Electrical contractor licences
You must hold an electrical contractor licence to perform electrical work for others as a sole trader, partnership or company.
You can check the status of electrical contractor licence numbers through our online Electrical licence holder search .
Eligibility requirements
Section 48 of the Electrical Safety Regulation 2013 (the ES Regulation) details the eligibility requirements for an electrical contractor licence.
Electrical contractor licences are issued for one year. It is your responsibility to ensure you maintain eligibility requirements throughout this time.
Qualified persons
To be eligible for an electrical contractor licence, applicants need to nominate at least one:
- qualified technical person (QTP) to perform or supervise the electrical work, and
- qualified business person (QBP).
They can be the same person and both are endorsed on the electrical contractor licence.
QTPs and QBPs must be:
- for a licence held by an individual (sole trader); the applicant or an employee of the applicant
- for a licence held by a partnership; a partner or an employee of the partnership
- for a licence held by a company; a director, an executive officer, a member or an employee of the company.
Insurance requirements
You must hold an insurance policy that meets the requirements of Section 51 of the ES Regulation.
The policy must be issued in the legal name of the business applying for the licence, and must include public and products liability with:
- a limit of indemnity of at least $5,000,000, and
- consumer protection insurance of at least $50,000.
The policy must include all of the following:
- liability arising from testing and certification of work in accordance with the ES Regulation
- injury or damage arising from faulty design work performed by you including where you did not charge a specific fee for such design work
- injury or damage arising from incorrect advice including where you did not charge a specific fee for such advice
- goods in your care, custody or control.
It is your responsibility to confirm with your insurer that your policy meets these requirements. When you apply or renew your contractor licence you are required to declare that you have confirmed with your insurer that the insurance policy meets these mandatory requirements.
How to apply
Apply for an electrical contractor licence. Please contact Electrical Licensing on 1300 632 993 regarding application forms.
Please be advised the ESO Electrical Licensing Portal is now live. There may be delays in processing times for licence applications. Thank you for your patience.
To access the ESO Electrical Licensing Portal you will need to verify your identity using aDigital ID. The use of a Digital ID is voluntary please contact us on 1300 632 993 to make an alternative arrangement.
Qualified persons
You will need to provide details of the nominated QTP and QBP for the licence, indicating how they meet eligibility. For eligibility requirements of QTP and QBP, refer to the electrical licensing eligibility guide (PDF, 0.67 MB).
Upon submission of your application, all nominated persons (QTP, QBP and Authorised Persons) will be sent an email to validate their identity and accept their nomination. The nominated qualified persons may also be required to provide evidence of their eligibility. Your application will not proceed until at least one nominated QTP and QBP has confirmed their details and acceptance.
Insurance
You need to provide details of your insurance policy and declare that you have confirmed with your insurer that the policy complies with s51 of the ES Regulation. Consult your insurer or broker if you are unsure.
You do not need to provide a copy of your insurance policy. However the Electrical Safety Office conducts periodic audits to ensure contractors have appropriate insurance. In the event of an audit you will need to provide a copy of your insurance policy or written confirmation from your insurer.
Authorised persons
The person submitting this application and making the declaration must be nominated as an Authorised Person and be either:
- For individual – the applicant
- For a partnership – a partner of the partnership
- For a corporation – a director or executive officer of the corporation
A person can be nominated for more than one role (e.g. QTP, QBP & Authorised Person). Authorised Person/s will have the authority to make changes to the licence.
Upon submission of your application, all nominated persons (QTP, QBP and Authorised Persons) will be sent an email to validate their identity and accept their nomination.
Lodging your application
Apply for an electrical contractor licence
You will also need to pay the applicable fee.
Payment can be made by using your debit or credit card via BPoint.