How long an electrical CoC is valid
A Certificate of Compliance has no expiry date printed on it. It certifies the installation as it was on the day it was tested, and it holds for as long as nothing changes. Two things end that: electrical work done after it was issued, and a property transfer, where a certificate older than two years is not accepted.
Booked call-outs from R750Emergencies from R2,500
Call-out rates
A booked visit goes into the next open slot. An emergency call-out is a separate priority service. Both are paid with a 50% deposit online, and the balance after inspection and your agreement.
| Time | Booked visit | Emergency call-out |
|---|---|---|
| Day07:00 – 18:00 | R750 | R2,500 |
| Night18:00 – 07:00 | R1,200 | R3,500 |
When you need a new one
- The property is being transferred and the certificate is more than two years old
- A circuit, plug point, light or DB board has been added or changed since it was issued
- A geyser, stove, pool pump or gate motor has been replaced and rewired
- Solar, an inverter or a generator changeover switch has been added
- The certificate is lost and the electrician who issued it cannot send you a copy
What the certificate actually covers
The installation on the day
Testing records the state of the installation when it was tested. It is not a warranty on the wiring afterwards.
New work needs new paper
Anything added later sits outside the certificate, and that addition has to be certified in its own right.
Two years for a transfer
Nothing expires on the document itself, but a transfer will not go through on a certificate older than two years.
Who has to hold one
The duty sits with the user or lessor of the installation, which means the owner, or the landlord of a rented property.
Questions
Does an electrical CoC expire?
Not on its own. There is no expiry date on the document. What ends its usefulness is electrical work done after it was issued, or a property transfer where it is older than two years.
Is a five year old CoC still valid?
For the house you are living in, yes, as long as nothing has been changed since it was issued. For a sale, no. A transfer needs one less than two years old.
Do I need a new CoC after adding a plug point?
The new work has to be certified. The simplest route is one certificate covering the installation as it now stands, issued by whoever did the work, so you are left holding a single current certificate instead of a pile of partial ones.
Does the CoC go to the new owner?
Yes. The certificate belongs to the installation, so the buyer receives it at transfer and should keep it safe. Work the new owner then has done needs its own certificate.
Do landlords need a CoC?
The duty to hold a valid certificate sits with the user or lessor, so a landlord should have one for a rented property. Insurers commonly ask to see it when there is a claim involving the electrics.
Who is allowed to issue a CoC?
Only a registered person, registered for electrical installation work with the Department of Employment and Labour. The registration number is on the certificate, and it is worth checking before you pay for one.
Related services
- Certificate of ComplianceInspection, testing and a CoC for selling, renting or after new work.
- What a CoC costsWhat the inspection and certificate cost, and why repairs are priced separately.
- CoC for a property transferWhat the seller has to hand over, and when to book it.
- House rewiringOld or unsafe wiring replaced room by room, finished with a CoC.
We cover Johannesburg, Sandton, Randburg, Roodepoort, Soweto, Midrand, Centurion, Pretoria, East Rand (Ekurhuleni), West Rand. Areas we cover
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