# How to use the AHPRA register to check any health practitioner *Digital Pages Editorial · 2026-08-03* Titles like nutritionist or counsellor are not protected in Australia. Anyone can print them on a business card, no matter their training. Titles like dentist, psychologist, and physiotherapist are different: using one without the right registration is a criminal offence. The AHPRA public register is how you tell which is which for any practitioner in front of you. ## What is the AHPRA public register? The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) keeps a free, public register of every health practitioner registered to practise in Australia. Searching it confirms whether someone is currently registered, in what profession, in which state or territory, and whether any conditions or undertakings restrict their practice. The register is searchable by name or registration number, profession, and location at ahpra.gov.au. To search, go to the "Look up a practitioner" tool on the Ahpra website. Enter the practitioner's name (or their registration number, if you have it), then narrow by health profession and state or territory if you get multiple matches. A current, unrestricted registration is the baseline confirmation that someone is legally allowed to practise. ## Which health professions are registered under the National Scheme? Ahpra and the National Boards register practitioners in 16 professions under the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (the National Scheme): Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practice, Chinese medicine, chiropractic, dental practice, medical practice, medical radiation practice, nursing, midwifery, occupational therapy, optometry, osteopathy, paramedicine, pharmacy, physiotherapy, podiatry, and psychology. Each profession has its own National Board, which sets registration standards, codes and guidelines, and handles concerns about individual practitioners within that profession. If a practitioner's profession isn't on this list, they aren't part of the National Scheme, and the AHPRA register won't have an entry for them at all. ## What do conditions, undertakings and endorsements mean? The register doesn't just show a name and a tick. Three terms come up often, and they mean different things. A **condition** is imposed on a practitioner's registration by a National Board or an adjudication body to protect the public. It can be disciplinary (following a finding that the practitioner departed from accepted professional standards) or non-disciplinary (for example, a supervised-practice requirement for someone returning to work after a break). Conditions can require further training, supervised practice, or restrictions on how the practitioner manages their work. Current conditions are published on the register; they're removed once a Board decides they're no longer needed for safe practice. An **undertaking** is voluntary. The practitioner agrees to do, or not do, something in relation to their practice, at the Board's request, to protect the public. Unlike a condition, it isn't imposed. Current undertakings that restrict practice are published on the register; undertakings relating to a practitioner's health are noted but not detailed publicly. An **endorsement** recognises that a practitioner has an extended scope of practice because of an additional, Board-approved qualification. Examples include a scheduled medicines endorsement for optometrists and podiatrists, a nurse practitioner endorsement, and an acupuncture endorsement for some medical practitioners, osteopaths and physiotherapists. An endorsement expands what someone can legally do; a condition restricts it. ## Which titles are legally protected? Only people registered (or endorsed) in one of the 16 National Scheme professions can lawfully use the associated protected title. Examples include chiropractor, dentist, dental hygienist, medical practitioner, nurse, midwife, occupational therapist, optometrist, osteopath, paramedic, pharmacist, physiotherapist, podiatrist, and psychologist. Using one of these titles to make someone believe you're registered when you're not, known as "holding out", is a criminal offence under the National Law, whether or not you actually practise the role. The same offence covers claiming a specialist title (such as specialist surgeon) without specialist registration, and performing certain restricted acts, like irreversible dental procedures or cervical spinal manipulation, without the right registration. Penalties for an individual run up to a $60,000 fine per offence, or $120,000 for a corporation, plus up to three years' imprisonment. Title-protection offences make up the large majority of the criminal complaints Ahpra investigates each year, which is why checking the register before you book, rather than after something goes wrong, is worth the two minutes it takes. ## What about titles that aren't protected? Plenty of health-adjacent professions sit entirely outside the AHPRA National Scheme, which means there's no protected title and no AHPRA register entry to check. Counsellor and psychotherapist are the clearest example: these professions self-regulate through bodies like the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA), which maintains its own voluntary practitioner register, but joining is not a legal requirement to practise or use the title. Nutritionist works the same way. Nutrition and dietetics fall outside the National Scheme too, and the profession self-regulates through the Dietitian and Nutritionist Regulatory Council, run