How to check a builder or tradie licence in the NT

Checking a builder on the NT register

There’s no single licence search in the Northern Territory. Builders, electricians, plumbers and pest controllers each sit on separate lists. Start with the builder, where the biggest cheque usually goes.

1. Get the registration number. It ends in letters showing the category, such as CR for Building Contractor Residential (Restricted) or CU for Unrestricted. Ask for the exact name it’s held under, often a company.
2. Open the register. Go to the Register of Building Practitioners and fill in at least one field: category, registration number, surname or company name, first name or suburb.
3. Change the status filter if nothing comes up. The search shows only active registrations by default, so pick cancelled, suspended, expired or inactive to see a builder who’s no longer active.
4. Click the name to open the full record.

Reading the record

A record shows the registered name, registration number, category and its scope of work, the status, each registration period with start and end dates, any conditions or endorsements, and the related company or individual. Check that last field against the quote too. Some records still quote the old $12,000 figure in their scope text; the threshold has been $25,000 since 30 March 2026.

Electricians and plumbers have their own lists

NT WorkSafe’s Electrical Safety Regulator has run electrical licensing since 1 July 2024, when the old licensing board was abolished. It lists licensed electrical contractors and individual electrical workers separately. A worker licence alone doesn’t let someone trade for themselves or invoice you, so sign with a licensed contractor, who also issues the certificate of compliance.

The Plumbers and Drainers Licensing Board posts a table of currently licensed plumbers and drainers with licence numbers and expiry dates. A journeyman isn’t a licensed plumber and can’t contract with you, and signing off work also takes registration as a certifying plumber and drainer, shown on the Register of Building Practitioners. If a name is missing, ring 1800 193 111. Gasfitting is licensed separately by NT WorkSafe; ask for the gas certificate of compliance.

When the NT says you need a licensed or registered tradie

You need a registered Building Contractor Residential for a new house, duplex, townhouse or unit block, an extension that adds floor area, or a retaining wall a home relies on, once the work is worth $25,000 or more. Restricted covers detached houses and attached homes or units up to two storeys; Unrestricted has no height limit. A kitchen or bathroom renovation with no extra floor area, a new roof on an existing house, or a carport or verandah added later needs no registered builder, though wiring and plumbing still need licensed trades.

Pest controllers need a pest management technician licence. Air-con installers need an ARC refrigerant licence, and a restricted electrical licence with the air-conditioning endorsement only covers disconnecting and reconnecting, so new circuits need a licensed electrical contractor. Removing more than 10 m² of non-friable asbestos takes a Class B licence; friable asbestos takes Class A. Painters, tilers, fencers, concreters and landscapers need no licence. Our guide to which trades need a licence compares the states.

Fidelity fund certificates, the NT’s home warranty

For a new home, a unit in a complex up to three storeys, or an extension that adds floor area, worth $25,000 or more, the builder must take out a certificate with Fidelity Fund NT, currently the only provider, and give you a copy before asking for any payment, deposit included. Certificates issued before 30 March 2026 kicked in at $12,000. Cover applies only if the builder dies, disappears, becomes insolvent or has their registration suspended or cancelled. It pays towards a new builder to finish, non-structural defects for a year and structural defects for six years, up to $200,000 in total. Other disputes over defective or unfinished work go to the Commissioner of Residential Building Disputes at NT Consumer Affairs.

Red flags before you sign

• The builder’s status isn’t active, or an electrician’s isn’t current or under renewal.
• The category is too narrow, like a Restricted builder quoting a three-storey unit block.
• The name or ABN on the quote doesn’t match the register or its related company or individual.
• The registration or licence number doesn’t come up, or belongs to somebody else.
• A deposit above 5% of the contract price on a residential building contract, or payment for a stage that isn’t finished (more in our guide to deposits and contracts).
• A journeyman plumber or an individual electrician wanting to be paid directly.
• A pest control ad with no licence number, which NT rules require.

Reporting unlicensed work

Unlicensed electrical work counts as a dangerous electrical event, so report it to NT WorkSafe on 1800 019 115. Complaints about a building practitioner breaching building law go to the Director of Building Control, who can prosecute or refer the matter to the Building Practitioners Board. Plumbing complaints go to the Plumbers and Drainers Licensing Board, and pest control concerns to Medicines and Poisons Control.

Rather not work through five different lists? We check licence, insurance, ABN and reviews before matching you with one local tradie. It’s free for homeowners, and your details don’t get sold to a pile of businesses. Get a free quote and we’ll do the checking.