Where to start
How certification works.
Four steps. You answer questions, a human reviews them, you pay only if approved, and your mark is issued. Most certifications complete in two to four weeks.
The four steps
- STEP 01
Apply online
Day 0, about 20 minutes
Create an account, enter your business details and ABN, upload your logo, answer 12 plain-language questions about how you use and govern AI, and sign the Responsible AI Pledge. No cost to apply.
- STEP 02
Independent human review
Days 1 to 10, typically
An independent assessor reads your answers against the eight Australian AI Ethics Principles. If anything needs clarifying they book a short video call. Simple answers do not disqualify you; unsupported claims do.
- STEP 03
Tier assigned, then you pay
On approval
The assessor assigns Commit, Embed or Govern based on what you can evidence. Only then do you pay the annual licence, priced by organisation size from $349 to $1,499.
- STEP 04
Certified
Days 14 to 28, typically
Your Certified Mark, certificate PDF and certification ID are issued, your profile goes live on the public register, and your verification link starts working.
Timings are typical, not guaranteed. A complete application with a clear policy moves fastest. The certification rules set out the full process, including appeals and renewal.
Before you start
Have these ready and the application takes twenty minutes.
- An Australian Business Number (ABN), operating primarily in Australia
- A business logo for the register
- Someone authorised to sign the Responsible AI Pledge on behalf of the business
- For Embed: a Responsible AI Policy as a PDF Free template available
- For Govern: a governance framework with risk management, oversight roles and impact assessments
- Optional: any ISO or other certification you already hold
What we ask
The 12 questions, so there are no surprises.
Each is answered in plain language with guidance beside it. There are no trick questions. The assessor is looking for honest, specific answers, not polished ones.
- 01How your business uses AI, in your own words
- 02Which AI tools and platforms you use
- 03How you reduce the risks of those uses
- 04The ethical guidelines your team follows
- 05How you protect privacy and secure data
- 06How you prevent discrimination and bias
- 07How you assess risk before deploying AI
- 08What you document and keep
- 09Whether and how you audit for fairness
- 10How people can contest an AI-assisted outcome
- 11The environmental impact of your AI use
- 12A final declaration that your answers are true
Am I ready? Sixty seconds
Three questions, one likely tier.
1.Do you have a written Responsible AI Policy that staff actually follow?
A page or two covering how AI may and may not be used in your business, who is responsible, and what happens when something goes wrong.
2.Do you have a governance framework: risk management, named oversight roles and impact assessments for your AI?
Someone is accountable, risks are written down and reviewed, and higher-risk uses get assessed before they go live.
3.Does AI make, or substantially help make, decisions about people? Loans, hiring, pricing, eligibility, claims.
If yes, the Privacy Act automated decision-making disclosure may apply to your business from 10 December 2026. Our free builder helps you check.
After you are certified
The mark goes to work the same day.
You receive a licence to display the Certified mark in its approved forms, a certificate PDF with your certification ID, a public register profile, a verification URL anyone can check, a live seal for your website, and a signed machine-verifiable credential that AI agents and procurement systems can confirm through our free API. Certification is valid for 12 months and we remind you before renewal.
Still not sure where you fit?
Tell us what your business does and how it uses AI, and we will tell you which tier to aim for and what to prepare. No obligation.