ELECTRICIANS AND SOLAR INSTALLERS

Electrical contractor registration with the department

Regulation 6 of the Electrical Installation Regulations says no person may do electrical installation work as a contractor unless registered with the Chief Inspector, every year. The form is two pages. What sends it back is a missing certified copy, a registered person who is not listed, a business that does not match its CIPC record, or the wrong fee. We do the form, the checks and the lodging, and we diarise the renewal so next year does not lapse.

R690our fee · department’s registration fee paid to the department on top · lodged within 3 working days of your documents

Annexure 3the contractor application, and Annexure 5 for a registered person, both included

Every yearthe contractor registration is annual; we send the reminder a month ahead

R240 / R480the contractor and registered person fees since 2022, confirmed with your provincial office before you pay

What actually goes wrong

No full-time registered personThe Chief Inspector may only register a business that employs a registered person full time or whose owner is one. An application that names a part-time or freelance registered person is refused.
Uncertified copiesThe form asks for certified copies of the applicant’s ID, each registered person’s ID, the business registration and both sides of each registration certificate. Plain photocopies are sent back.
A trading name with no legal entity behind itThe form wants the registered name, the trading name and the business registration number, and they must agree with CIPC.
The wrong feeThe forms still print R120; the fee was raised in 2022. Paying the printed amount leaves the application short and unprocessed.

What you get for R690

Annexure 3 completedThe contractor application, with every registered person employed full time listed with their registration type and number.
Annexure 5 where neededIf the owner or an employee still has to register as an electrical tester for single phase, installation electrician or master installation electrician, we complete that application from their trade and training history, with the testimonials and photographs the form requires.
The certified copies listExactly what to certify and where, so the pack is complete first time.
The fee confirmedWe confirm the current amount and the banking reference with your provincial office and give you the payment instruction.
Lodged and trackedSubmitted to the correct provincial office and followed until the registration number is issued, then kept in your portal.
Renewal diarisedA reminder a month before the annual renewal, with the renewal form ready.

How it works

1Order and answer the short formBusiness details, province, who the registered persons are and what they hold, and whether anyone still needs to register.
2We prepare the applications and the copies listWithin three working days, with the fee confirmed.
3You sign and certify, we lodgeYou sign, get the copies certified and pay the department. We lodge and chase it to the registration certificate.

Not sure this is the right one for you? Ask us first and you get a written answer within one business day.

What we will need from you

ID of the applicant and of each registered person, to be certified
CIPC registration documents, or your ID if you are a sole proprietor
Each registered person’s certificate of registration, both sides, with the number and date issued
For a new registered person application: the trade test certificate, unit standard results, apprenticeship contract number if any, employer testimonials and two 40 mm by 30 mm photographs
The business address and telephone, which the regulation requires to be fixed

Frequently asked questions

Can you register me as a registered person if I have not passed the trade test?

No. Regulation 11 requires the Chief Inspector to be satisfied that you have sufficient knowledge of the installation rules and appropriate practical experience for the category. That means the trade test and the relevant unit standards. We prepare and lodge the Annexure 5 for someone who has them; if you do not, we tell you before you pay and what the route is.

What does the department charge?

The regulations set R120 per application in 2009. The Electrical Contractors Association reports the July 2022 fee amendment raised the contractor’s annual fee to R240 and the registered person’s fee to R480. We confirm the current figure with your provincial office before you pay it; it is paid to the department, not to us.

How long does the department take?

We lodge within three working days of receiving your certified copies. The provincial offices vary; allow a few weeks and do not take on installation work as a contractor until the registration is issued, because working unregistered is an offence under regulation 15.

Does the registration need renewing?

The contractor registration is annual under regulation 6(2). We diarise it and send you the renewal reminder a month before. The registered person’s certificate does not have an annual renewal in the regulations, but you must tell the Chief Inspector of any change within 14 days.

Certificate of compliance guide→ SSEG registration lodged R890→ COIDA registration R690→ CIDB registration R1 490→

We prepare and lodge the application under your written authority. The Chief Inspector decides whether to register, and the department’s fees are separate. Sources: the Electrical Installation Regulations, 2009, regulations 6, 11 and 14 and Annexures 3 and 5; the Electrical Contractors Association’s 2022 fee notice. This is information, not legal advice.