You need a current Motorsport Australia Officials Licence to officiate at any Motorsport Australia sanctioned event in Australia. Your Motorsport Australia Officials Licence (together with your sign on at the event) ensures you are afforded coverage under Motorsport Australia insurances while participating in the event. More detail on Motorsport Australia insurance can be found here.

You can obtain a Motorsport Australia Officials Licence by completing our ‘An Introduction to Motorsport Australia Officiating’ online course. In order to complete the introductory module, you will need to create a Motorsport Australia account with us at this link.

Once you have registered your account, there are three simple steps to getting your licence.

1. Log in to the Motorsport Australia Member Portal. Use your login details to access the Member Portal. First time applicants can use their Motorsport Australia IDs to retrieve a password
2. Head to ‘My Applications’ then + ‘Create New Application’ and select Officials Licence. Click ‘Apply’ and then follow the steps to apply for a General Official
3. Head to ‘Training’ to self-enrol in the Introductory Module. Once logged in to the Member Dashboard screen, select ’Training’ to access the Motorsport Australia Learning Management System. Select ‘Courses’, then under ‘Officials’ you can self-enrol in the Introductory Module
4. Complete the course and await your licence!

Don’t hesitate to contact the Motorsport Australia Member Services team on 1300 883 959 or at memberservices@motorsport.org.au if you have any questions or queries.

When successfully completed, you will be issued with a General Officials licence. You can then log into the Motorsport Australia App on your phone to view your licence. This ensures that you are covered by Motorsport Australia Insurance whilst working at the event.

If you have a Motorsport Australia Officials Licence and it has expired for longer than 6 months, you will need to download a renewal form or phone Motorsport Australia on 1300 883 959 to obtain a form.

Some State Governments have made amendments to their Working with Children Act/s that now require officials in those States to obtain a Working with Children Check (WWCC) if they are in ‘direct contact’ with children. These laws may also affect officials traveling from interstate to work in States where this is a requirement. 

Motorsport Australia anticipate that these amendments will be adopted by other State Governments and recommend officials be pro-active and obtain a check.

If you don’t currently have a WWC check, one can be obtained free of charge from your State Government website. Once you receive approval, please email the details to workingwithchildren@motorsport.org.au.

All new officials should upload a passport style photo to their Profile Page during the application process. You may not be able to complete the application without an appropriate image.

Returning officials should still have a photo in the system, however if you would like a new one this can also be uploaded during the application process.

Membership of a Car Club or Officials’ Association is not a prerequisite to becoming a Motorsport Australia Licenced Official but membership will help keep you in the loop with what is happening in the areas of interest that you may have – details of upcoming events etc.

Click on this link to find a club that suits you.

Click on this link to find upcoming events in your State.

Roles at most events are grouped into Teams. You will be allocated to a Team based on your previous professional and/or motorsport experience and whether you have indicated to us that you would like to do a particular job. For example, experienced firefighters will most likely be placed in the fire team.

Whilst we try to accommodate requests for particular roles, it is essential that we have the right mix of skills and experience for both occupational health & safety and insurance reasons. This means that sometimes we may not be able to meet all requests.

During the event you will also attend briefings by your senior officials who will instruct you on your role for each day. At events early in your career you will be placed with experienced officials who will help with training and to assimilate you into your role at the event/s.

Training is available in an online or face-to-face format, depending on the discipline area. Online training modules can be accessed through the member portal. Face-to-face training courses in the various disciplines are conducted throughout the year. Go to this link to book in to a scheduled training, or register your interest for an upcoming course.

There are some roles at Motorsport Australia events that are appropriate for volunteers with no motor sport officiating experience. Volunteers placed in these roles are not required to move into competition areas, are provided with information and training and are located with other experienced officials who can provide them with guidance. Whilst these roles are limited we do try to accommodate everyone where we can.

Some volunteers have gained appropriate experience as part of their occupations (e.g. medical and fire teams) that help with placement at the event.

Please contact officials@motorsport.org.au for more information.

All motor sport officials are volunteers and there are no paid positions in this area. Our volunteer officials participate for their love of the sport and their desire to be involved in making events happen. Many of our officials have formed lifetime friendships through their involvement in the sport.

