Electricians must issue a certificate of compliance to the consumer on completion of any electrical work ready for energisation ie the power can be connected to it.
This page outlines the information electricians need to issue certificates of compliance.
If you are a householder or a business using an electrician and want information about certificates of compliance, see
Using a licensed electrician.
On this page:
Issuing electrical certificates of compliance Penalties for non-issue of an electrical certificate of compliance
Where to get electrical certificate of compliance books
Registering your certificate of compliance book Guide to filling out an electrical certificate of compliance Issuing electrical certificates of compliance
Electrical certificates of compliance should be issued for all work carried out on electrical installations, new or existing.
The certificates are legal documents required under the
Electricity Act 1996. Their purpose is to:
- enable self-certification of electrical work
- assure the customer that the work is installed and tested to the appropriate Australian Standard
- protect the electrician by confining the responsibilities to the work they have carried out
- allow the Office of the Technical Regulator to audit installations for adherence to safety and technical standards.
Certificates of compliance books produce two additional copies from the original. Electricians must:
- provide the customer with the original copy
- provide the electricity distributor with the first copy if they are involved in connecting or reconnecting the installation to the distribution network
- keep the third copy for auditing purposes. This copy must be kept for a minimum of five years after the work is completed.
If the primary work was electricity-related but involved gas or plumbing work, use an electrical certificate of compliance and record the gas or plumbing details in the bottom section of the certificate.
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Penalties for non-issue of an electrical certificate of compliance
Penalties for the non-issue of an electrical certificate of compliance include warnings, expiation notices, disciplinary interviews and potential legal action under section 61 of the Electricity Act 1996 with penalties of up to $5000.
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Where to get electrical certificates of compliance books
Books of electrical certificates of compliance are available to licensed electricians and electrical contractors at no cost and can be obtained from the following outlets:
| Outlet | Location |
|---|
| Office of the Technical Regulator | Level 8,
11 Waymouth Street
Adelaide SA 5000 |
| Service SA Customer Service Centres | All locations |
| National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA) | 213 Greenhill Road
Eastwood SA 5063
Tel: 8272 2966 |
| Lawrence & Hanson | All stores |
| MM Electrical | All stores |
| Middendrop | All stores |
| Rexel Australia Pty Ltd | All stores |
| P&R Electrical Wholesalers | All stores |
| CNW Wholesalers | All stores |
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Registering your certificate of compliance book
Certificate of compliance books need to be registered with the Office of the Technical Regulator. You can use the form in the front of the book, then return it by post, fax or email.
To register now online, see Register your certificate of compliance book.
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Guide to filling out an electrical certificate of compliance
The guide to filling out the electrical certificate of compliance below can also be found inside the front cover of each certificate of compliance book.
1. Owner/occupier details
Please include the owner/occupier's name, address and phone number. These details must be completed accurately in full with no abbreviations used for suburb or town names.
2. Date of electrical work
Include the start date and date that the electrical work was made available for energisation.
3. Section A - description of electrical work
It is important that you give a very clear and complete description of the work that you examined and tested.
You are required to keep the electrical certificate of compliance form for five years. This is required by the Electricity Act 1996.
You must include enough detail in the description so that you can identify the work you have carried out now over the next five years.
The description space can also be used to detail any other issues or recommendations made to the customer.
Description examples:
1. New domestic installation - builders supply:
- 4 x 16 mm2 underground consumer mains.
- Metering facilities (domestic and off-peak hot water tariff).
- Main switchboard circuits, provide details of electrical equipment - ie RCD, circuit breakers and fuses.
- Earthing system and equipotential bonding.
- Subcircuit - 1-15A single phase socket outlet on main switchboard
2. Alterations to a domestic installation comprising new consumer mains, relocation of meter from inside to outside, the installation of new switchboard inside and reconnection of existing load:
- 4 x 16 mm2 underground consumer mains.
- Metering facilities (domestic and off-peak hot water tariff). 3 x 16 mm2 metered mains - from meter position to inside switchboard.
- Main switchboard.
- Earthing system and equipotential bonding.
4. Section B - defects observed
This space is provided to record any defects that you have noticed that are not associated with your work and have not been fixed.
5. Certification
This section must be completed with all details and signed by:
- the registered electrical worker who personally carried out the examination and tests before the installation was made available for energisation
- the registered gas fitter or plumber, if applicable, before the installation is made available for connection
- the contractor or authorised person who has a supervisory role.
- If the work is done by a sole operator, that person must sign both the contractors section and registered worker section.
6. Copies
The original is the owner's or occupier's copy. It should be torn out and given to the owner/occupier within 30 days of making your work on the installation available for energisation.
The second copy is the network operator's copy. This should be torn out and given to the network operator if they are involved. The third copy is the contractor's copy. This copy must be kept at the business premises of the contractor or authorised person for at least five years after the installation was made available for energisation. You may be requested to show this copy as part of a safety audit. It may be a valuable record to protect you from future potential litigation.
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More information
Downloads
Electrical certificate of compliance example (PDF 466KB)