together.
• Access for councils and certifiers. Councils and certifiers have role-based access to the records they need.

If your pool was registered before the relaunch, check the record next time you sell, lease or book an inspection. The NSW Government has a user guide for pool and spa owners on the new register.

How to register your pool or spa

1. Have the property address ready. The register records the pool against the address, not against you.
2. Register online on the NSW Swimming Pool Register. There is no fee for registering online.
3. Keep a copy of the registration certificate. A sale contract needs it.
4. If you'd rather not do it online, ask your council to register the pool for you. Councils that offer this charge a small fee.

Pool registration fees in NSW

Each council sets out its own option and fee. Ask your council before you rely on one of these figures. Checked 16 October 2026.

Registration is not a compliance certificate

The NSW Government's guide is clear that registering a pool isn't proof that it complies. Registering doesn't involve an inspection of the barrier.

A certificate of compliance is a separate document. Your council or a registered certifier issues it after inspecting the barrier, and it is valid for 3 years. Registration and a certificate are both needed in these situations:

• Selling. The contract must include the register's registration certificate plus a valid certificate of compliance, an occupation certificate issued in the last 3 years, or a certificate of non-compliance. If they're missing, the buyer may be able to rescind the contract within 14 days of exchange, unless settlement has already happened.
• Leasing. The landlord or agent must give the tenant a copy of a certificate of compliance or an occupation certificate. A certificate of non-compliance can't be used to rent a property.

A certificate of compliance is valid for 3 years from the date it is issued. If yours will be older than that when you sell or sign a new lease, book a fresh inspection early so there's time for any repairs and a re-inspection.

Strata and community schemes with more than 2 lots are exempt from those sale and lease certificate rules. The selling or leasing guide covers the timing in more detail.

Checking a pool registration when you buy or rent

If you're buying, the registration certificate should be in the contract. Read the certificate of compliance or non-compliance that comes with it, and note any defects it lists. Under the non-compliance route, the buyer has 90 days from settlement to fix the listed defects, unless the certificate says the pool is a significant risk to public safety.

If you're renting, ask the agent for the certificate of compliance or occupation certificate before you sign. The register only shows the pool is recorded, not that the barrier passed.

If you've just bought a home with a pool, the registration certificate should have come with the contract. Since the relaunch, the record sits with the property address rather than with the previous owner. If you can't find it, ask your council.

Common questions