- Who issues it
- The electrician Not us, and not the retailer
- Standard cited
- AS/NZS 3000:2018 In the 2025 amendment regulations
- When your balance is due
- After the CoC Not before
Most of the money in a charger install is labour on your home's fixed wiring, and that work is regulated. The Certificate of Compliance is the piece of paper that proves it was done by someone allowed to do it, and tested. It's also, in our contract, the trigger for your final invoice.
What is a Certificate of Compliance?
A CoC is a written certificate from the person who did the electrical work, stating that the work complies with the electrical safety regulations and the wiring standard. WorkSafe's guidance for consumers is direct about it: when you get electrical work done on fixed wiring, the worker must be registered and licensed, and you must be given a Certificate of Compliance. It isn't optional and it isn't a formality.
Does an EV charger install need one?
Yes. Adding a dedicated circuit to your switchboard and running fixed wiring to a wall-mounted charger is prescribed electrical work. The Electrical Workers Registration Board issued specific guidance on EV charging installations in December 2025, and the Electricity (Safety) Amendment Regulations 2025 cite AS/NZS 3000:2018 as the standard the work is designed and installed to. WorkSafe also publishes EV charging safety guidelines covering the same ground.
What about an ESC?
An Electrical Safety Certificate is a separate certificate that can be required alongside a CoC for certain work, confirming the installation has been tested and is safe to connect. EECA's guidance for people buying a smart charger tells them to make sure they get both. If your job needs one, your electrician issues it with the CoC.
Who issues it, and who doesn't?
The registered electrician who physically did the work issues the certificate, in their own name, with their registration number on it. Not the company that sold you the charger, not the website you bought it through, and not us. We quote and manage the job and hold the contract with you; a registered electrician from our partner installer does every part of the electrical work and signs the certificate. We are not electricians and we do not hold an electrical registration.
Why does our balance invoice wait for the certificate?
Because it's the only unambiguous proof the job is actually finished and tested. Plenty of installers take full payment on the day, or within seven days of the install. We take a $500 deposit up front, and the balance is invoiced once the electrician has issued your CoC and we've had a copy. It costs us cash flow and it's worth it: it means the incentive to finish properly sits with us, not with you chasing it.
What should you do with it?
- Keep it with your house documents. It's the record of the work if you ever sell, insure or claim on the installation
- Check the details are right: your address, the date, the work described, and the electrician's name and registration number
- Keep it with the charger's warranty paperwork, because a warranty claim can turn on the install being compliant
Frequently asked questions
What is a Certificate of Compliance for an EV charger?
A written certificate from the registered electrician who did the work, stating that the installation complies with the electrical safety regulations and AS/NZS 3000. It covers the new circuit in your switchboard and the fixed wiring to the charger.
Who issues the Certificate of Compliance?
The registered electrician who did the work, in their own name and with their registration number. Not the seller, and not us.
Do I legally need one?
Yes. Work on your home's fixed wiring is prescribed electrical work, and WorkSafe is clear that the worker must be registered and licensed and must give you a Certificate of Compliance.
What's the difference between a CoC and an ESC?
A CoC certifies the work complies. An Electrical Safety Certificate certifies the installation has been tested and is safe to connect, and is required alongside a CoC for certain work. EECA advises getting both for a charger install.
Can I install a charger myself?
No. You can plug a portable cable into an existing socket, but hard-wiring a charger and adding a circuit to your switchboard is prescribed electrical work that a registered electrician must do.
What if the electrician doesn't give me one?
Ask for it in writing. It's a legal requirement, not a favour. With us the balance invoice doesn't even go out until we've seen it.