How to check, start to finish
Ask for the number, in writing
Ask for the licence number of the business you're signing with and the name of the electrician who'll do the work. Most states license the business and the worker separately. A genuine contractor won't mind: in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, WA and the ACT the law already makes them show a licence number in their ads, and the NT joined them on 1 July 2026.
Find your state's register
Use the table below. Search by licence number first, since plenty of business names look alike.
Match the details
The name or business name should match the person quoting you, the licence should be current, and it should cover electrical work. A licence for another trade doesn't cover wiring.
Check the person on the day, too
In Victoria, licensed electricians and registered contractors carry an Energy Safe Victoria ID card, and Energy Safe Victoria says to always ask to see it. In WA, check both numbers: the contractor's starts with EC and the electrician's with EW.
Write it on your quote
Keep the number with your paperwork. It should line up with the certificate you get at the end. In Queensland, for example, the certificate has to show the contractor's licence number.
Where to check, state by state
| Where to look | What to ask for | |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | Service NSW licence check, or Verify NSW | The contractor licence number, which must appear in their ads |
| Victoria | Energy Safe Victoria's Registered Electrical Contractor Register and Licensed Electrical Worker Search | The REC number, and the electrician's ID card |
| Queensland | The Electrical Safety Office, part of WorkSafe Queensland | The electrical contractor licence number from their ad |
| Western Australia | WA Online Licence Search | An EC number for the business and an EW number for the electrician |
| South Australia | Consumer and Business Services Occupational Public Register | The contractor licence, and the worker's registration |
| ACT | Access Canberra's public register of electricians | The licence number and the name recorded on the licence |
| Tasmania | The public register kept for the Administrator of Occupational Licensing (CBOS) | The contractor licence and the practitioner licence |
| Northern Territory | The Electrical Safety Regulator (NT WorkSafe) | The electrical contractor licence number from their ad |
How the NSW and Victorian registers work
Service NSW's licence check lets you search by name, business name, licence number, licence category, ABN or ACN, or by suburb, postcode or council area. Verify NSW is the NSW Government's official site for looking up licence and registration details. If you can't find a licence or can't use the online check, Service NSW says to contact NSW Fair Trading.
Energy Safe Victoria's registers are free and run on live data, though each search asks you to complete a CAPTCHA. Look up the business on the Registered Electrical Contractor Register and the person on the Licensed Electrical Worker Search. The contractor list is also published on DataVic, where you can search it by REC number, business name, suburb or postcode.
In Victoria you hire a Registered Electrical Contractor (REC), and the REC sends a licensed electrician. So the business has to be on the contractor register, not just the person who turns up.
Checking a licence in the other states and territories
Western Australia: Building and Energy's Find a licensed electrician link opens the Online Licence Search at ols.demirs.wa.gov.au/search. Licences are issued by the Electrical Licensing Board, and contractors must show their EC number on ads, vehicles and business cards.
South Australia: Consumer and Business Services licenses electrical contractors and registers the people who physically do the work. Its Occupational Public Register includes a licence search.
Queensland: the Electrical Safety Office runs an online Electrical Licence Search. It says to find the electrician's contractor licence number and check it's current before you agree to any work, and to call the Office on 1300 362 128 if you can't find them. Every contractor's ad has to include their licence number and a statement that they're licensed under the Electrical Safety Act.
ACT: Access Canberra keeps a public register of electricians. It also suggests asking for a certificate of currency for public liability insurance and checking the ABN on the Australian Business Register.
Tasmania: the law requires a public register of licence holders on a website run by or for the Administrator of Occupational Licensing, showing names, business names and business addresses. Licensing runs through Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS).
Northern Territory: the Electrical Safety Regulator keeps a register of electrical licences, including any disciplinary action. We couldn't confirm it can be searched online, so ask NT WorkSafe if a licence number doesn't check out.
Signs something isn't right
- They won't give you a licence number, or only give you an ABN.
- The number belongs to a different name or business.
- The register shows the licence isn't current, or it's for another trade.
- Their ad, website or van has no licence number in a state that requires one.
- In Victoria, the business isn't on the Registered Electrical Contractor Register.
- They offer to work under someone else's licence, with no contractor named on the quote.
What you can check, and what's theirs to do
You can
- Ask for the contractor's licence number and the electrician's name.
- Search the register before you agree to anything.
- Ask for a certificate of currency for their public liability insurance.
- Look up the ABN on the Australian Business Register.
Leave to a licensed electrician
- Every job with fixed wiring, even a single power point.
- Supervising any apprentice who works on your job.
- Testing the work and issuing the compliance certificate.
- Lodging network paperwork for bigger jobs.
If it were our house
We'd look the number up before anyone came out to quote, not after the work's done. Search by number, check the name matches, and make sure the same number lands on your certificate at the end. If something doesn't line up, ask about it. A licensed electrician will have a straight answer.
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.