MLAK Key Australia: How to Get One, What It Opens, and What It Costs

The Master Locksmiths Access Key is the single key that opens locked accessible toilets, Changing Places facilities and other secured disability amenities right across Australia. Getting one is straightforward in some states and genuinely confusing in others, because there is no single national issuing body — the process changes depending on where you live.

Sources and figures on this page were last checked on 28 July 2026. Where we could not verify a state’s process, we say so rather than guess.

What an MLAK key opens

MLAK is a restricted master-key system administered by the Master Locksmiths Association of Australasia (MLAA). One key opens every facility fitted with the MLAK lock cylinder. According to the MLAA, that includes facilities in national parks and many council municipalities, elevators at railway stations, Changing Places facilities throughout Australia, accessible toilets that are locked, and the Liberty Swing.

The scheme is often described as giving “24/7 access”, and that phrasing causes a lot of wasted trips. It does not mean every accessible toilet in Australia is unlocked to key holders around the clock. It means that where a facility owner has fitted an MLAK cylinder and chosen to keep the facility available outside staffed hours, your key gets you in. Opening arrangements remain the decision of whoever owns the building, so always check a facility’s listed hours before you rely on it late at night.

Our directory currently flags 558 toilets across Australia as MLAK-accessible and 321 as Changing Places facilities. You can browse them all on our accessible and MLAK toilets hub, or start from the toilet finder and filter for MLAK access.

Who is eligible

The MLAA states that eligibility is restricted to people who have a disability, or who have written authority from one of the following: a doctor, a disability organisation, a community health centre, or the owner or management of a building with an accessible toilet. That last category exists so that venues can hold keys for their own facilities.

Note what the criteria do not say. There is no diagnosis list, no minimum impairment threshold and no requirement to be on the NDIS. People with continence conditions, inflammatory bowel disease, ostomies and other invisible conditions are squarely within scope — Crohn’s & Colitis Australia actively directs its community to the scheme.

What you need to show depends on who issues the key. Ordering online from the MLAA involves confirming your eligibility on the form; the MLAA advises NDIS-eligible buyers to retain the tax invoice, as the purchase may be claimable. Councils and locksmiths issuing keys over the counter typically want to see one of: a Disability Card, a Mobility or Disability Parking Permit, a letter from your doctor, or a letter from a recognised disability organisation. Keep whichever document you have on hand when you apply.

What an MLAK key costs

The MLAA order page states that the price of the MLAK increased to $64 excluding GST from 1 July 2025. Crohn’s & Colitis Australia records the same $64 figure from the same date. That is the national order price, checked on 28 July 2026.

It is not what everyone pays. Individual MLAA locksmiths set their own retail and postage charges, councils that run their own schemes set their own fees, and a meaningful number of councils issue keys free to eligible local residents. Victorian and South Australian Companion Card holders can claim one key free of charge. Older council forms and PDFs still floating around online quote $20 to $25 — do not assume those are current unless the issuing body confirms its own price. Prices change without much publicity, so treat any figure you read, including ours, as a starting point rather than a quote.

How to apply, state by state

The route that works everywhere is the MLAA national order form, or buying from a participating MLAA business member. Beyond that, arrangements are genuinely inconsistent: two states give Companion Card holders a free key through the MLAA, one runs a parallel scheme through a different body, and in the rest it comes down to your local council. The counts below are live figures from our own database, checked on 28 July 2026.

New South Wales (NSW)

Council-by-council

Our directory lists 350 MLAK-accessible toilets and 60 Changing Places facilities in New South Wales.

There is no New South Wales Government scheme that issues MLAK keys centrally. In NSW the key comes either from the MLAA national order form or from your local council, and council terms differ sharply from one area to the next.

We confirmed two council schemes directly. Penrith City Council issues MLAKs at no cost to eligible residents of the Penrith local government area, one key per applicant and not transferable, on production of a Mobility Parking Permit, a Disability Card or similar, a letter from your doctor, or a letter from a disability organisation. Camden Council also issues a free key, restricted to people with disability living in the Camden LGA. Plenty of other NSW councils run comparable schemes and some charge a fee instead, so check your own council before assuming a key will be free.

