Before an electrician starts work on your home in Victoria, take a few minutes to check their licence. Energy Safe Victoria (ESV) licences electrical workers and registers electrical contractors, and it publishes free public registers you can search online.
This guide covers who needs what, how to search, what to look for and what paperwork you should get when the job is done.
Who licences electricians in Victoria?
Energy Safe Victoria licences electrical tradespeople and registers businesses that contract for electrical work. Builders and plumbers in Victoria are handled separately by the Building and Plumbing Commission, so an electrician check is a different search from a builder registration check.
ESV explains that you must engage a Registered Electrical Contractor (REC) for electrical installation work. The REC then sends a licensed electrician to do the work.
Worker licence vs contractor registration
Victoria splits electrical licensing into two main pieces, and you should usually check both:
- Licensed Electrical Worker (LEW): the person doing the work. An Electrician's licence (A Grade) lets someone carry out electrical installation work without supervision as an employee. On its own, that licence does not let them contract with you for profit or reward.
- Registered Electrical Contractor (REC): the business (or person) you hire. Energy Safe Victoria says a person in the business of electrical contracting, or offering to contract, must be registered as an electrical contractor, as explained on its Registered Electrical Contractors page.
In short: the business quoting you should be a REC, and the person on site should hold a current electrician's licence. A sole trader may hold both.
Step 1: Get the details
Ask for:
- the REC registration number for the business on the quote
- the licence number and name of the electrician who will do the work
Many electrical businesses show their REC number on quotes, invoices, vans and websites. Energy Safe Victoria also says an REC must display their REC number on advertisements, notices or statements that offer electrical contracting work.
If someone won't give you a number for electrical installation work, treat that as a red flag and don't let work start.
Step 2: Search Energy Safe Victoria's public registers
Go to Energy Safe Victoria's Search a public register page. From there you can open the Licensed Electrical Worker search and the Registered Electrical Contractor register. The page notes that the results come from live ESVConnect data, and that after you click through you'll need to complete a CAPTCHA.
Search the contractor by REC number or business name, and search the worker by licence number or name. Open the matching records.
You can also browse the public Registered Electrical Contractor listing on DataVic by REC number, business name, suburb or postcode, then confirm the live result on ESV's own registers.
Step 3: Read the results carefully
On each record, check:
- Status: Is the licence or registration current? Expired, suspended or cancelled records mean that person or business shouldn't be doing that work.
- Name: Does it match the person or business on your quote?
- Type: Does the worker hold an electrician's licence that covers the work? Is the business listed as a REC?
- Conditions: Are there any conditions that limit what they can do?
Step 4: Do the other checks
A licence check is essential, but it's not the only step:
- ABN: Look up the business on ABN Lookup and make sure it matches the quote.
- Insurance: Ask whether the business holds public liability insurance and ask to see evidence.
- Written quote: Get the scope, materials, labour, GST and any certificate fees in writing.
- Reviews: Look for genuine reviews across more than one place, and ask about recent similar jobs.
After the work: Certificate of Electrical Safety
Whenever electrical installation work is completed in Victoria, the electrician must issue a Certificate of Electrical Safety (COES). Energy Safe Victoria explains that a COES is a legal document recording the work, and that you are entitled to a copy, on its Certificates of Electrical Safety for the community page.
There are two main types:
- Non-prescribed work (for example lights, power points, air conditioning or hot water services in many cases): a copy is generally provided within 30 days.
- Prescribed work (for example consumer mains, main switchboard, meter box and main earthing system, or renewable energy and battery systems): an independent Licensed Electrical Inspector must inspect the work, and a copy is generally provided within 4 days after that inspection. Prescribed work should not be left turned on until it has been inspected.
Ask for the COES when the job is booked, and keep it with your home records. It can matter for insurance, future work or when you sell. If the contractor refuses to provide one, Energy Safe Victoria says you can report a safety issue or non-compliance.
What if the licence doesn't check out?
If you can't find the REC or the electrician, the names don't match or the status isn't current, don't go ahead. Ask them to explain. If you're still not satisfied, find someone else.
If you have concerns about unsafe or unlicensed electrical work, contact Energy Safe Victoria. If something is unsafe right now, stop using the affected circuit or appliance and call a licensed electrician through a Registered Electrical Contractor.
Keep good records
Keep a simple folder for every electrical job: the quote, the REC and licence screenshots, invoices, photos before and after, and the Certificate of Electrical Safety. Note key dates. If a problem comes up later, good records make it much easier to sort out with the business, your insurer or the regulator.
Find an electrician
Browse electricians near you, or see electricians in Melbourne. For other states and territories, see our guide to checking a tradie's licence across Australia.
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Frequently asked questions
Who licences electricians in Victoria?
Energy Safe Victoria licences electrical workers and registers electrical contractors. Builders and plumbers are checked separately with the Building and Plumbing Commission.
What's the difference between a REC and an electrician's licence?
A Registered Electrical Contractor is the business you hire. An electrician's licence covers the person doing the work. For contracting work, you generally need a REC, and the person on site should hold a current worker licence.
Where do I check a Victorian electrician online?
Use Energy Safe Victoria's Search a public register page. You'll need to complete a CAPTCHA after you open each register.
Do I get a Certificate of Electrical Safety after the work?
Yes. Energy Safe Victoria says a Certificate of Electrical Safety must be issued for electrical installation work, and you should receive a copy. Timing depends on whether the work is prescribed or non-prescribed — check ESV's consumer COES page for the current rules.
Should I ask to see the licence card on the day?
Yes. Energy Safe Victoria advises asking to see the tradesperson's Victorian electrical licence before work starts, and not letting anyone begin if they won't show it.
This guide is general information only, not legal or financial advice. Rules change, so check the official sources linked above for your state.