Certificate of Electrical Safety in Victoria
What a Certificate of Electrical Safety is in Victoria, who issues it, which jobs need an inspection, the deadlines, and how to find an old one for a Sale home.
A Certificate of Electrical Safety (COES) is the legal record that electrical installation work at your property was done and tested. In Victoria the registered electrical contractor or licensed electrician who did the job issues it and gives copies to you and to Energy Safe Victoria. For higher risk work, such as a new main switchboard, an independent licensed electrical inspector must also check the job, and the power stays off until that is done.
Who issues the certificate, and who gets a copy?
According to Energy Safe Victoria’s certificate page for consumers, a COES is a legal document issued by a registered electrical contractor (REC) or a licensed electrician. They must give a copy to:
- you, the customer
- Energy Safe Victoria
- any other party the type of work requires
People who are not registered or licensed cannot buy or lodge certificates, which is one more reason to check a business before it starts. The electrician must also finish and test the work before certifying it. An REC or electrician cannot refuse to issue a certificate for any reason, and that includes an argument about payment or a contract dispute. If one will not arrange a required inspection or hand over a certificate, Energy Safe treats it as a safety or compliance issue you can report.
Is your job prescribed or non-prescribed?
Every job falls into one of two groups, and the group decides whether an inspector comes out and how quickly you get your copy.
| Prescribed work | Non-prescribed work | |
|---|---|---|
| Examples | Main switchboard, meter box, consumer mains, main earthing, motor generator installations, solar and battery systems | Lights, power points, air conditioning, hot water services |
| Independent inspection | Yes, by a licensed electrical inspector | No |
| Can it be used straight away? | Not until it has been inspected | Yes, once complete |
| Who books the inspection | The REC or electrician, not Energy Safe | Not applicable |
| Inspection timing | Within 8 business days of the work being finished | Not applicable |
| When your copy is due | 4 days after the certificate is finished, once inspected | 30 days |
So a household job such as a new switchboard upgrade carries an inspection, while adding a power point or swapping a light fitting does not. Both still need a certificate.
Some jobs mix the two. A solar or battery system is prescribed, and if the installer also adds a couple of power points on the same visit, those parts are non-prescribed. Ask the electrician how the work will be certified and whether you will receive one certificate or more, so you know what to look for when the paperwork arrives. Rural properties around Sale add another case: motor generator installations are on the prescribed list, so ask whether any planned generator work on your farm falls into that group before you accept the quote.
How do you know the inspection really happened?
On prescribed work, the certificate has a Certificate of Inspection section that names the inspector. Energy Safe suggests you confirm that the person named actually attended your property. Being home for the inspection, or asking the electrician when it is booked, is the simplest way. Energy Safe also keeps a Licensed Electrical Inspector register you can search, though it sits behind a CAPTCHA.
If the electrician switches prescribed work on before the inspection and tells you it will be done later, ask why. Energy Safe’s position is that prescribed work cannot be turned on, or left on, until it has been inspected.
What can an electrician charge for the certificate?
Two separate amounts can appear on your bill:
- The purchase amount. RECs can pass on what the certificate costs them. That amount is set by law and is exempt from GST.
- A handling fee. The contractor sets this and should explain it to you. GST may apply to the total the contractor charges, and Energy Safe says it cannot advise on GST.
Energy Safe treats overcharging as a contract matter between you and the business, and points customers to Consumer Affairs Victoria for help. The Sale electrician cost guide shows where the certificate and any inspection fee should sit on a quote so you can compare like with like.
How long are certificates kept?
The electrician has to keep a copy for three years. Energy Safe says it will not actively pursue records older than that, so your own copy is the one that matters for the life of the house. Keep it with the contract of sale, the building permit papers and appliance manuals, and scan it so you still have it if the paper goes missing.
How do you find an old certificate when buying or selling in Sale?
An older house in Sale or a farmhouse out towards Maffra or Stratford may have had several owners and several rounds of electrical work. When you buy or sell, it helps to know which jobs were certified. Energy Safe offers three routes:
- Online search. The public COES search covers electronic certificates raised from July 2019 and shows the certificate number only. It is one of the registers listed on Energy Safe’s public registers page.
- An Energy Safe search. For a copy, or for a search Energy Safe carries out, fill in its COES Search Application Form. There is no fee. You need to be the owner, the occupant, the customer for the work, or an authorised agent, and you need to show your link to the property with a council rates notice, a utilities notice or the front and back of a Victorian driver’s licence showing your name and the address. Agents also need proof they are authorised. Processing takes up to 5 business days.
- Freedom of Information. Anyone else can request a certificate through a Freedom of Information request.
If no certificate can be found, Energy Safe says another REC or licensed electrician can check and test the work and issue a new certificate for it. Buyers of older homes or farms can also book an electrical check before settlement, and The Quote Yard’s Gippsland price guide suggests asking the seller for certificates covering recent work, including any solar or battery system.
Does a certificate cover a rental safety check?
No. The certificate search does not cover the electrical safety reports that rental providers need under the Residential Tenancies Regulations 2021. Energy Safe says a COES is not the right form for those periodic checks, but one must still be issued for any electrical repair or maintenance carried out as a result. The rental electrical safety checks page explains the two-yearly check and what the report should show.
What should a homeowner do with the certificate?
A short routine saves trouble later:
- Before work starts, ask the electrician whether the job is prescribed and, if so, who will inspect it.
- Check the business on Energy Safe’s registered electrical contractor register before you accept the quote.
- When the job is done, ask for the certificate number on the day.
- Check your copy arrives within the deadline in the table above.
- Read the description of work on it and make sure it matches what was done.
- File it with the house papers and pass copies to the next owner when you sell.
If a certificate never arrives, ask the business in writing first, then contact Energy Safe.
Who issues certificates for jobs sent through this site?
The electrician responsible for the job, never this website. Enquiries go to independent electrical businesses, which quote, carry out the job and certify it themselves. The about page explains the arrangement and how to look a business up before you agree to anything. If you need work that will come with a certificate, you can start an enquiry for certified electrical work in Sale.
Next step
If you are chasing paperwork for a house you are buying or selling, tell the electrician the address, the approximate dates of past work and any certificate numbers you already have. If you need new work certified, describe the job and whether it touches the switchboard or meter box, so the electrician can say straight away whether an inspection is needed. Then send your certificate or inspection enquiry and ask for the certificate to be listed on the quote.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a Certificate of Electrical Safety for a new power point?
Yes. A power point is non-prescribed work, so it does not need an independent inspection, but Energy Safe Victoria still says to get a certificate for electrical work. Your copy should arrive within 30 days of the job being finished.
- Can an electrician hold back my certificate until I pay the bill?
No. Energy Safe Victoria says a registered electrical contractor or electrician cannot refuse to issue a certificate for any reason, including payment issues or contract disputes. If you cannot get one, you can report it to Energy Safe.
- Can I search for a certificate for work done before 2019?
The online search only covers electronic certificates raised from July 2019. For older work, use Energy Safe's COES Search Application Form if you are the owner, occupant, customer or an authorised agent, or lodge a Freedom of Information request.
- Can a tenant ask Energy Safe for a copy of a certificate?
Yes, if you live there. Occupants are among the people Energy Safe Victoria lists as able to use its COES Search Application Form, along with owners, customers and authorised agents. You will need a document such as a utilities notice or your Victorian driver's licence showing your name and the property address.
- Who arranges the inspection for prescribed work?
The registered electrical contractor or electrician who did the work arranges it with an independent licensed electrical inspector. Energy Safe Victoria does not book inspections, so ask the electrician for the date and check the inspector named on the certificate actually came.