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Cert Guide

CASA AVCREG / ARN, explained

A guide to Australian aviation credentials issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). AVCREG is informal shorthand for the official Aviation Reference Number (ARN) — the customer identifier that links pilot licences, AME licences, medicals and ASIC across the regulator's systems.

Regulator
CASA
Identifier
ARN
Coverage
All aviation
Region
Australia

A note on terminology: “AVCREG” is informal industry shorthand. The official CASA term for the customer identifier is Aviation Reference Number (ARN). This guide uses both interchangeably since both terms appear in everyday aviation conversation.

Unlike offshore-survival certifications (which have one neat 4-year validity cycle), Australian aviation credentials are layered: a base licence held for life, a medical that renews annually or biennially, ratings and endorsements that renew on their own cycles, and an ASIC security card every 2 years. The ARN is the thread that ties all of these together.

How the CASA credential system works

CASA is the Civil Aviation Safety Authority — the Australian government body responsible for civil aviation safety regulation. Every person who interacts with CASA in a regulated capacity — applying for a pilot licence, holding an AME licence, undergoing a medical examination, applying for an ASIC — has a unique Aviation Reference Number (ARN). The ARN is the single customer identifier that links the holder's entire record across CASA's systems.

What sits underneath the ARN varies by role. A private pilot has a PPL plus a Class 2 medical plus possibly some endorsements. A commercial pilot has a CPL plus a Class 1 medical plus instrument and type ratings. An AME has a Part 66 AME licence plus category ratings. A licensed-aircraft-maintenance facility employee may have an AME licence plus an ASIC for airport access. All these credentials sit under the same ARN.

The Australian aviation regulatory framework — the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations (CASRs) — closely follows ICAO standards. This makes Australian licences widely recognised internationally (with appropriate flag-state conversion processes), and similarly allows foreign-licence conversion to Australian credentials when overseas-trained pilots and engineers relocate.

CASA pilot licences

L1

RPL — Recreational Pilot Licence

Private flying in light aircraft within Australian airspace under day VFR. Limited to specific aircraft categories.

Min hours: 25 hoursMedical: Class 2 or Recreational medical
L2

PPL — Private Pilot Licence

Broader private flying — passenger carriage (without hire/reward), international travel with endorsements, more aircraft categories.

Min hours: 40 hoursMedical: Class 2
L3

CPL — Commercial Pilot Licence

Fly for hire and reward (commercial operations). Required for any paid pilot work — charter, aerial work, instruction, agricultural.

Min hours: 200 hoursMedical: Class 1
L4

ATPL — Air Transport Pilot Licence

Command (captain) of multi-crew air transport aircraft. The senior tier of pilot licensing — required for most airline captain positions.

Min hours: 1,500 hoursMedical: Class 1

CASA AME (Aircraft Maintenance Engineer) licences

AME licences authorise certifying aircraft maintenance work under CASR Part 66. The licence has category ratings that determine the type of maintenance the engineer can certify:

B1.1

Aeroplane Turbine — mechanical maintenance on turbine-powered aeroplanes (jets, turboprops).

B1.2

Aeroplane Piston — mechanical maintenance on piston-powered aeroplanes.

B1.3

Helicopter Turbine — mechanical maintenance on turbine-powered helicopters.

B1.4

Helicopter Piston — mechanical maintenance on piston-powered helicopters.

B2

Avionic — electrical, instrument and avionic systems on any aircraft category.

L1 / L2

Light Aircraft categories — simplified licensing for small aircraft maintenance.

Becoming an AME requires structured training (typically through a CASA-approved Part 147 training organisation), examination and assessment, and accrued maintenance experience. The path is roughly comparable in duration to becoming a commercial pilot — multiple years from start to fully-licensed.

Aviation Security Identification Card (ASIC)

The ASIC is a separate but linked credential. It is a security-cleared photo ID required for unescorted access to secure areas of Australian airports — issued under aviation-security legislation through the Department of Home Affairs, not CASA directly. Aviation workers who need site access at major airports — ground crew, maintenance engineers, baggage handlers, some pilots and cabin crew working at security-controlled airports — must hold an ASIC.

