How to check an electrician is registered

Short answerTo check an electrician is registered, search their name or business on electricalcompetentperson.co.uk, which covers every government-authorised scheme in England, or on the NICEIC or NAPIT register they say they belong to. Registration matters because only a registered electrician can self-certify notifiable work such as a new circuit or consumer unit and register it with building control under Part P.

Knowing how to check an electrician is registered takes about two minutes and saves a lot of trouble later. In England, most bigger electrical jobs in a home are covered by Part P of the Building Regulations. A registered electrician can sign that work off themselves and tell building control for you. An unregistered one can't, which can leave you without the certificates you need when you sell, remortgage or let the house.

This guide covers what "registered" actually means, how to check it, what NICEIC and NAPIT are, and what the Part P certificate you get at the end looks like.

What "registered electrician" means in England

There is no single licence for electricians in England. Instead, the government authorises a handful of competent person schemes. An electrician who joins one is assessed on their work and qualifications, then allowed to self-certify that their work meets the Building Regulations.

The two names you will see most often are:

• NICEIC (run by Certsure)
• NAPIT

You may also see older names on paperwork. ELECSA was another Certsure brand, retired from 2021 with its members moved across to NICEIC. Stroma's installer schemes were taken over by NAPIT in 2019. So an older certificate showing ELECSA or Stroma is not a red flag in itself.

There is no meaningful "better" between NICEIC and NAPIT for a homeowner. Both are government-authorised, both assess members, and both let them self-certify. What matters is that the electrician is on one of them, for the type of work you need.

Why it matters: Part P and notifiable work

Under Part P, some electrical work in a home is notifiable, which means building control has to be told about it. According to the Approved Document P guidance and council summaries, the main notifiable jobs are:

• installing a new circuit (for example a new cooker, shower or EV charger circuit)
• replacing a consumer unit (fuse box)
• adding to or altering a circuit in a special location, such as the area around a bath or shower

Smaller jobs, like swapping a light fitting or adding a socket to an existing circuit away from a bathroom, are usually not notifiable. All work must still be done safely to the wiring regulations (BS 7671), whoever does it.

If a registered electrician does notifiable work, they notify building control through their scheme. If someone unregistered does it, the job should go through a building regulations application to the council (Harborough District Council, if you are in Market Harborough) or a registered third-party certifier, arranged before work starts. That costs more and takes longer, and it is often simply skipped, which is the problem.

How to check an electrician is registered: step by step

1. Ask which scheme they belong to. A registered electrician will tell you straight away and is usually happy to show a card or registration number.
2. Search the cross-scheme register. electricalcompetentperson.co.uk lists electricians registered with all the government-approved schemes in England and Wales. Search by business name or postcode.
3. Check the scheme's own register. NICEIC and NAPIT both have "find a contractor" searches. Make sure the business name and address match the person quoting you.
4. Check the scope. Some registrations cover only certain work. Ask whether their registration covers what you want, especially for EV chargers, solar or inspection and testing.
5. Check who will actually do the work. Registration belongs to a business. If they plan to subcontract, ask whether that person works under the same registration.
6. Don't rely on a logo. Logos on vans and websites are easy to copy. The register is the real check.

If you can't find them, ask politely. Sometimes a business trades under a different name from its registered one. If it still doesn't add up, find someone else.

Part P certificates explained

When a registered electrician finishes notifiable work, you should receive two separate things.

1. The electrical certificate

This is the electrician's own record of the work and the test results:

• Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC): for new circuits, rewires and consumer unit changes.
• Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate (MEIWC): for small additions to an existing circuit, such as an extra socket.

Keep these with your house documents. They should be given to you when the job is done.

2. The Building Regulations compliance certificate

For notifiable work, the scheme sends you a Building Regulations compliance certificate, and tells the council. Council guidance says the electrician should notify within 30 days of finishing. This is the document a buyer's solicitor will ask for. If you've had a consumer unit or rewire done and nothing has arrived after a month or so, chase the electrician first, then the scheme.

What about an EICR?

An Electrical Installation Condition Report is different: it is an inspection of the existing wiring, not a certificate for new work. Landlords need one at least every five years. See our EICR guide for landlords in Leicestershire and the typical EICR cost.

Other checks worth doing

Registration tells you someone is competent and assessed. It doesn't tell you they turn up on time or leave the place tidy. Also ask:

• for a written quote listing what is and isn't included (see how to get a good quote from a tradesperson)
• whether they carry public liability insurance
• whether the scheme offers a workmanship warranty if the business stops trading
• for a recent job nearby you could look at or a customer you could speak to

A note on recommendations

Checking the register is the easy part. The harder part is finding someone who is registered and good to deal with, which is why we set this site up after our own renovation in Market Harborough. We pass enquiries to the electrician we used and trust. We're not paid for recommendations. We just pass you to people we trust.

Message us about an electricianFree. We pass you straight to the tradesperson we trust.

If you want to understand prices before you ask, our guides on house rewire costs, consumer unit replacement costs and electrician hourly rates give typical ranges. The exact price always comes from the electrician's own quote. You can also read more about our electrician, or what to do in an electrical emergency.

Quick safety reminders

• If anyone is in danger from electricity, call 999.
• For a power cut, call 105.
• If you smell gas, leave the building and call the National Gas Emergency number on 0800 111 999.