# Australian credit licence (ACL) (Australia)

Source page: https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/lending/australia/

The Australian credit licence (ACL) is issued by Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) under National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009. It covers lending and consumer credit. It is valid in Australia only; each other market needs its own authorisation. Ownership changes need the regulator's approval before completion.

## At a glance

| Official name | Australian credit licence (ACL) [1] |
| --- | --- |
| Issued by | [Australian Securities and Investments Commission](https://protegra.io/licensing/regulators/asic-australia/) |
| Jurisdiction | [Australia](https://protegra.io/licensing/jurisdictions/australia/) |
| Licence family | [Lending / consumer credit](https://protegra.io/licensing/licences/lending/) |
| Legal basis | National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009 [1] |
| Passporting | Domestic only |

## What it lets you do

- [Lending](https://protegra.io/licensing/activities/credit-granting/)
- [Consumer credit](https://protegra.io/licensing/activities/consumer-credit/)

- **Lending.** Granting loans, including consumer credit, mortgage credit, factoring and financing of commercial transactions.
- **Consumer credit.** Granting or promising credit to consumers, including buy-now-pay-later, subject to consumer protection rules on information, creditworthiness and withdrawal.

## Where it is valid

_Valid in Australia._

## Buying a company that already holds it

**Notification only.** Change of control is triggered when a person gains or ceases capacity to cast, or control the casting of, more than 50% of votes at a general meeting, or holds more than half the issued share capital, of an AFS licensee (Corporations Act s.910B). The licensee must notify ASIC of the change, via the Regulatory Portal, no later than 30 business days after the change occurs (s.912DA). [2]

## Sources

1. [legislation.gov.au: latest](https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2009A00134/latest): retrieved 2026-09-24
2. [asic.gov.au: change in control of afs licensee](https://www.asic.gov.au/for-finance-professionals/afs-licensees/changing-details-and-lodging-afs-forms/change-in-control-of-afs-licensee): retrieved 2026-09-24

Last verified 2026-09-24 · Author: Danil Marmysh · Reviewed by Anastasia Sidorenkova · © Protegra. Data: CC BY 4.0, cite "Protegra Licensing Atlas". Not legal advice.