ASIC validity is 2 years. Renewal requires a fresh background check including national criminal-history check, security assessment, and right-to-work verification. The ASIC application is linked to the holder's ARN, even though the ASIC itself is administered separately from CASA.

Workers in regional or general-aviation roles may not need an ASIC (small airports typically don't have ASIC-controlled areas), but anyone working in commercial aviation at major airports will.

Aviation medical certificates

Aviation medicals are the most frequent renewal in a pilot's credential portfolio. CASA issues three classes:

Class 1 Medical

Required for CPL and ATPL holders. Validity: 12 months (renewable yearly), reduced to 6 months for pilots over age 60 in some commercial operations.

Class 2 Medical

Required for PPL holders. Validity: typically 4 years for under-40s, 2 years for over-40s, 1 year for over-65s.

Class 3 Medical

Required for Air Traffic Controllers and some specialist roles. Validity is comparable to Class 1.

Pilots and AMEs both need to maintain their medical currency. A lapsed medical immediately suspends the pilot's flying privileges, even if every other credential is valid.

Find a CASA-approved training organisation

CASA approves two separate types of training organisation for the aviation credentials covered on this page — pilot training (under CASR Part 141 / Part 142) and aircraft maintenance training (under CASR Part 147). The CASA website maintains both directories. ASIC processing is administered separately through Department of Home Affairs-approved issuing bodies, not CASA directly.

Official directory
CASA Part 141 / Part 142 — approved flight training organisations →

Directory of CASA-approved pilot-training organisations. Part 141 covers Recreational and Private Pilot Licences; Part 142 covers Commercial and Air Transport Pilot Licences.

Official directory
CASA Part 147 — approved maintenance training organisations →

Directory of CASA-approved AME training organisations, covering Category B1 (mechanical), B2 (avionics) and L1/L2 (light aircraft) licences.

Major providers

Major Australian pilot and AME training organisations:

  • Aviation Australia (Brisbane) — Major Part 147 AME training organisation; also delivers some pilot training.
  • Flight Training Adelaide — Long-established Part 142 ATPL training provider.
  • BasAir Aviation Academy (Bankstown) — Part 141 / Part 142 pilot training; Sydney-based.
  • Soar Aviation (Melbourne) — Part 141 / Part 142 pilot training.
  • China Southern WAA (Perth) — China Southern West Australian Aviation Academy; major ATPL training.
  • TAFE NSW / QLD aviation programs — Part 147 AME training delivered through state TAFE systems.
  • Box Hill Institute (Melbourne) — Part 147 AME training.

Training hubs by region

Brisbane, QLD

Aviation Australia campus — largest AME and pilot training centre.

Adelaide, SA

Flight Training Adelaide; major ATPL training.

Melbourne, VIC

Soar Aviation, Box Hill Institute — pilot and AME training.

Sydney, NSW

BasAir at Bankstown; TAFE NSW aviation programs.

Perth, WA

China Southern WAA; some TAFE WA aviation programs.

Provider list reflects established long-standing centres as of May 2026 and is not exhaustive. Many other accredited providers exist worldwide. Always verify current accreditation status via the official directory above before booking. CertVault is not affiliated with any listed provider.