Most events do not cover costs transport or accommodation costs – you will need to arrange these yourself prior to the event. Carpooling and accommodation sharing is common practice amongst our volunteer officials.

Motorsport is about competition between competitors in whatever conditions exist at the time. It rarely stops because of weather and consequently we need to be prepared to continue our roles in spite of the conditions. The following kit list is an exhaustive list for what you might need in all weather conditions:

• Sunglasses or protective glasses, with plastic lenses
• Sunscreen and a spare hat for sun protection
• Long sleeved shirt and long pants, again for sun protection, if outside and not wearing overalls
• Waterproof footwear – comfortable leather boots are probably the best and do not melt like nylon footwear if exposed to flame. Remember you will be standing for many hours each day
• Spare socks & shirt
• Jumper or wind-cheater
• Small towel that can be worn round the neck as a scarf in heavy rain
• Parka/jacket and waterproof gloves in colder areas or times
• Leather gloves (gardening gloves will do) for trackside marshals – to protect your hands
• Waterproof and windproof topcoat with hood – reaching below the thighs, and better still with matching pants. This should NOT be coloured bright yellow, red, or green
• Other task-specific gear such as balaclavas for Fire Marshals
• Some extra fluids and food as a supplement in case of delays in local supply
• Small, lightweight, collapsible stool
• Garbage bag, mainly to keep your kit bag in while in the rain and on the wet ground
• A garbage bag containing shorts, T-shirt & a towel kept in the car – when you get to your car at night, remove all wet, dirty clothes, dry off and put on the clean clothes, and then drive home in comfort.

Officials are not permitted to carry or use cameras while they are on duty – please check with your senior officials before you attempt to take photos (whether with a camera or mobile phone). 

Your camera is worth bringing as there’ll be memories to capture, but please adhere to these conditions as failure to may result in removal from the event and prevention from participating in future events.

Volunteer officials are often provided with a Guest Pass when they collect their credentials, along with their own personal pass. These are General Admission passes that allow for a member of your family or a friend to attend the event as spectators. Guest passes may not provide extra privileges. Please ensure your guest checks the conditions of the pass including access times and areas – specifically ensure they understand they may not be able to access the area in which you are working.

Some events supply daily lunch and water. If you have any dietary needs please acknowledge this in your registration application. If you would like to provide more detail or clarify your needs, please email the Secretary of the Meeting. Breakfasts of bacon and egg rolls are often available at many events in the mornings during sign on.

Volunteer officials should ideally be available for all days of the event, but alternate arrangements can often be made in consultation with Senior Officials of the Event.

All officials gather at a nominated place to sign on, collect their lunch, drinks (if provided by the event) and other necessary items, as well as to attend the daily briefings. It is compulsory to sign on each morning and attend the briefings.

Following the main briefing, there may be specific team briefings before heading off to your assigned location for the day. Sign on location/s and briefing times will be confirmed in the correspondence from the Secretary of the Meeting prior to the event.

International officials are required to participate with the approval from the national sporting authority (ASN) in their home country. All international officials are required to provide the event organiser with the following information:

1. A colour scan of your valid officiating license issued by your local ASN.
2. A Letter of Introduction from your ASN stating that they have no objection with your participation in events in Australia.

This should be a short letter, on official letterhead verifying your status as an official, licence grading and expiry date. Please send this information as soon as you receive it to the Secretary of the Meeting/s you wish to participate in.

No. All officials are required to be licenced by the ASN in the country they reside. Contact the Motorsport Australia Officials Manager for more information. 

Motorsport Australia are not able to confirm or arrange your Visa requirements. We suggest you visit the below website and enquire about what you need to do to gain entry into Australia as well as other handy travel tips.

Please note there may be a cost associated with your visa application – we suggest you research these costs before applying, to ensure you are comfortable with them. 

Information on how to apply or register your interest for the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix can be found here.

Please note: A pre-requisite of your application to the Australian Grand Prix event is that applicants are required to be available for all four days of the event. Preference will be given to officials available for the entirety of the event. Motorsport Australia reserves the right to refuse applications based on availability.

Can’t find the answer to your question? Email your question to officials@motorsport.org.au or phone 1300 883 959.