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How do I check if an electrician in NSW is licensed?

The short answer

Search the free NSW licence verification service using the licence number or business name. It shows whether the licence is current, what class it is, and any conditions on it.

TradieAnswers editorial · written in-house and sourced to the authorities listed below

Checked against 3 published sources, listed in full at the end of this page. How we source this

New South Wales publishes a free public search that anyone can use. It takes about a minute and it is the single most useful thing a homeowner can do before letting someone start.

What to do

  1. Ask for the licence number in writing, on the quote rather than verbally.
  2. Search the NSW verification service by that number, or by the business name if you do not have a number.
  3. Check the licence is current and has not expired.
  4. Check the class actually covers the work. An electrician's licence does not cover plumbing, and a restricted electrical licence covers only specific tasks.
  5. Check the name matches the person or business you are dealing with, not a related entity.

If it is not there

A licence that does not appear is a reason to stop, not a reason to assume a database problem. The consequences of unlicensed electrical work outlast the job: work without a certificate of compliance can complicate an insurance claim and shows up at sale.

Sources

Every source below was fetched and its response recorded on the date shown. Where a government site blocks automated clients, that is noted rather than reported as a successful check.

  1. Verify.Licence · NSW GovernmentChecked 2026-08-10 · responded 200 OK
  2. Electricians · NSW GovernmentChecked 2026-08-10 · responded 200 OK
  3. NSW Fair Trading · NSW Fair TradingChecked 2026-08-10 · responded 200 OK

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