Frequently asked questions

What is an AVCREG / Aviation Reference Number?↓
"AVCREG" is informal shorthand sometimes used in the aviation industry to refer to a person's CASA aviation credentials. The official term is Aviation Reference Number (ARN) — a unique customer identifier issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to every person who interacts with CASA in a regulated aviation capacity. The ARN links the holder's record across pilot licences, Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME) licences, medical certificates, ASIC security cards, and any other CASA-issued credential or authorisation. Anyone seeking a pilot licence, an AME licence, or working in regulated aviation in Australia needs an ARN.
How do I get an Aviation Reference Number?↓
Applying for an ARN is the first step before any other CASA interaction. Applications are made through the CASA myCASA portal — you provide proof of identity, date of birth, contact details and (depending on the credential you're ultimately pursuing) other verification documents. Once granted, the ARN is your permanent customer number with CASA — you keep it for life and use it for all future licence applications, renewals, medicals and notifications.
What pilot licences does CASA issue?↓
CASA issues a tiered set of pilot licences under the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations: (1) RPL — Recreational Pilot Licence: basic licence for private flying in light aircraft within Australian airspace; (2) PPL — Private Pilot Licence: broader privileges than RPL, including international flying with the right endorsements; (3) CPL — Commercial Pilot Licence: required to fly for hire or reward; (4) ATPL — Air Transport Pilot Licence: the highest-level pilot licence, required for captain of multi-crew air-transport aircraft; (5) Various specialised licences and ratings (instrument rating, multi-engine rating, instructor rating, etc.) layered on top of the base licence.
What is an AME licence and how is it different from a pilot licence?↓
AME stands for Aircraft Maintenance Engineer. AME licences (issued by CASA under Part 66 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations) authorise the holder to perform and certify maintenance work on aircraft — the parallel to pilot licences for the people who keep aircraft airworthy rather than the people who fly them. The AME licence has separate category ratings (B1 Mechanical, B2 Avionic, etc.) that determine the type of maintenance the engineer can certify. AME holders need their own ARN just like pilots, and CASA tracks both populations through the same identifier system.
How long do CASA aviation licences last?↓
The base licence itself (RPL, PPL, CPL, ATPL, AME) does not expire — it is held for life. What does expire is the medical certificate and the various ratings/endorsements that attach to the licence. Pilot medicals (Class 1, Class 2, Class 3 depending on the licence type) have validity periods ranging from 6 months to 5 years depending on the licence and the pilot's age. Instrument ratings, type endorsements, and biennial flight reviews have their own renewal cycles. A pilot's "currency" is the combination of valid licence + valid medical + valid relevant ratings + recent flight experience.
How can I verify a CASA aviation licence?↓
CASA maintains a licence-verification system that can confirm the validity, currency and any restrictions on a licence holder's credentials. The Aviation Safety Board (ATSB) and CASA itself can issue a Flight Crew Licence Verification Letter, which is often required for international employment as a pilot. Employers and operators verify aviation credentials through CASA processes — direct lookup by ARN is the canonical proof. The ARN, not the licence number alone, is the key identifier.
Can I convert an overseas pilot licence to a CASA licence?↓
Yes — CASA has a formal Foreign Licence Conversion process. Pilots holding a valid licence from an ICAO contracting state can apply to convert their licence to a CASA-issued equivalent. The process typically involves: an English language proficiency assessment, an aviation law exam, a Class 1 (or Class 2, depending on the conversion) medical, and a flight test in Australian airspace with a CASA-approved examiner. The exact requirements vary based on the originating licence and the level being converted to. Some licences also need to meet specific recency and flight-time requirements.
What is the ASIC and is it part of my CASA credentials?↓
ASIC stands for Aviation Security Identification Card. It is a security-cleared identification card required for unescorted access to security-restricted areas of Australian airports — required for many aviation roles including ground crew, maintenance engineers, baggage handlers and some flight crew working at major airports. ASIC is issued under aviation security legislation (administered through the Department of Home Affairs, not CASA directly), but it links to the holder's ARN and is a part of the broader aviation-credential picture. The ASIC must be renewed every 2 years and requires ongoing background checks.

Related certifications and resources

Maritime industry guide

Adjacent vertical — many aviation professionals also hold maritime credentials for hybrid roles.

Offshore Oil & Gas industry guide

Helicopter pilots working offshore need aviation credentials + BOSIET/HUET — this guide covers the offshore-survival side.

CASA official site →

Civil Aviation Safety Authority — licence requirements, myCASA portal, regulatory updates.

ATSB →

Australian Transport Safety Bureau — Flight Crew Licence Verification Letters, accident investigation, safety reports.

Track every aviation credential in one profile

CertVault stores pilot licences, AME licences, aviation medicals, ASIC and every other Australian aviation credential — and alerts you 60 days before medicals, ratings or the ASIC expire.

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Based on publicly available CASA documentation as of May 2026. Always verify current requirements at casa.gov.au.