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How to notify AUSTRAC of your AML/CTF compliance officer

Real estate agencies have until 29 July 2026 to notify AUSTRAC of their compliance officer. This is the practical step-by-step guide: what information you need, how to submit it, and what to do if your officer changes.

By AML Simple Team

How to notify AUSTRAC of your AML/CTF compliance officer

29 July 2026 is the deadline for newly enrolled real estate agencies to notify AUSTRAC of their AML/CTF compliance officer.

Most agencies know they need to appoint someone to the role. Fewer know that the appointment is not complete until you tell AUSTRAC who it is -- in writing, via AUSTRAC Online, before that date.

This guide covers what the notification involves, what information you need, and what to do if your compliance officer changes after you have already notified.

What is the compliance officer notification?

When your agency enrols with AUSTRAC, you register the business.

The compliance officer notification is a separate step: you are telling AUSTRAC the name of the specific person who is responsible for implementing your AML/CTF program.

Under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006 (AML/CTF Act) and the AML/CTF Transitional Rules 2026, newly regulated businesses have 28 days after the commencement date (1 July 2026) to complete this notification. For agencies enrolled at or before commencement, the deadline is 29 July 2026.

If you enrol after 1 July 2026, your specific notification window is calculated from your enrolment date. AUSTRAC Online will show you your deadline at the time of enrolment.

Sources: AML/CTF Transitional Rules 2026, Summary of AML/CTF obligations for new regulated entities

Who can be the compliance officer?

The person you notify must be:

  • Employed or engaged at senior management level in your business
  • Fit and proper for the role -- meaning they have the competence, diligence, and integrity to fulfil the responsibilities

For most small real estate agencies, the principal or director holds this role. There is no requirement to hire a specialist.

What matters is that the person has the authority to make compliance decisions and the practical capacity to carry them out. A junior administrator or support staff member does not qualify.

The compliance officer does not need a formal qualification. They need to understand what your AML/CTF program requires and have the standing to act on it.

For a full explanation of the role and its responsibilities, see our guide: Understanding the AML/CTF compliance officer role.

What you need before you start

Before you log into AUSTRAC Online to complete the notification, have the following ready:

  • The compliance officer's full legal name
  • Their contact details (email and phone)
  • Their position or title in the business
  • Confirmation that they have accepted the role and understand the responsibilities

AUSTRAC Online will prompt you through the required fields. The process takes under five minutes once you have the information in front of you.

How to submit the notification

  1. Log into AUSTRAC Online at austrac.gov.au
  2. Navigate to your agency's enrolment details
  3. Find the compliance officer section -- it will show as incomplete if you have not yet notified
  4. Enter the required details and submit

AUSTRAC Online will confirm the submission. Keep a record of the confirmation for your AML/CTF files.

Enrolment must come first

You cannot notify AUSTRAC of your compliance officer until your agency is enrolled.

AUSTRAC enrolment opened on 31 March 2026. If your agency has not enrolled yet, that is the first step. Without enrolment, you do not have an AUSTRAC account and cannot access AUSTRAC Online.

See our step-by-step enrolment guide: AUSTRAC enrolment is now open.

If your compliance officer changes

Staff change. Principals retire or sell the business. The person you initially notify may not be your compliance officer a year from now.

If your compliance officer changes after your initial notification, update your enrolment details in AUSTRAC Online promptly. Keeping your enrolment current is an ongoing obligation under the AML/CTF Act.

The update process is the same as the initial notification: log in to AUSTRAC Online, navigate to your enrolment, and update the compliance officer details.

What happens if you miss the deadline?

Missing the 29 July 2026 deadline is a breach of your obligations under the AML/CTF Act.

Civil penalties for body corporates (which most real estate agencies are, as Pty Ltd companies) can reach up to A$33,000,000 per contravention under s 175 of the AML/CTF Act. The penalty unit value is currently A$330, indexed under s 4AA of the Crimes Act 1914.

Penalties are assessed per contravention, not as a single total. Multiple missed obligations can result in multiple penalty exposures.

The practical point is straightforward: the notification takes under five minutes. There is no reason to leave it until the last week of July.

The two-step checklist

Before 29 July 2026, your agency needs to have done both of these:

  1. Enrolled with AUSTRAC -- your business registered as a reporting entity
  2. Notified your compliance officer -- the specific person's details recorded in AUSTRAC Online

Both are separate steps. Many agencies complete enrolment and assume they are done. Check that the compliance officer section in AUSTRAC Online shows as complete.

AML Simple walks you through enrolment and compliance officer setup

Start your AML/CTF program in AML Simple and we will prompt you through enrolment, compliance officer appointment, and each obligation as it falls due. Free to start.

Get AUSTRAC ready

Sources

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