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You are here: Home / Electricity Professionals / Certificates Of Electrical Safety (COES) / The COES system explained

The Certificate of Electrical Safety system explained

A certificate of electrical safety must be purchased for all electrical installation work and issued at the completion of that work. There are three types of certificate:

    1. prescribed
    2. non-prescribed
    3. periodic

      Inspections of completed electrical installation work

      All prescribed electrical installation work must be inspected by a licensed electrical inspector on completion. The responsible person must arrange for the inspection of all prescribed electrical installation work before the work is connected to electricity supply or used.


      Prescribed and non-prescribed installations

      Non-prescribed electrical installation work may be subject to a random audit by ESV.


      A COES can be purchased by phone, post or in person. Once purchased they are recorded against your licence number and non-transferable.



      About the ESV Telephone Computer System (IVR)

      ESV runs a convenient phone system that allows you to purchase and lodge certificates. Read sections 4 and 5 in this Handbook for more information on the IVR system.



      Lodging COES?

      If you are responsible for electrical installation work, you must ensure that:


      • After the work is completed, the electrician gives you his/her completed and signed certificate of compliance.
      • The certificate of compliance is lodged on the ESV IVR
      • Inspection by a licensed electrical inspector is arranged (for prescribed work).
      • The licensed electrical inspector gives you the completed and signed certificate of inspection and lodges the certificate on the IVR (for prescribed work)
      • Copies of the certificate of inspection are distributed to the customer and ESV.

      Non-compliant work

      Where work has been inspected and found to be non-compliant, a copy of the certificate must still be forwarded to the ESV.
      If you arrange for the defect(s) to be remedied, you must produce a new certificate and arrange for a new audit at no cost to the customer.


      What penalties apply if you don’t comply?

      The Act provides for penalties ranging up to $5,000 for the following -

      • unlicensed work
      • failure to give a certificate of electrical safety
      • any work found non-compliant on inspection or audit.The Act also provides for a penalty of up to $25,000 for a body corporate for failure to be registered or insured