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 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
To apply for an electrical contractor licence you need to submit a Form 18 - Application for a Queensland electrical contractor licence (PDF, 0.21 MB).
Qualified persons
You will need to provide details of the nominated QTP and QBP for the licence, indicating how they meet eligibility. The eligibility requirements are found on the relevant application form.
The nominees need to sign the relevant declaration.
Ensure you provide copies of identity documents where required for QBPs and copies of any documents required as per the application form.
NOTE: If you are nominating more than one QTP or QBP you will need to provide separate details for each nominee.
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 parties
You can also authorise others to act on your behalf for matters relating to the licence, for example the QBP or Office Manager. Please provide details of any authorised parties you wish to nominate.
A nominated authorised party will remain authorised until the original licence applicant provides written advice, such as an email, to the Electrical Safety Office to remove that party.
Lodging your application
To lodge your application follow the instructions on the form. The preferred lodgement method is by email.
You will also need to pay the applicable fee.
Payment can be made by cheque, money order or by credit card. Refer to the application form for further information on payment methods.