How Do I Check if an Electrician Is Registered in Ireland?
Enter their business name or RECI number in the box above. The check runs against the Safe Electric public register and returns a result in seconds, for free. You can also ask to see their registration card on site, which carries the same number.
Use the name as it appears on the van, the quote or the invoice. Many electricians trade under a name that differs from the one they registered, so if the first search finds nothing, ask for the number instead. The number is the reliable way to search, because it never changes.
What Is RECI Registration?
RECI stands for Registered Electrical Contractor Ireland. It is the mark given to contractors approved under the Safe Electric scheme, which is run by the Electro-Technical Council of Ireland and overseen by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities.
Safe Electric is the scheme and RECI is the registration held under it, so the two names describe the same thing from different angles. A registered contractor holds current public liability insurance and works to the IS 10101 national wiring standard.
What Work Legally Needs a Registered Electrician?
Fuseboard replacements, new circuits and full rewires are restricted works under Irish law. Only a registered electrical contractor can carry them out and sign the completion certificate. Smaller jobs such as swapping a socket or a light fitting are not restricted.
The certificate is the part people underestimate. Without it you can hit problems selling the house, a refused claim if there is a fault, and no route back to the person who did the work.
What if the Electrician Is Not on the Register?
Ask for their RECI number and search again, because many trade under a different registered name than the one on the van. If they cannot produce a number, do not let them do restricted works, no matter how good the price is.
A missing registration is not always dishonesty. Some electricians work under an employer’s registration, in which case the work is certified in the employer’s name. Ask whose registration will appear on your certificate before anyone starts.
How Do I Read a RECI Registration Card?
The card shows the contractor name, the registration number and an expiry date. Check the name matches who is standing in front of you, and check the date has not passed. The number is the one to type into the search above.
Registrations lapse, and a card can be out of date without anyone intending to mislead. Checking the register rather than the card is the stronger test, because the register is current and the card in a wallet may not be.
Is Safe Electric the Same as RECI?
Yes, in practice. Safe Electric is the regulated scheme for electrical contractors in Ireland, and RECI is the registration a contractor holds under it. If someone says they are Safe Electric registered or RECI registered, they mean the same register.
The older name RECI is still the one most people search for and most contractors print on their vans, which is why both appear throughout this site.
