An electrical certificate of compliance (CoC) certifies that a fixed electrical installation conforms to the required standard. It is issued under the Electrical Installation Regulations made under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993, and only a registered person may issue one.
Its most familiar use is on the sale of a property, where the seller must hand a valid certificate to the buyer. It is also required when an installation is added to or altered, and it is what an insurer will ask for after an electrical fire.
Business Requirements at a Glance
The requirements attach to the person issuing the certificate, the installation, and the transaction.
- The certificate may only be issued by a registered person — an electrician registered with the Department of Employment and Labour in the appropriate category
- The registered person must have personally inspected and tested the installation
- The installation must comply with the applicable standard, SANS 10142-1
- The certificate must be in the prescribed form, with the test results recorded
- On the sale of a property, the seller must provide a valid certificate to the buyer
- A new certificate is required where the installation is added to or altered
- The certificate covers the installation as it was at the date of inspection
Registration and Legal Requirements
“Registered person” is a specific status, not a synonym for electrician. Categories include installation electrician, master installation electrician and single-phase tester, each permitted to certify different installations. A qualified electrician who is not registered in the correct category may not lawfully issue a certificate for that installation.
Ask for the registration number and category, and verify it. A certificate issued by an unregistered person, or in the wrong category, is invalid — and you discover that when it matters, typically at transfer or at a claim.
The registered person must actually inspect the installation. Certificates issued without inspection are unlawful and are a known problem in the property market, where a certificate is sometimes treated as a document to be obtained rather than a test to be passed. An invalid certificate leaves the seller exposed.
Validity in the property context. The regulations provide that a certificate is generally accepted for a defined period, commonly cited as two years, provided no alterations or additions have been made since. Any alteration requires a new certificate for the altered work. Confirm the current position with the Department of Employment and Labour or your conveyancer.
The certificate covers the fixed installation, not appliances, and there are specific exclusions. Read what the certificate actually covers rather than assuming it certifies everything electrical on the property.
Documents and Ownership Information Required
What a valid certificate and its supporting documentation comprise.
- The certificate of compliance in the prescribed form
- The registered person’s name, registration number and category
- The date of inspection and testing
- A description of the installation covered, and any exclusions
- The test report recording the results of the required tests
- The address and details of the premises
- The signature of the registered person
- A copy retained by the registered person, as the regulations require
- For a property sale: the certificate handed to the buyer, and typically a copy to the conveyancer
Tax, Licence and Compliance Requirements
On a property sale the obligation sits with the seller and cannot be contracted away by a clause saying the buyer takes the property as it stands. If defects are found, the seller pays for the remedial work required before a certificate can be issued.
That is why obtaining the certificate early in a sale matters. Discovering major remedial work a week before transfer is expensive and delays the transaction.
Related certificates are often confused with it. A gas certificate of conformity is required for gas installations, issued by an authorised person registered under the applicable framework. An electric fence system certificate of compliance is required where an electric fence is installed, and it is separate from the electrical CoC. A plumbing certificate is required by some municipalities on transfer, notably in Cape Town. Each is a different certificate from a different qualified person.
Insurance consequences are real. Insurers commonly require a valid certificate and may investigate compliance after an electrical fire. An installation that was non-compliant, or a certificate that was invalid, can affect a claim.
Additions and alterations require certification of the altered work. Installing a solar system, adding a distribution board, or rewiring a section all trigger this — and a solar installation additionally engages the requirements for embedded generation.
Process, Deadlines and Ongoing Obligations
Appoint a registered person, verify the registration number and category before work begins, and obtain the certificate with its test report rather than a certificate alone.
If you are selling, arrange the inspection early. If you are buying, ask to see the certificate and the test report, check the date and category, and satisfy yourself that no alterations have been made since it was issued.
- Verify the registration number and category with the Department of Employment and Labour
- Insist that the registered person inspects and tests personally
- Obtain the test report, not just the certificate
- Arrange the inspection early in a property sale, not at transfer
- Get a new certificate for any addition or alteration
- Remember that gas, electric fence and plumbing certificates are separate
- Keep the certificate and test report with your property documents
- Confirm current validity rules with the department or your conveyancer
Frequently Asked Questions
Who may issue an electrical CoC?
Only a person registered with the Department of Employment and Labour in the appropriate category, who has personally inspected and tested the installation.
How long is it valid?
It is generally accepted for a defined period, commonly cited as two years, provided no alterations or additions have been made. Any alteration requires certification of the altered work.
Who pays on a property sale?
The seller must provide a valid certificate, and pays for any remedial work required to obtain it. That obligation cannot be avoided by a voetstoots clause.
Does it cover gas and electric fencing?
No. Gas installations and electric fence systems require their own separate certificates from appropriately qualified and registered persons.
Certification requirements, registration categories, validity periods and the applicable standard are set in the Electrical Installation Regulations and SANS 10142-1 and are amended. Confirm current requirements with the Department of Employment and Labour.