ECRA/ESA licence

The company, not the person

This is the distinction that causes most of the confusion. A Master Electrician licence is held by an individual and is a qualification. An Electrical Contractor licence is held by a business and is what permits that business to contract for electrical work.

A company generally needs a designated Master Electrician in order to hold the contractor licence, which is why the two are often mentioned together — but they are separate credentials and a person cannot lend theirs to a business.

Why it is worth checking

A licensed contractor can file permits, which means the work can be inspected and certified. An unlicensed one cannot, which is the practical reason a job ends up without a permit — and unpermitted electrical work surfaces later, when you sell or claim.

The licence also implies the insurance and qualification requirements that come with holding it. The number is checkable against ESA's public register, which takes about a minute.

It expires

Licences are renewed, so a number is not evidence on its own — a lapsed one is still a number. Looking it up tells you the current status rather than the historical fact that one was once issued.

What to do with it

Ask for it before work is agreed rather than afterwards, and expect it to appear on the website, the quote and the invoice. A contractor who is reluctant to give a licence number has told you something useful.