Already started a job yourself? Stop there
Don't switch that circuit back on to see if it works. If you can reach the main switch safely, leave the power off and get a licensed electrician to check what's been done. If you smell burning, see smoke or someone gets a shock, call 000, and don't touch anyone who may still be in contact with the power.
What the regulators actually say
Energy Safe Victoria puts it bluntly: doing your own electrical work is illegal and can also be deadly. It says that holds even for small jobs like changing power points or light switches, and it warns that DIY home battery installations expose households to a serious fire risk.
NSW Fair Trading says that unless you're a qualified electrician, you should never wire any part of your property, or install, replace or move power points, lights, switches or ceiling fans. Ausgrid gives homeowners the same list, with one exception: changing a light globe.
In Western Australia, Building and Energy says no one should work on the electrical installation at a home or business unless they're a licensed electrician.
The rule and the maximum penalty, state by state
| The rule | Maximum penalty | |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | Wiring work must be done by, or under the supervision of, a licensed electrician | Fines of $22,000 for an individual or $110,000 for a company |
| Victoria | Prescribed electrical work needs the right Energy Safe Victoria licence (section 38) | 50 penalty units |
| Queensland | No one may do or supervise electrical work without a licence that covers it | 400 penalty units, at $172.70 per penalty unit from 1 July 2026 |
| Western Australia | Any electrical work needs a licence or permit (regulation 19) | The regulations' general maximum is $50,000 for an individual, unless another penalty is set |
| South Australia | Installing, altering, repairing or maintaining electrical systems needs electrical worker registration | Not confirmed |
| ACT | Electricians must be licensed for any electrical wiring work, and wiring must be tested and reported within 14 days | 50 penalty units for providing the service without a licence (section 84) |
| Tasmania | All electrical work is prescribed work, for licensed people only | 200 penalty units for an individual |
| Northern Territory | You need an electrical work licence to do or supervise electrical work | 500 penalty units, at $194 per penalty unit from 1 July 2026 |
What you can do, and what's licensed work
You can
- Change a light globe, with the light switched off.
- Plug in, unplug and swap plug-in appliances, lamps and extension leads.
- Reset a tripped safety switch or circuit breaker once, and press a safety switch's test button.
- Change the battery in a smoke alarm.
- In Queensland, fit wireless smoke alarms that have a sealed 10-year battery.
Leave to a licensed electrician
- Power points, light switches, light fittings, downlights and ceiling fans, even like-for-like swaps.
- Hardwired smoke alarms, including moving or interconnecting them.
- Anything inside the switchboard or meter box.
- New circuits, EV chargers, ovens, cooktops and home batteries.
The few things the law says aren't electrical work
Queensland and the NT both say plugging in an appliance isn't electrical work, and nor is changing a light bulb or fuse that's designed to be changed by someone without training, as long as it can be done safely. The ACT's list is similar: plugging in, fitting or removing a lamp, or replacing a fuse rated at no more than 30 amps.
Tasmania's regulations leave out plugging in an appliance or extension cord, fitting a plug or socket to an extension cord, and repairing a plug-in appliance that runs at 250 volts or less. WA's exemptions are narrow, such as fitting a plug to an appliance's flexible cord. In NSW, anything plugged into a power point isn't part of the electrical installation at all.
Notice what's missing from every list: the wiring in your walls, the switchboard, and anything fixed to the house. On an old board with rewireable fuses, we'd leave even the fuse to an electrician. A fuse that keeps blowing is a fault, and Ausgrid says to call a licensed electrician straight away when that happens.
Why the certificate matters too
Licensed work ends with testing and a compliance certificate, and only licensed people can issue one. In Victoria, only workers licensed or registered by Energy Safe Victoria can issue a Certificate of Electrical Safety. In NSW, a certificate is needed for any installation or repair, including a like-for-like replacement.
Without that paperwork there's no record anyone tested the work. That matters the day you sell, the day something trips, and the day the next electrician opens up the job to find out what was done.
Our take
Do the plug-in jobs yourself and leave everything else alone. If a job needs a screwdriver anywhere near a wire, it needs a licensed electrician. A couple of power points or a new light fitting is routine for someone who does them every day, and you finish with a certificate showing it was tested.
Want a specialist to sort it?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match the licence-checked local electrician who does this kind of work, and they call you. No ring-around, and your number goes to them alone.