What are the child safety rules for blind and curtain cords in Australia?
Australia has two mandatory national safety standards for blinds and curtains with cords or chains, because a loose loop can strangle a young child. A business that installs one in a home must fit it so that a loose cord cannot form a loop of 220mm or longer at less than 1,600mm above the floor.
This is a summary of the installation standard as read on the Federal Register of Legislation, legislation.gov.au, on 6 October 2026. It is general information, not legal advice.
What the installation standard says
The Competition and Consumer (Corded Internal Window Coverings) Safety Standard 2014 began on 1 January 2015. It applies to installations carried out in trade or commerce in domestic dwellings, other than caravans, mobile homes and boats. A cord means any rope, strap, string, chain, line or wire used to work the covering, so the chain on a roller blind and the cord on a curtain track both count.
- A loose cord must not be able to form a loop 220mm or longer at less than 1,600mm above floor level.
- The covering must be installed following its installation instructions, using the components they specify for cord safety.
- A cleat used to secure a cord must be at least 1,600mm above floor level.
- A cord guide, such as a tension device, may sit lower than 1,600mm only if it stays firmly fixed under a pull of 70 newtons in any direction for 10 seconds, and the cord is secured or tensioned so it cannot form a loop 220mm or longer.
- The installer must attach a label with the name and contact details of the person or company responsible for the installation, and leave any warning label or swing tag on the cord.
A separate national standard for suppliers, made in 2010 and still in force (number F2010L01930 on legislation.gov.au), requires a corded blind or curtain to be supplied with a warning label on any retail packaging, a warning tag on the cord, installation instructions, and any parts those instructions say are needed for cord safety.
In Victoria, since 1 December 2025, rental providers and agents must make sure the internal window coverings in a home they advertise or let have anchors fitted to secure the cords.
What to check at home
- Look for any cord or chain that hangs in a loose loop within a small child's reach.
- Check that tension devices and cleats are fixed firmly and are being used.
- Keep cots, beds and furniture a child can climb away from windows with cords.
- Blinds and curtains fitted before the standards began may have loose cords. A retailer or installer can fit safety devices.
Avoiding cords altogether
A wand on a hand drawn curtain, and a motor on a blind or a curtain track, have no cord or chain loop.
If you have corded blinds or curtains and are not sure they are safe, ask a blind or curtain retailer or installer to check them and fit the right devices. Speedy Blinds makes for retailers and does not install.
Other ways people ask this
Are blind cords illegal in Australia?
No. Cords and chains are allowed. A business installing them in a home must fit them so a loose loop of 220mm or longer cannot form below 1,600mm above the floor.
How high must a blind cord cleat be?
At least 1,600mm above the floor.
Do the rules apply to curtains as well as blinds?
Yes. They cover curtains, blinds and corded tracks used inside a home.
Who has to make the cords safe?
The business that supplies the blind or curtain and the business that installs it. The 2010 standard binds suppliers and the 2014 standard applies to installations carried out in trade or commerce. A person fitting blinds in their own home is not installing in trade or commerce, but the same heights are the safe ones to follow.
This answer is general information. For your own windows, your retailer's advice and your order with them come first.
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