Certificate of Barrier Compliance (the Form 23)
The Certificate of Pool and Spa Barrier Compliance is the official document behind the everyday name “Form 23”. Here is exactly what it certifies and what appears on it.
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The official name behind “Form 23”
In Victoria, the certificate that says your pool or spa barrier is safe is formally called the Certificate of Pool and Spa Barrier Compliance. The Victorian Building Authority (VBA) gives each of its forms a number, and this certificate is their Form 23. So when a conveyancer, council or agent asks for a “Form 23”, a “barrier compliance certificate” or a “certificate of barrier compliance”, they all mean this one document.
It is issued only when the barrier passes. If the barrier does not comply, the inspector instead lodges a Form 24 with your council. For who can issue it and how it differs from a Form 24, see our Form 23 page.
The long name is not there to be awkward — every word in it is doing a job. “Pool and spa” sets the scope: a spa is caught just as a pool is, once it holds more than 300mm of water. “Barrier” narrows it to the thing being assessed — the fence and gates that stand between a young child and the water, rather than the pool itself. “Compliance” is the finding: on the day of inspection, the barrier met the standard that applied to it.
“Barrier compliance” is a legal term, not a description of how safe the pool feels. A barrier either meets the measurable requirements of its standard or it does not, and the person making that call has to be registered to make it. That is also why the finding is dated: it speaks for the barrier as it stood on the day, which is why Victoria asks for a fresh certificate every four years rather than treating one as permanent.
This is why the formal name turns up on council letters while nobody says it out loud. Councils write to you in the wording used in the regulations, so a notice may talk about a Certificate of Pool and Spa Barrier Compliance where your neighbour, your agent and your inspector all say “Form 23”. If a letter uses the long name, you have not been asked for something new or extra — it is the same single certificate, and the same inspection produces it.
What the certificate covers
- The pool or spa safety barrier — fence, walls and any boundary fence used as a barrier
- Gates: self-closing, self-latching, and latch height
- The 900mm non-climbable zone on both sides of the barrier
- Barrier height (at least 1200mm) and gaps (no 100mm sphere passes)
- A current, readable CPR / resuscitation sign
- The date, the standard assessed, and the inspector's VBA registration
It does not certify the pool structure, the water quality or the plumbing — only the safety barrier.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Certificate of Barrier Compliance the same as a Form 23?
Yes. 'Form 23' is the Victorian Building Authority form number for the Certificate of Pool and Spa Barrier Compliance. They are the same document — the Form 23 is issued when your barrier complies.
What does the certificate actually certify?
It certifies that, on the date of inspection, your pool or spa safety barrier complied with the barrier standard that applied to it. It covers the fence, gates, latches, the non-climbable zone and the CPR sign — not the pool structure or water quality.
Who can issue a Certificate of Barrier Compliance?
Only a registered building surveyor or building inspector registered with the Victorian Building Authority (VBA). Our inspectors are VBA-registered, so the Form 23 we issue is valid to lodge with your council.
What appears on the certificate?
Your property address, the barrier standard assessed against, the date of inspection, the inspector's name and VBA registration number, and their statement that the barrier complies. Your council records it against the pool's registration.
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VBA-registered inspection and your Form 23 Certificate of Barrier Compliance, from $170 ex GST.