How-to · 2-minute check
How to Check an Electrician Licence
You do not have to take anyone’s word for “licensed.” Singapore has a free public register, and a genuine electrician’s licence is verifiable in about two minutes. Here is exactly how, and what to do if the check does not add up.
- Official EMA ELISE register
- Works for any electrician
- Takes about two minutes
The three-step check
1. Search the ELISE register. Go to elise.ema.gov.sg and search by the electrician’s name or licence number. A current entry confirms EMA has licensed them. If nothing matches the details you were given, that alone is a reason to pause and ask for the correct number.
2. Sight the physical licence card. Ask to see the card and check it carries a photo, name, IC number and licence number, and that they match both the person in front of you and the ELISE entry. A card that is never quite produced is itself the answer.
3. Match the licence class to the job. A Licensed Electrician covers installations up to 45kVA, right for homes and small premises. Only larger commercial or industrial loads need a Technician or Engineer. Make sure the class fits the work, not just that a licence exists.
Reading the licence card
The card is deliberately simple to verify: the photo should match the person, the name and IC number identify them, and the licence number is what you cross-check on ELISE. You are looking for three things to line up, card, person, and register. When they do, you are done; when they do not, you have your answer without needing to be an expert in anything. For the wider decision of who to hire, see how to choose an electrician.
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Describe the job and your area. You will get the licence details to verify on ELISE before any work starts.
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If you see smoke or fire, call SCDF at 995 before anything else.
Licence check FAQs
How do I check if an electrician is certified in Singapore?
Use EMA’s ELISE register at elise.ema.gov.sg. Search by the electrician’s name or licence number; a current entry confirms they are a Licensed Electrical Worker. Then sight the physical licence card and check the licence class matches the size of your job. The whole check takes about two minutes.
How do I check EMA licence status?
The ELISE portal (elise.ema.gov.sg) is the official source. Enter the name or licence number and it returns the licence and its status. If nothing comes up for the details you were given, treat that as a red flag and ask for the correct licence number before any work begins.
What should an electrician’s licence card show?
A genuine LEW licence card carries a photo, the holder’s name, IC number and licence number. Check the photo matches the person and that the name and number match what you find on ELISE. A card that will not be shown, or whose details do not match the register, is a reason to stop.
What is the highest electrician licence in Singapore?
The Licensed Electrical Engineer, which carries no upper load limit. Below it sits the Licensed Electrical Technician (up to 150kVA design and 500kVA operation), and then the Licensed Electrician (up to 45kVA at up to 1,000V). For a home or small premises, a Licensed Electrician is the correct and expected class.
What licence class do I need for an HDB flat?
A Licensed Electrician is normally sufficient, HDB flats sit comfortably within the up-to-45kVA scope of that class. You only need a Technician or Engineer once the load grows into larger commercial or industrial territory. Matching class to load is the third step of the check for exactly this reason.
What are the red flags when checking an electrician?
No licence number offered; a name or number that does not appear on ELISE; a card that never quite gets shown; pressure to skip verification "to save time"; or a licence class too low for a large job. None of these are fatal on their own to ask about, but any of them unresolved is a reason to hold off until it is cleared up.