Check your ARCtick licence, fines just went up

Fines for refrigerant handling offences have increased, with the Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC) reminding technicians and businesses to make sure they’re working within their licence.

From 1 July 2026, the Commonwealth penalty unit rose from $330 to $364 under section 4AA of the Crimes Act 1914. Fines are calculated by multiplying the number of penalty units set for an offence by the current unit value, so any fine linked to penalty units has gone up.

Offences covered include unlicensed work, unauthorised trading, false representations and breaches of permit conditions. Fines for these range from $21,840 for individuals to $109,200 for corporations.

The heaviest penalties apply to unlawful discharges of high-GWP refrigerants, with fines of up to $145,600 for individuals and $728,000 for corporations.

The penalties apply to all ARCtick permit holders. The ARC recommends permit holders check their licence is current, confirm it covers the specific work they’re doing and keep accurate records. Working on an expired licence or outside its scope can attract penalties at the new rates.

The ARC’s Fact sheet 11, Penalties under the Act and the Regulations, is available at arctick.org/information/fact-sheets.

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