Five jurisdictions, five slightly different pieces of paper. The common thread is that a licensed electrician records and lodges proof that the work was completed and tested. Details such as forms, deadlines and portals are set by each regulator and change, so use this as a map and confirm with the regulator before relying on a timeframe.
At a glance
| Place | Document | Regulator or recipient | Reported timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Australia | Certificate of compliance (eCoC) | Office of the Technical Regulator | Copy to the customer within 30 days |
| Western Australia | Notice of completion, plus electrical safety certificate to the customer | Network operator and Building and Energy | About three days for the notice |
| Tasmania | Certificate of electrical compliance | The state electrical regulator | About three days from energising |
| Northern Territory | Certificate of compliance (CoC) | NT WorkSafe electrical safety | Under the Electrical Safety Act 2022 |
| ACT | Certificate of Electrical Safety (CES) | Access Canberra | About 14 days |
Timings are as reported at the time of writing.
South Australia
SA uses an electronic certificate of compliance. The electrician lodges it for the work, and the customer must get their copy within 30 days of completion. SA Power Networks runs the connection application separately. See network by network.
Western Australia
WA’s licensed electrical contractor submits a notice of completion to the network operator, Western Power in the Perth region, after finishing and testing the work, and gives the owner an electrical safety certificate. Building and Energy sets out the rules for small-scale renewable installations. The state’s battery scheme is active and requires VPP participation; see the WA battery scheme.
Tasmania
The electrician signs a certificate of electrical compliance when work is complete and lodges it with the state electrical regulator shortly after energising. TasNetworks handles the grid connection.
Northern Territory
Electrical work, new or altered, has to be recorded on a certificate of compliance under the NT’s Electrical Safety Act 2022, which commenced on 1 July 2024. The licensed electrician completes it, and Power and Water has its own connection requirements.
ACT
The electrician submits a Certificate of Electrical Safety to Access Canberra, reported to be within 14 days of the work. The ACT also has an inspection process for solar and battery installs. Evoenergy takes the connection application.
How these fit with STC claims
None of these certificates is a registry field in a federal STC claim. They sit on the state side of a job, while the Clean Energy Regulator looks at accreditation, product eligibility, serials, photos and timing. But an unlawful installation weakens a claim, and the certificate belongs in the same job file. For the direct question see do I need a state certificate to claim STCs.
From the desk: keep a one-page list of every state you work in with the certificate name, portal link, deadline and the date you last checked. Update it each quarter.
What this means for installers
If you work across borders, standardise the close-out: certificate lodged, reference saved, copy to customer. Then lodge the STC claim with a complete file. See STC trading, how it works and the resources hub. NSW, Victoria and Queensland have their own pages: NSW, Victoria and Queensland.