by Dietitians Australia. The credential to look for is Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD), a voluntary credential, not a legal registration. For any of these professions, a professional body membership or credential is a useful quality signal, but it carries none of the legal weight of an [allied health](/allied-health) profession's AHPRA registration. ## How do I make a notification about a practitioner? If you have a safety concern about a registered practitioner, a student, or someone falsely claiming to be registered, Ahpra calls this a notification. You can raise it two ways: complete the online form at ahpra.gov.au, or call 1300 419 495. Ahpra suggests talking to the practitioner or health service first where that feels safe and appropriate, since it's often the quickest way to resolve a concern, but you can go straight to Ahpra for anything involving unsafe practice or behaviour. Notifications about [dentists](/dentists) work the same way as any other registered profession: Ahpra assesses the concern, and depending on severity, may take immediate action, run an investigation, order a performance or health assessment, or refer the matter to a panel or tribunal hearing. Concerns about a crime such as sexual assault should also go to the police. ## Why this matters before you book The AHPRA register matters most in fields where the stakes are high and the marketing is loud, such as [cosmetic clinics](/cosmetic-clinics). Our guide to [choosing a cosmetic clinic](/kb/choosing-a-cosmetic-clinic) covers this in more detail, but the short version is the same principle as here: a business name, a certificate on the wall, or a confident title on a website is not proof of registration. The register is. ## Frequently asked questions **Is "nutritionist" a protected title in Australia?** No. Nutrition and dietetics sit outside the AHPRA National Scheme and are self-regulated through the Dietitian and Nutritionist Regulatory Council, run by Dietitians Australia. Anyone can call themselves a nutritionist regardless of qualifications. **What's the difference between a condition and an undertaking on a registration?** A condition is imposed on a practitioner by a National Board or tribunal, for example a supervised-practice requirement. An undertaking is voluntary: the practitioner agrees to limit their own practice in some way. Both are published on the register while current. **Can anyone call themselves a counsellor or psychotherapist?** Yes. Counselling and psychotherapy are not part of the AHPRA National Scheme. Practitioners can join a self-regulatory body such as the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia, but this is voluntary, not a legal registration requirement. **How do I report a health practitioner to AHPRA?** Use the online notification form on ahpra.gov.au or call 1300 419 495. Ahpra assesses concerns about registered practitioners, students, and people falsely claiming to be registered. **What happens if someone falsely claims to be a registered health practitioner?** It's a criminal offence under the National Law. Penalties include a fine of up to $60,000 per offence for an individual, or $120,000 for a corporation, and up to three years' imprisonment. ## FAQ **Is 'nutritionist' a protected title in Australia?** No. Nutrition and dietetics sit outside the AHPRA National Scheme and are self-regulated through the Dietitian and Nutritionist Regulatory Council, run by Dietitians Australia. Anyone can call themselves a nutritionist regardless of qualifications. **What's the difference between a condition and an undertaking on a registration?** A condition is imposed on a practitioner by a National Board or tribunal, for example a supervised-practice requirement. An undertaking is voluntary: the practitioner agrees to limit their own practice in some way. Both are published on the register while current. **Can anyone call themselves a counsellor or psychotherapist?** Yes. Counselling and psychotherapy are not part of the AHPRA National Scheme. Practitioners can join a self-regulatory body such as the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia, but this is voluntary, not a legal registration requirement. **How do I report a health practitioner to AHPRA?** Use the online notification form on ahpra.gov.au or call 1300 419 495. Ahpra assesses concerns about registered practitioners, students, and people falsely claiming to be registered. **What happens if someone falsely claims to be a registered health practitioner?** It's a criminal offence under the National Law. Penalties include a fine of up to $60,000 per offence for an individual, or $120,000 for a corporation, and up to three years' imprisonment. ## Sources - [Ahpra — Register of practitioners](https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Registration/Registers-of-Practitioners.aspx) - [Ahpra — Glossary (Condition, Undertaking, Endorsement)](https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Support/Glossary.aspx) - [Ahpra — Reporting a criminal offence (protected titles, penalties)](https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Notifications/Reporting-a-criminal-offence.aspx) - [Ahpra — Concerned about a health practitioner](https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Notifications/Concerned-about-a-health-practitioner.aspx) - [PACFA — Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia](https://pacfa.org.au/) - [Dietitians Australia — Credentialing of dietitians (APD)](https://dietitiansaustralia.org.au/working-dietetics/credentialing-dietitians)