Queensland Electrical Licence Renewal: Skills Maintenance and CPR
To renew a Queensland electrical work licence, you must meet the Electrical Safety Office’s skills-maintenance and first-aid requirements: the free Skills Maintenance Online Assessment or an approved skills-maintenance course, completed within the two years before renewal, together with CPR training current within the twelve months before renewal.
What counts as skills maintenance
Queensland’s electrical licensing framework requires you to hold evidence of maintained competency when you renew. The skills you must keep current are:
The licence term is 5 years. Two pathways satisfy the skills-maintenance requirement: the free Skills Maintenance Online Assessment, or an approved skills-maintenance course delivered by a Registered Training Organisation. (Sources: Electrical Safety Office renewal instructions; Business Queensland.)
Renewal requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Timing | How to satisfy it |
|---|---|---|
| Skills maintenance | Within the two years before renewal | The free Skills Maintenance Online Assessment, or an approved skills-maintenance course delivered by a Registered Training Organisation |
| CPR refresher | Within the twelve months before renewal | Eligible CPR refresher training |
| Pole-top or tower rescue (linespersons) | Within the twelve months before renewal | Current pole-top or transmission tower rescue (PTR) training, for electrical linesperson licence holders |
You are not required to attach your certificates when renewing online, but keep them: the Electrical Safety Office can request them later for auditing.
How to renew your Queensland electrical work licence
- Check your expiry date. You can renew up to two months before your licence expires, through the ESO Electrical Licensing Portal.
- Complete your skills maintenance within the two years before renewal: the free Skills Maintenance Online Assessment, or an approved skills-maintenance course.
- Make sure your CPR refresher is current within the twelve months before renewal. Linespersons also need current pole-top or transmission tower rescue training.
- Renew through the Electrical Licensing Portal and pay the fee (credit card or BPAY).
- Keep your certificates on file. They are not attached to the online renewal, but you may be asked to produce them later for auditing.
If your licence has already expired, you can reinstate it within 12 months of expiry, and the reinstated licence keeps an expiry date five years from the original. A licence expired longer than 12 months cannot be reinstated; you need to apply for a new one.
Where NECA Learn fits
NECA Learn’s online courses can support your broader professional development and safety knowledge. They should not be treated as a substitute for the Skills Maintenance Online Assessment, an approved skills-maintenance course or current CPR training unless a specific course is formally approved for that purpose.
Frequently asked questions
Does a one-hour online safety course replace the Skills Maintenance Online Assessment?
No. The assessment, or an approved skills-maintenance course, is the pathway the Electrical Safety Office recognises for licence renewal. Online safety courses like NECA Learn’s record professional development; they do not substitute for it.
How recently must I complete skills maintenance?
Within the two years before your renewal. CPR sits on a shorter clock: a refresher current within the twelve months before renewal.
Is CPR part of skills maintenance?
It is a separate requirement that runs alongside skills maintenance: your CPR refresher must be current within the twelve months before renewal.
What applies to linespersons?
Electrical linesperson licence holders also need current pole-top or transmission tower rescue training (PTR), completed within the twelve months before renewal.
What happens if my licence has already expired?
You can reinstate it within 12 months of expiry, and the reinstated licence keeps an expiry date five years from the original. Expired longer than 12 months, you need to apply for a new licence.
What documents should I keep?
Your skills-maintenance, CPR and, if applicable, PTR certificates. They are not attached to an online renewal, but the Electrical Safety Office can request them later for auditing.
Online Professional Development for Queensland Electricians
Self-paced professional development with a certificate recording about an hour of learning per course. Not represented as approved licence-renewal courses.
How this page is maintained. We review regulator guidance and official licence-renewal pages before publishing state-specific information. Where the regulator does not define a requirement clearly, we say so rather than inferring one. Last reviewed: 5 August 2026. Sources checked: Electrical Safety Office renewal instructions (WorkSafe Queensland) and Business Queensland.
This page is general information current at August 2026. It is not legal advice. Requirements change; always confirm your obligations with the Electrical Safety Office / Business Queensland before relying on this page.