Photo: Anzac Hill © DaHuzyBru (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
NT WorkSafe · electrical safetyCompliance, made simple
Certificates of Compliance (CoCs), licence checks and the NT electrical safety rules, explained straight, with links to the official NT WorkSafe sources.
When is a CoC required?
Under the NT Electrical Safety Act 2022 (in force since 1 July 2024; the like-for-like exemption below commenced 1 January 2026), a licensed electrician must certify electrical work with a Certificate of Compliance, with one key exception introduced in 2026.
✓ CoC required
- • New installations, new circuits, points, switchboards
- • Alterations, anything changing the load, position or function
- • Upgrades, e.g. a bigger air-conditioner, an induction cooktop on a higher draw, a fan where a light was
- • New-circuit work like EV chargers and solar
✗ CoC not required (since 1 January 2026)
- • Like-for-like replacements, a new fitting or appliance of the same kind, in the same location
- • No change to supply conductors or circuit protection
- • Repairs as defined by AS/NZS 3000 (cl 1.9.3)
- • …but we'll still provide one if you ask, your right under the rules
Source: NT WorkSafe, Certificate of Compliance guidance and the 2026 like-for-like technical update. Always current rules at worksafe.nt.gov.au.
Official NT WorkSafe links
Lodge / view CoCs online ↗
NT WorkSafe's official online Certificate of Compliance system.
CoC rules & guidance ↗
When certificates are required and who must complete them.
Check an electrical licence ↗
Verify any NT electrical worker or contractor licence, including ours.
Your certificate arrives with your invoice
You never need to chase us for compliance paperwork. Wherever a job requires a Certificate of Compliance, it's delivered with your invoice at job completion, automatically. Misplaced a certificate from past work, or want like-for-like work certified anyway? Use the form below and we'll sort it.
Questions and answers
When is a Certificate of Compliance (CoC) required in the Northern Territory?
Under the NT Electrical Safety Act 2022 (in force since 1 July 2024), a licensed electrician must certify electrical work with a Certificate of Compliance. A CoC is required for: new installations, new circuits, points, switchboards; alterations, anything changing the load, position or function; upgrades, for example a bigger air-conditioner, an induction cooktop on a higher draw, or a fan where a light was; and new-circuit work like EV chargers and solar. Source: NT WorkSafe.
When is a Certificate of Compliance NOT required in the NT?
Since 1 January 2026 a CoC is not required for like-for-like replacements, a new fitting or appliance of the same kind, in the same location, where there is no change to supply conductors or circuit protection, and for repairs as defined by AS/NZS 3000 (cl 1.9.3). You can still ask for a certificate anyway; that is your right under the rules. Source: NT WorkSafe.
How do I get a copy of my Certificate of Compliance?
Where a job requires a Certificate of Compliance, Sawtell Contracting NT delivers it with your invoice at job completion, automatically. You never need to chase compliance paperwork. If you have misplaced a certificate from past work, or want like-for-like work certified anyway, request a copy on the compliance page or call 0438 478 116.
How do I check that an NT electrical licence is valid?
NT WorkSafe publishes an online licence check for verifying any Northern Territory electrical worker or contractor licence, including ours, at worksafe.nt.gov.au.
Sawtell Contracting NT Pty Ltd, NT electrical contractor licence C 4385