National Classification Code (May 2005)

Administered by Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts

Legislation au F2005L01284 In force Legislative Instrument

Legislation content

National Classification Code

as amended

made under section 6 of the

Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Act 1995

This compilation was prepared on 1 January 2013
taking into account amendments up to National Classification Code Amendment Notice 2012 (No. 1)

Prepared by the Office of Parliamentary Counsel, Canberra

National Classification Code

 

 

 1. Classification decisions are to give effect, as far as possible, to the following principles:

 (a) adults should be able to read, hear, see and play what they want;

 (b) minors should be protected from material likely to harm or disturb them;

 (c) everyone should be protected from exposure to unsolicited material that they find offensive;

 (d) the need to take account of community concerns about:

 (i) depictions that condone or incite violence, particularly sexual violence; and

 (ii) the portrayal of persons in a demeaning manner.


Publications

 2. Publications are to be classified in accordance with the following table:

 

Item

Description of publication

Classification

1

Publications that:

(a) describe, depict, express or otherwise deal with matters of sex, drug misuse or addiction, crime, cruelty, violence or revolting or abhorrent phenomena in such a way that they offend against the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults to the extent that they should not be classified; or

(b) describe or depict in a way that is likely to cause offence to a reasonable adult, a person who is, or appears to be, a child under 18 (whether the person is engaged in sexual activity or not); or

(c) promote, incite or instruct in matters of crime or violence

RC

2

Publications (except RC publications) that:

(a) explicitly depict sexual or sexually related activity between consenting adults in a way that is likely to cause offence to a reasonable adult; or

(b) depict, describe or express revolting or abhorrent phenomena in a way that is likely to cause offence to a reasonable adult and are unsuitable for a minor to see or read

Category 2 restricted

3

Publications (except RC publications and Category 2 restricted publications) that:

(a) explicitly depict nudity, or describe or impliedly depict sexual or sexually related activity between consenting adults, in a way that is likely to cause offence to a reasonable adult; or

(b) describe or express in detail violence or sexual activity between consenting adults in a way that is likely to cause offence to a reasonable adult; or

(c) are unsuitable for a minor to see or read

Category 1 restricted

4

All other publications

Unrestricted

 

Films

 3. Films are to be classified in accordance with the following table:

 

Item

Description of film

Classification

1

Films that:

(a) depict, express or otherwise deal with matters of sex, drug misuse or addiction, crime, cruelty, violence or revolting or abhorrent phenomena in such a way that they offend against the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults to the extent that they should not be classified; or

(b) describe or depict in a way that is likely to cause offence to a reasonable adult, a person who is, or appears to be , a child under 18 (whether the person is engaged in sexual activity or not); or

(c) promote, incite or instruct in matters of crime or violence

RC

2

Films (except RC films) that:

(a) contain real depictions of actual sexual activity between consenting adults in which there is no violence, sexual violence, sexualised violence, coercion, sexually assaultive language, or fetishes or depictions which purposefully demean anyone involved in that activity for the enjoyment of viewers, in a way that is likely to cause offence to a reasonable adult; and

(b) are unsuitable for a minor to see

X 18+

3

Films (except RC films and X 18+ films) that are unsuitable for a minor to see

R 18+

4

Films (except RC films, X 18+ films and R 18+ films) that depict, express or otherwise deal with sex, violence or coarse language in such a manner as to be unsuitable for viewing by persons under 15

MA 15+

5

Films (except RC films, X 18+ films, R 18+ films and MA 15+ films) that cannot be recommended for viewing by persons who are under 15

M

6

Films (except RC films, X 18+ films, R 18+ films, MA 15+ films and M films) that cannot be recommended for viewing by persons who are under 15 without the guidance of their parents or guardians

PG

7

All other films

G

 


Computer Games

 4. Computer games are to be classified in accordance with the following table:

 

Item

Description of computer game

Classification

1

Computer games that:

(a) depict, express or otherwise deal with matters of sex, drug misuse or addiction, crime, cruelty, violence or revolting or abhorrent phenomena in such a way that they offend against the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults to the extent that they should not be classified; or

(b) describe or depict in a way that is likely to cause offence to a reasonable adult, a person who is, or appears to be, a child under 18 (whether the person is engaged in sexual activity or not); or

(c) promote, incite or instruct in matters of crime or violence

RC

2

Computer games (except RC computer games) that are unsuitable for viewing or playing by a minor

