WA Up to 5 Years Jail for Breaking a Retail Barring Order

Retail Barring Orders Bill 2025

15 Sep 2026: This bill has passed its first house and is now before the second house for its own debate.

Legislative Assembly

Legislative Council

Assent

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Topics

barring orders court procedures criminal penalties firearms administration public order public safety retail premises retail violence violence prevention

Links to official parliament websites

Official page: progress through parliament

Effects of this bill

If this bill passes, it means that:

People who break a retail barring order face up to 5 years in prison.
Applicants cannot apply for a retail barring order if the violence happened before the Act started.
Courts must consider the need to protect retail premises from violence when making an order.
Courts must follow specific steps if a respondent fails to attend a hearing.
Courts must dismiss applications to set aside an order if they are filed too late.
Responsible persons must complete the police copy of the firearms section of a retail barring order.
The Children's Court must transfer matters to the correct jurisdiction if no offence under this Act is involved.
The court must take specific action if a person fails to attend a Retail Barring Order hearing but the applicant does attend.

The Debate

What different members said when this bill was debated:

Dan Caddy ALP

“I move: That the bill be now read a second time. This bill delivers on the government’s election commitment to ban violent and intimidating persons from retail premises and protect retail businesses and employees from the impacts of retail violence. Western Australians should feel safe at work and in the community.”

Official source →

Dr Tony Buti ALP

“I move: That the bill be now read a second time. This bill delivers on the Cook government’s election commitment to ban violent and intimidating persons from retail premises and protect retail businesses and employees from the impacts of retail violence. Western Australians should feel safe at work and in the community.”

Official source →

News articles and press releases

Retailers urge WA to pass legislation on retail barring orders for repeat offenders

Chris Rodwell, Australian Retailers Association CEO — 2026-09-17

We know there is a cohort of repeat offenders who keep coming back. Retailers need a practical mechanism to stop them returning before their behaviour escalates and another worker is threatened or assaulted.