What it does
Pick a state and it'll open the right search: the Service NSW licence check or Verify NSW, Energy Safe Victoria's registers, the WA Online Licence Search, the CBS register in South Australia, or Access Canberra's list of electricians.
It'll also tell you what a valid number looks like there. In Western Australia, contractor numbers start with EC and electricians' numbers with EW. In Victoria, the business has a REC number and the electrician holds a separate licence.
How to use it
Find the number
Electrical contractors must put their licence number in their ads in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and the ACT, and in the Northern Territory since 1 July 2026. Look on their website, van or quote.
Pick the state where the work is
Licensing is run state by state, so the licence that counts is the one for the place your job is.
Look up the business and the person
Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia deal with the contracting business and the individual electrician separately. Check both.
Read the result
The licence should be current, the name should match who you're dealing with, and the category should cover electrical work.
What the answer tells you, and what it doesn't
A match tells you that person or business holds a licence in that state today. It doesn't tell you they're insured, that they're good at your kind of job, or that they'll still be licensed next year. Access Canberra also suggests asking for a certificate of currency for public liability insurance and checking the ABN on the Australian Business Register.
For Tasmania and the Northern Territory, we couldn't confirm how the licence registers work online, so the checker shows what the law says about each register and links to it, instead of guessing.
Our take
Check the licence before anyone comes out, not after the quote arrives. It takes a couple of minutes, and a business that's slow to give you its number has already told you something.
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.