How to Register an NCAT Order in the Local Court NSW
NCAT cannot enforce its own money orders. The tribunal can decide your dispute and order the other party to pay, but it has no sheriffs, no garnishee powers, and no way to seize anything. To access those enforcement tools, you need to register your NCAT order in the NSW Local Court — converting a tribunal decision into a court judgment.
The registration process has two stages, and each has specific requirements that trip people up.
Stage 1: Get the Section 78 Certificate from NCAT
Before you can register anything, you need a certificate under s 78 of the Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2013. This is not just a copy of the order — it's a sealed document from the NCAT Registry confirming the amount that remains unpaid.
Request it in writing, through the NCAT online portal, or in person at any NCAT Registry. There is no fee. NCAT typically processes the certificate within 5–10 business days.
The certificate specifies the parties, the date of the original order, the monetary sum awarded, and the balance still owing. If any details are wrong (a misspelled name, a calculation error), you need to apply to NCAT under s 63 of CATA to correct the order before registering it — the Local Court won't accept a certificate that doesn't match the original order.
Stage 2: File Form 45 at the Local Court
With your s 78 certificate in hand, you lodge UCPR Form 45 (Registration or Filing of Certificate of Judgment/Order) at any Local Court registry in NSW. You can file:
- In person at the counter
- By post to any Local Court registry
- Online through the NSW Online Registry portal
Online filing requires an account. You upload a scanned copy of the s 78 certificate alongside the completed Form 45 and pay the filing fee by credit card.
Form 45 asks for:
- The original issuing tribunal (NCAT, Consumer and Commercial Division)
- Your NCAT case reference number
- The date of the NCAT order
- The exact principal debt sum
- Any partial payments received before registration
- The filing fee being added to the recoverable debt
Filing Fees
Fees are set by Schedule 1 of the Civil Procedure Regulation 2017:
| Filer type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Individual (or business with turnover under $200,000) | $111 |
| Corporation (turnover over $200,000) | $222 |
If you can demonstrate financial hardship, you can submit an Application to Postpone, Remit or Waive Payment of a Court Fee alongside Form 45. If the Registrar approves the waiver, you can register without paying upfront.
The filing fee gets added to the judgment debt — the debtor ultimately owes it, not you, provided you recover.
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Which Court Division?
The division depends on the unpaid amount in your s 78 certificate, not the original claim value:
- Small Claims Division: debts up to $20,000
- General Division: debts from $20,001 to $100,000
- District Court: debts over $100,000 to $750,000
Most NCAT consumer dispute enforcement falls within the Local Court's jurisdiction.
What Happens After Registration
Once the court accepts your filing, the tribunal order operates as a Local Court judgment. The court assigns a civil case number (formatted as 2026/XXXXXX) while cross-referencing your original NCAT case number.
From this point, every Local Court enforcement tool becomes available: examination notices to discover the debtor's assets, garnishee orders to attach wages or bank accounts, and writs for levy of property to have the Sheriff seize and sell goods.
Registration does not trigger automatic enforcement. The court will not chase the debtor for you. You still need to select and apply for specific enforcement tools — but now you have the legal authority to use them.
Time Limits
You have 6 years from the date of the NCAT order to register it in the Local Court. After that, the s 78 certificate becomes stale and registration is no longer possible without leave of the court.
Once registered, you have 12 years to enforce the judgment. After 12 years, you need the court's permission to continue enforcement.
If you're approaching either deadline, don't wait. The process itself takes time, and a rejected filing near the limit could cost you the right to enforce altogether.
Our NSW NCAT Order Enforcement Guide walks through the entire registration process with pre-filing checklists, form field instructions, and the fee calculations you need before lodging.
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