British Columbia
How do I check a Technical Safety BC licence number on a quote?
Electrical, gas, boiler, pressure vessel, refrigeration and elevating-device work in British Columbia must be done by contractors licensed with Technical Safety BC, and since September 2022 those contractors must print their company name and licence number when they advertise to the public. That number is the fastest check you can make before a deposit.
The free steps
1. Start with the exact name on the quote
Write down the business name exactly as the quote prints it, including Ltd., Inc. or a number. A trade name, a numbered company and a sole proprietorship can all be registered under other words, so if a search shows nothing, ask the contractor which name and number appear on their registration or licence before you read anything into it.
2. Find the licence number on the ad or the quote
Technical Safety BC requires licensed contractors in electrical, gas, elevating devices, and boilers, pressure vessels and refrigeration to publish their company name and licence number when they advertise to the public. Look for it on the website, the printed ad and the quote. Some media are exempt, such as word of mouth, posts on the company's own social media account, branded vehicles and clothing, so a missing number on those is not unusual; on a website or a printed ad, ask for it.
Official source: Directive: advertising requirements for licensed contractors (Technical Safety BC; checked 2026-10-26).
3. Search the number in Technical Safety BC's tool
Open the find-a-licensed-contractor search and enter the licence number, or the business name if there is no number. The result shows the business name, the licence class (electrical, gas and others), the status and any enforcement action Technical Safety BC publishes.
Official source: Find a licensed contractor (Technical Safety BC; checked 2026-10-20).
4. Check the name and the class match the quote
The licensed business name should match the name on the quote, the invoice and the registry record. A gas licence does not cover electrical work and the other way around, so compare the licensed class with what the quote describes.
5. Check the business is registered in BC
Search OrgBook BC for the same name. A licence and a registration under the same name are two records that agree; a licence under one name and a quote under another is the first question to ask.
Official source: OrgBook BC: search registered BC organizations (BC Registries, through OrgBook BC; checked 2026-10-20).
6. Ask who pulls the permit
Much electrical and gas work needs a permit. When you hire a licensed contractor, the contractor applies for it; owners of a strata unit or a non-strata duplex cannot take out a homeowner electrical permit and need a licensed contractor. Ask who is pulling the permit and whether the final inspection is included in the quote.
Official source: Electrical homeowner permits (Technical Safety BC; checked 2026-10-26).
7. If the business is not listed
Ask whether the regulated part of the job will be done by a licensed subcontractor, and get that subcontractor's business name and licence number to search. A general contractor or a renovator may not hold the trade licence themselves, and that can be normal when a licensed business does that part.
8. Know what the free search cannot show
A licence or a registration says the business holds permission under that name today. It does not show whether past work was good, whether the insurance is in force, or whether the quote covers what you think it does. Those are the insurance and quote steps, and they take a few minutes more.
Questions people ask
Does a contractor have to show their Technical Safety BC licence number in ads?
For electrical, gas, elevating devices, and boilers, pressure vessels and refrigeration, yes, when advertising to the public, under the Safety Standards General Regulation changes that took effect on September 6, 2022. Technical Safety BC's directive lists the exempt media, such as word of mouth and posts on the company's own social media account.
The quote has no licence number on it. What does that mean?
On its own, nothing. Ask for the number and search it, or ask which licensed business will do the regulated part of the work. A number you can search is a fact; a missing number is a question.
Is a certified electrician the same as a licensed contractor?
No. A person holds a trade certificate; the business that contracts the work is what must hold the contractor licence. Check the business.
Does plumbing need a Technical Safety BC licence?
Plumbing is not on Technical Safety BC's list. Plumbing permits come from the city, and in Vancouver and Burnaby the contractor applying needs a city or inter-municipal business licence. Gas lines and gas appliances are Technical Safety BC work.
What does a Jay check add?
Jay searches Technical Safety BC, OrgBook BC and the city business licence for the exact name and number on your quote, with the source and the time checked for each, and her report says plainly when a record is not found. The Full Check also reads your quote and insurance certificate against the records, and a person reviews every Full Check before it goes out.
Or ask Jay
Jay does these steps for you and writes up what the records show, with the source and date for each finding. The $39 Full Check (no tax added) also reads your quote and insurance papers, and a person reviews every Full Check before it goes out. The $19 Quick Check is opening soon.
Order a Full CheckSee a sample Full Check
Three quotes. One Jay check. Then the deposit.
Information, not a verdict. A record that is not found is not evidence of wrongdoing, and nothing here is legal, insurance or safety advice.
Published 2026-10-20; sources last checked on the dates shown beside each step.