Browse: all New South Wales areas · Sydney · Port Macquarie · Campbelltown · Newcastle

Victoria (VIC)

Free for Companion Card holders

Our directory lists 111 MLAK-accessible toilets and 136 Changing Places facilities in Victoria.

Victoria has one of the two clearest arrangements in the country. The Victorian Government, in partnership with the Master Locksmiths Association of Australasia, provides one free MLAK to Victorian Companion Card holders through a Victoria-specific claim form on the MLAA website.

If you do not hold a Victorian Companion Card, you use the ordinary MLAA order form and pay the standard price. Some Victorian councils additionally lend keys short-term from customer service centres, but we were not able to verify individual council loan terms, so contact your council rather than relying on second-hand summaries.

Browse: all Victoria areas · Melbourne · Geelong · Frankston · Mildura

Queensland (QLD)

Not confirmed — contact your council

Our directory lists 35 MLAK-accessible toilets and 44 Changing Places facilities in Queensland.

We could not confirm any Queensland Government scheme that issues MLAK keys free or centrally. The route we can stand behind in Queensland is the MLAA national order form or a participating MLAA locksmith.

Several Queensland councils are widely reported to issue or lend keys locally, including free and short-loan arrangements. Their pages blocked our automated checks and we could not verify current terms first-hand, so we are not going to restate them here. Treat any council offer you read about elsewhere as unconfirmed and phone the council before you travel.

Browse: all Queensland areas · Brisbane · Southport

Western Australia (WA)

Companion Card route, but not via MLAA

Our directory lists 30 MLAK-accessible toilets and 42 Changing Places facilities in Western Australia.

Western Australia has a Companion Card route, but it does not run through the MLAA. Companion Card WA is funded by the WA Government through the Department of Communities and administered by National Disability Services, and NDS has offered Companion Card holders a free MLAK.

Developmental Disability WA describes the NDS offer as a limited-time one, and the City of Stirling tells residents that Companion Card holders can receive a free key from NDS. The Companion Card WA site itself made no mention of MLAK when we checked, so we cannot confirm the offer is still open — ask NDS before you count on it. Everyone else in WA orders through MLAA or a participating locksmith.

Browse: all Western Australia areas · Perth · Fremantle · Albany

South Australia (SA)

Free for Companion Card holders

Our directory lists 23 MLAK-accessible toilets and 27 Changing Places facilities in South Australia.

South Australia mirrors Victoria. The South Australian Government, together with the MLAA, provides one free MLAK to South Australian Companion Card holders, claimed through a South Australia-specific form on the MLAA website.

Applicants who do not hold a Companion Card order through the standard MLAA form and pay the standard price. Some South Australian councils also issue keys locally, generally for a small fee, but we did not verify individual council prices and current fees should be confirmed with the council.

Browse: all South Australia areas · Adelaide · Mount Gambier · Whyalla

Tasmania (TAS)

Not confirmed — contact your council

Our directory lists 3 MLAK-accessible toilets and 6 Changing Places facilities in Tasmania.

We could not verify the current process for Tasmania. No statewide Tasmanian Government MLAK scheme was found, and the council pages that describe local Hobart and Launceston arrangements blocked our checks, so we will not state their terms.

The route we can stand behind in Tasmania is the MLAA national order form or a participating MLAA locksmith. If you live in Tasmania, contact your council directly and ask specifically whether they issue permanent keys, loan keys to visitors, or simply refer you to a locksmith.

Browse: all Tasmania areas · Hobart · Launceston

Northern Territory (NT)

Free from City of Darwin

Our directory lists 1 MLAK-accessible toilet and 2 Changing Places facilities in Northern Territory.

City of Darwin issues MLAK keys free of charge. You can apply using the online form on the City of Darwin website or in person at City of Darwin Customer Service, then collect the key from the Civic Centre on Harry Chan Avenue during business hours.

Darwin accepts a Disability Card, a Disability Parking Permit, a letter from your doctor, or a letter from a recognised disability organisation as evidence. We could not verify equivalent published schemes for other Northern Territory councils, so outside Darwin you should check with your council or order from MLAA.

Browse: all Northern Territory areas · Darwin City · Alice Springs

Australian Capital Territory (ACT)

No territory scheme found

Our directory lists 5 MLAK-accessible toilets and 4 Changing Places facilities in Australian Capital Territory.

