A Fifth DLSM Clasp: What Needs Reviewing on the Full-Size and Ribbon-Bar Sets?

The key change at the fifth clasp: the full-size DLSM keeps clasp bars on the medal ribbon, while the ribbon bar replaces four rosettes with one silver Federation Star.

A fifth clasp to the Defence Long Service Medal (DLSM) is not just another identical update across every format. The entitlement is the same, but the way it is displayed changes depending on whether you are looking at the full-size medal or the ribbon alone.^[1][2]

Defence states that the DLSM recognises 15 years of qualifying service and that a clasp may be awarded for each further five years of efficient service. That means a fifth clasp commonly corresponds with the 40-year service milestone, but the entitlement still needs to be confirmed from the member's actual qualifying service record. Breaks in service and Reserve service requirements can affect the calculation.^[1][3][4][6]

If you already have a saved Rack Builder layout, the safest approach is to treat the fifth clasp as a synchronisation job: confirm the official entitlement first, then review the full-size set and ribbon-bar set separately before you order or remount anything.^[8][9]

Confirm the fifth clasp before changing either set

Do not use a service anniversary by itself as proof that the fifth clasp has been awarded. Defence assesses long-service awards against qualifying service, and its current application process specifically accommodates members with Reserve service, breaks in service or service across more than one branch where an assessment may be required.^[3]

A useful recent example comes from Air Force News. In August 2026, Air Force News reported that nine RAAF aviators who had commenced service together in 1986 had been presented with Federation Stars marking the fifth clasp to their DLSM and 40 years of service. The example shows the milestone clearly, but it should not be used as a shortcut for another person's entitlement.^[6]

For planning purposes, record the Defence outcome, the number of clasps confirmed and any relevant award documentation before editing a digital rack. Rack Builder asks users to have the recipient's award list or service record and clasp details ready, and a saved rack can be changed later when more information becomes available, although saved racks expire after 90 days.^[8][9]

The full-size medal keeps five clasp bars, not a Federation Star

This is the most important visual distinction. Defence's long-service factsheet says the medal ribbon itself continues to be adorned with clasps as appropriate. The Federation Star is not used on the full-size medal ribbon as a substitute for the fifth clasp bar.^[2]

So, once the fifth clasp has been confirmed, a full-size DLSM that previously displayed four clasp bars should be reviewed for a fifth clasp bar. The medal itself remains the DLSM. The fifth clasp does not create a second long-service medal and does not become a separate award in the rack.^[1][4]

If the group is already mounted, this is also the point to check physical spacing. A fifth bar adds hardware to the ribbon above the medal, so the mounter may need to review how the clasps sit together and whether the existing mount has enough room for a clean, secure arrangement.

The ribbon bar changes from four rosettes to one Federation Star

The ribbon bar follows a different rule because it represents clasps with devices. Defence says the first four clasps are shown by rosettes when the ribbon is worn alone. At the fifth clasp, those four rosettes are replaced by a single silver Federation Star.^[1][2]

That means the correct fifth-clasp update is not "four rosettes plus a star". It is a replacement: remove the four-rosette arrangement and use one Federation Star on the DLSM ribbon bar. If a sixth clasp is later awarded, Defence says an additional Federation Star emblem is added, so the ribbon bar would then display two Federation Stars.^[1][2]

Quick rule: five clasp bars on the full-size medal, one Federation Star on the ribbon bar.

Review the Royal Cypher on the new full-size clasp

The fifth clasp is also a good time to check the Royal Cypher on the new clasp bar. Defence describes the clasp as a bar carrying the Royal Cypher between sprigs of wattle. Its current DLSM page says the Queen Elizabeth II Cypher applies to service up to and including 5 May 2023, while the King Charles III Cypher applies to service on or after 6 May 2023.^[1]

This means a long-serving member can potentially have earlier clasp bars with one cypher and a later clasp issued under the succeeding Sovereign. Do not replace older, correctly issued clasps simply to make every bar look identical. Use the clasp actually authorised for the qualifying service and confirm any uncertainty with Defence or the medal mounter.

The DLSM stays in the same place in the order of wear

A fifth clasp recognises further service on the existing DLSM. It is not a new medal that needs a new position in the rack. The Governor-General describes additional five-year periods as being recognised by clasps to the DLSM, while the national Order of Wearing continues to list the DLSM as a single award.^[4][5]

So, if the only change is confirmation of the fifth DLSM clasp, the DLSM normally stays where it already sits within the medal group. You are changing the device information attached to that award, not inserting a new award elsewhere in the sequence.

Update every format from the same confirmed record

The biggest practical risk is ending up with two versions of the same entitlement: a full-size group updated to five clasps while the ribbon bar still shows four rosettes, or a ribbon bar updated to a Federation Star while the full-size medal is still missing the fifth clasp bar.

Use one confirmed record as the source for every format. Rack Builder lets you add the award and clasp details, compare formats and save the rack while information is still being checked. Its support page also provides a pathway to change a saved rack and asks users to include the saved rack reference or order number when seeking help.^[8][9]

If an order is already in production, contact support before assuming a saved-rack edit will automatically change the physical order. Treat the saved design, the order and any already-mounted set as separate things that may each need to be reviewed.

Worked example: moving from four clasps to the fifth

Hypothetical example: Alex already holds the DLSM with four clasps. The full-size medal has four clasp bars, and the ribbon bar has four rosettes. Defence then confirms entitlement to a fifth clasp.

For the full-size set, Alex keeps the DLSM in the same order-of-wear position and adds the fifth clasp bar to the medal ribbon. For the ribbon bar, Alex removes the four rosettes and replaces them with one silver Federation Star. The new full-size clasp is also checked for the appropriate Royal Cypher before mounting.^[1][2][4]

The example explains the display workflow only. It does not establish eligibility for any real person and does not mean every 40-year anniversary automatically creates the fifth-clasp entitlement.

Avoid these five fifth-clasp mistakes

• Putting a Federation Star on the full-size medal ribbon instead of the fifth clasp bar.
• Leaving four rosettes on the ribbon bar and adding a Federation Star beside them.
• Treating the Federation Star as a separate medal or moving the DLSM to a new position in the rack.
• Assuming a calendar anniversary is enough without confirming qualifying service and entitlement.
• Updating only one format and leaving the full-size set, ribbon bar or saved rack inconsistent with the others.

Use a short sign-off checklist before ordering

• Defence has confirmed the fifth DLSM clasp entitlement.
• The full-size DLSM shows five clasp bars, not a Federation Star.
• The ribbon bar uses one Federation Star in place of the first four rosettes.
• The new full-size clasp uses the correct Royal Cypher for the qualifying service.
• The DLSM remains in its existing order-of-wear position unless another award has also changed the rack.
• All saved Rack Builder formats and any physical sets have been reviewed from the same confirmed record.

The fifth clasp is a small entitlement change with a surprisingly visible format difference. Once the Defence decision is confirmed, the simplest rule is to keep the two displays separate in your mind: clasp bars stay on the full-size medal ribbon, while the ribbon bar moves from four rosettes to a Federation Star. Review both formats together and the rack stays consistent.^[1][2]

For the full rosette and Federation Star progression from the first clasp onwards, see our guide to DLSM rosettes and Federation Stars.

Ready to review the updated group? Open Rack Builder and update the saved rack after the clasp entitlement is confirmed.