Forklift Licences in Victoria: TLILIC0003, LF vs LO, and Renewal Tips
A plain-English guide to the WorkSafe high-risk work licence types, how renewal works, and how to keep your credential file ready for placement.
Operating a forklift in Victoria - whether in a small warehouse or a national distribution centre - requires a current High Risk Work Licence issued by WorkSafe. The wrong class on your file is the most common reason a worker is sent home from a first shift.
LF versus LO
The Class LF licence covers powered industrial trucks equipped with a load-shifting device that is restricted in its movement by a mast or other arm (the typical counterbalance forklift). Class LO covers order-picking forklifts where the operator is raised with the load.
Most warehouse and distribution work in Melbourne is LF. Order-picking roles inside high-bay facilities increasingly require LO. Some sites require both.
How the training works
- Complete the nationally recognised unit (TLILIC0003 for LF, TLILIC0004 for LO) with a registered RTO.
- Pass the WorkSafe high-risk work assessment, conducted by an accredited assessor.
- Submit the assessment paperwork to WorkSafe and receive your licence card.
Renewal
High Risk Work Licences are issued for five years. Renewal is administrative if you have completed any forklift work in the licence period - WorkSafe will ask for a declaration. Allow six to eight weeks before expiry. A lapsed licence cannot simply be reactivated; you need to re-sit the assessment.
Keep your file placement-ready
RELAY Labour Hire workers upload a photo of the front and back of every ticket to our compliance portal. We re-check before every renewal cycle and flag workers 60 days before expiry. It costs nothing and prevents the most common cause of a missed first shift.