We could not confirm any ACT Government or territory-wide MLAK scheme. The only route we can verify for Canberra is the MLAA national order form or an MLAA business member.

A frequently cited ACT Changing Places listing that set out which Canberra venues require a key is no longer online — the domain is now parked — so we are not repeating its facility-by-facility claims. If you need a particular Canberra venue, contact it directly: some Changing Places rooms are unlocked during opening hours or offer staff-assisted access rather than requiring your own key.

Browse: all Australian Capital Territory areas · Greenway · Parkes

MLAK and Changing Places

A Changing Places facility is not the same thing as a standard accessible toilet. It is a larger room built for people with high support needs, typically including an adult-sized height-adjustable change table, a ceiling hoist, a peninsula toilet reachable from both sides, and enough floor space for a wheelchair user plus two carers.

MLAK is the main system used to keep those rooms secure while still available to the people who need them, which is why the Victorian, South Australian and Western Australian free-key offers are all framed around Changing Places access. Your key opens a Changing Places room where that room has an MLAK cylinder.

Do not assume a key is always required. Plenty of Changing Places facilities sit inside museums, stadiums, shopping centres and aquatic centres and are simply unlocked during opening hours, or opened by staff on request. Check the specific facility listing, and if in doubt, ring the venue.

MLAK is not a RADAR key

This trips people up constantly, in both directions. The UK equivalent of MLAK is the RADAR key, also called the National Key Scheme or NKS key, and the two are not interchangeable. They are different schemes using different lock hardware. A UK RADAR key will not open an Australian MLAK cylinder, and an Australian MLAK will not open a UK NKS lock. The Radar Key Company treats the Australian MLAK as an entirely separate product for exactly this reason.

If you are visiting Australia from the UK, your RADAR key is of no use here and you will need an MLAK. If you are an Australian travelling to Britain, the reverse applies. Europe and Ireland run further separate schemes again — there is no single international accessible-toilet key.

Frequently asked questions

What is an MLAK key?
MLAK stands for Master Locksmiths Access Key. It is a single restricted key, administered by the Master Locksmiths Association of Australasia, that opens any Australian facility fitted with the MLAK lock cylinder — locked accessible public toilets, Changing Places facilities, Liberty Swings, some railway station lifts and various national park and council amenities.
How much does an MLAK key cost in Australia?
The MLAA order form states that the price of the MLAK increased to $64 excluding GST from 1 July 2025. Prices from individual locksmiths and councils differ, and several councils issue keys free to eligible local residents, so this figure is the national order price rather than a universal one. Checked 28 July 2026.
Who is eligible for an MLAK key?
The MLAA restricts eligibility to people who have a disability, or who have written authority from a doctor, a disability organisation, a community health centre, or the owner or manager of a building with an accessible toilet. Councils and locksmiths issuing keys over the counter commonly ask to see a Disability Card, a Mobility or Disability Parking Permit, a doctor’s letter, or a letter from a disability organisation.
Can I get a free MLAK key?
Yes, in some circumstances. Victorian and South Australian Companion Card holders can claim one free MLAK through their state government’s partnership with the MLAA. In Western Australia, National Disability Services has offered Companion Card holders a free key, though we could not confirm that offer is still open. Several councils, including Penrith and Camden in NSW and City of Darwin in the NT, issue free keys to eligible local residents.
Does a UK RADAR key work in Australia?
No. A RADAR key opens locks in the United Kingdom’s National Key Scheme and will not open an Australian MLAK cylinder. The reverse is also true: an MLAK will not open a UK RADAR lock. The two schemes are separate systems with different lock hardware, so travellers need the key that matches the country they are in.
Do I need an MLAK key for every Changing Places facility?
No. An MLAK opens a Changing Places room where that room has been fitted with an MLAK cylinder. Some Changing Places facilities sit inside venues and are unlocked during opening hours, or are opened by staff on request. Check the individual facility listing and its opening hours before you travel.

Find MLAK toilets near you

Once you have a key, the next problem is knowing where it works. Use the finder to filter for MLAK access and accessible facilities in your area, or jump straight to a city.

Open Toilet Finder

Sources

Every claim above about eligibility, cost or application process traces to one of these sources, checked on 28 July 2026. Facility counts come from our own database. See our data sources and editorial policy for how we verify and correct information. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.