R 18+

3

Computer games (except RC and R 18+ computer games) that depict, express or otherwise deal with sex, violence or coarse language in such a manner as to be unsuitable for viewing or playing by persons under 15

MA 15+

4

Computer games (except RC, R 18+ and MA 15+ computer games) that cannot be recommended for viewing or playing by persons who are under 15

M

5

Computer games (except RC, R 18+, MA 15+ and M computer games) that cannot be recommended for viewing or playing by persons who are under 15 without the guidance of their parents or guardians

PG

6

All other computer games

G

 

Notes to the National Classification Code

Note 1

The National Classification Code (in force under section 6 of the Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Act 1995) as shown in this compilation is amended as indicated in the Tables below.

Table of Instruments

Title

Date of FRLI registration

Date of
commencement

Application, saving or
transitional provisions

National Classification Code

26 May 2005 (see F2005L01284)

26 May 2005

 

National Classification Code Amendment Notice 2012 (No. 1)

26 Sept 2012 (see F2012L01933)

1 Jan 2013

—

Table of Amendments

ad. = added or inserted      am. = amended      rep. = repealed      rs. = repealed and substituted

Provision affected

How affected

C. 1................. 

am. 2012 No. 1

C. 4................. 

am. 2012 No. 1

 

 

Overview

The National Classification Code, as amended and made under the Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Act 1995, provides the framework for the classification of publications, films, and computer games in Australia. Enacted by the Parliament of Australia, the Code was introduced to address the need for a consistent and clear system of classification to protect minors from potentially harmful content while ensuring adults have access to the material they choose. The overarching policy objective of the Code is to safeguard the community from material that could be offensive, harmful, or inappropriate, particularly to minors, while respecting the freedom of adults to access a wide range of content. The principles guiding the classification decisions under the Code include protecting minors from material that may harm or disturb them, shielding everyone from unsolicited offensive material, and considering community concerns about depictions of violence and degrading portrayals of individuals.

Scope and Application

The National Classification Code, as amended and made under the Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Act 1995, applies to the classification of publications, films, and computer games within Australia. This legislative instrument aims to ensure that adults have access to content they choose while protecting minors from potentially harmful or offensive material. The Code stipulates classification principles, such as safeguarding minors from harmful content and protecting everyone from unsolicited offensive material, and sets out detailed classification criteria for publications, films, and computer games, ranging from unrestricted to restricted categories. The geographic reach of the Act is national, applying uniformly across Australia, and it extends to all publications, films, and computer games within the country. The Code does not explicitly state exclusions or thresholds; however, it does differentiate between various classifications, such as RC (Restricted), X 18+, R 18+, MA 15+, M, and G, based on the nature and content of the material. The application of the Code can be extended or refined through subordinate instruments, such as the National Classification Code Amendment Notice 2012 (No. 1), which amends the Code to reflect changes in community standards and technological advancements.

Key Provisions

The National Classification Code, made under section 6 of the Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Act 1995, outlines the classification criteria for publications, films, and computer games in Australia. The main operative sections of the Code (sections 1 to 4) detail the principles and specific criteria for classifying these materials, ensuring that they adhere to community standards of morality, decency, and propriety. For example, Section 2 specifies the classification for publications based on their content, ranging from unrestricted (U) to restricted (RC). Similarly, Section 3 and Section 4 provide classification criteria for films and computer games, respectively, categorising them from general audience (G) to restricted (RC). The obligations imposed by the Act require publishers, distributors, and retailers to classify their materials correctly and display the appropriate classification labels. Publishers must submit their materials for classification to the Classification Board, which assesses the content and assigns the appropriate classification. Distributors and retailers are required to ensure that products are classified and labelled correctly before sale or distribution. This classification system is designed to protect minors from harmful content and to safeguard adults from unsolicited offensive material. Failure to comply with the classification requirements can result in various consequences. Section 5 of the Act provides that an unclassified or misclassified publication, film, or computer game may be seized by authorities. Additionally, individuals or entities found guilty of supplying unclassified or misclassified material can face significant fines. The maximum penalty for contravening the classification provisions is generally set out in the primary Act, which may include fines of up to $22,000 for individuals and higher amounts for corporations, depending on the severity and frequency of the breach. Furthermore, persistent non-compliance can lead to more severe penalties, including potential criminal charges and imprisonment.

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.