From 1 July 2026, new Australian Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing (AML/CTF) laws require conveyancers and solicitors to carry out additional identity and client verification checks.

These changes are designed to help protect the Australian property market from financial crime, including money laundering, fraud and the misuse of property transactions for illegal purposes.

As part of these requirements, your conveyancer may ask for additional information or documentation about your identity, source of funds, or the purpose of your transaction. While some of these questions may be more detailed than in the past, they are a legal requirement and form part of the conveyancer’s obligation to verify and understand their clients and transactions.

Providing the requested information promptly will help your conveyancer complete the necessary checks and minimise delays to your property transaction.

If you have questions about the information being requested, please speak with your conveyancer. They can explain the requirements and how they apply to your particular circumstances.

The Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) is Australia’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) regulator and financial intelligence agency. It works to detect, prevent and disrupt money laundering, terrorism financing, proliferation financing, and other serious criminal activity by overseeing businesses that provide designated financial and professional services.

As part of its role, AUSTRAC regulates a range of industries, including banks, financial service providers, gambling services, and, from 1 July 2026, conveyancing businesses and legal practices involved in property transactions.

AUSTRAC Resources

For further information on these reforms how these regulations protect the community, please visit the following pages on the AUSTRAC website:

AML/CTF Reforms Overview: A dedicated hub explaining why these laws are changing and which industries are involved.

Information for the General Public: AUSTRAC’s guide for consumers on how financial intelligence keeps Australia safe.

AUSTRAC: An Overview: How financial intelligence keeps the Australian economy safe.

Your Privacy is Protected

We understand that some of the information your conveyancer requests may be personal or sensitive. Protecting your privacy is a priority.

Required by law
Conveyancers are only collecting this information because they are legally required to do so under Australia’s Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing (AML/CTF) laws.

Handled securely
Your personal information must be managed in accordance with Australian privacy laws and your conveyancer’s privacy obligations.

Used only for compliance purposes
The information you provide is used to meet legal and regulatory requirements and is not collected for any unrelated purpose.

Records must be retained
Under AML/CTF laws, conveyancers are required to keep certain records for a prescribed period before they are securely destroyed in accordance with legal requirements.

If you’re buying or selling property, your conveyancer may ask for more information than they have in the past. These checks are now required under Australia’s AML/CTF laws and help protect the property market from financial crime.

Your conveyancer may ask you to provide information about:

Your identity
Additional identity verification may be required to confirm who you are. This may involve providing further documents or completing additional verification checks.

Who owns or controls an entity
If a company, trust or other entity is involved in the transaction, your conveyancer may need to identify the individuals who ultimately own or control it.

The source of funds
In some circumstances, your conveyancer may ask where the money for a property purchase has come from. This is a standard legal requirement designed to help prevent money laundering and other financial crimes.

While these questions may seem more detailed than before, they are a normal part of the conveyancing process under the new laws. Providing the requested information promptly will help your transaction proceed smoothly and without unnecessary delays.