How to Search the EMA Licensed Electrical Worker Registry

Before you let anyone work on your home's electrical system, it is worth knowing whether they are actually licensed to do it. Singapore's Energy Market Authority (EMA) keeps a public register of every Licensed Electrical Worker (LEW), and checking it takes under five minutes.

This guide walks you through the search, explains what the results mean, and flags the warning signs that should give you pause.

Getting to the EMA LEW registry

The official register is called ELISE, short for e-Licence Information Services. The Energy Market Authority of Singapore maintains it.

Portal address: elise.ema.gov.sg.

You do not need an account or a login to search for Licensed Electrical Workers. The public search is open to everyone. ELISE is the only authoritative source for checking LEW credentials in Singapore. Company websites, online directories, and business cards can claim anything; the EMA register is where you confirm the truth.

It works on both desktop and mobile browsers. The interface is plain rather than slick, as government portals tend to be, but it does the job.

The search, step by step

Here is how to check an electrician's LEW status.

• Step 1: Open your browser and go to elise.ema.gov.sg. The homepage links out to the various licensing services.
• Step 2: Find the public search or enquiry section. The exact wording can change as EMA updates the site, but there is usually a 'Search Licensed Electrical Worker' or 'Enquire LEW' option.
• Step 3: Enter your search criteria (see the fields below).
• Step 4: Review the results returned for that worker.
• Step 5: Confirm the details match the person you are hiring.

The search fields

The 'Search for Licensed Workers' form gives you several fields to work with.

• Licence Number (most reliable): enter the LEW licence number exactly as it appears on the worker's licence card or quotation for an exact match.
• Worker's Name: the electrician's full name as it would appear on official documents.
• Postal Code: the first 2 digits of the worker's registered service postal code, handy for finding LEWs near you.
• Street Name: any part of the street name tied to the worker's registered address.
• Voltage grade filters: narrow the results to a specific LEW grade.

Note that ELISE has no company-name search. LEW licences go to individuals, not companies, so you are checking the actual person who will perform or supervise the work. For the cleanest result, use the licence number. If all you have is a name, try the full legal name first, then variations if you need to.

For a fuller walkthrough with screenshots and tips, see our guide on verifying electrician licences in Singapore.

Reading the registry results

The register gives you a few key pieces of information. Here is what each one means for you.

LEW Grade. This tells you the kind of work the electrician is licensed for.

• Electrical Engineer: up to 22kV installations. Industrial and large commercial.
• Electrical Technician: up to 1kV, up to 500kVA operation (150kVA design). Commercial and larger residential.
• Electrician: up to 1kV, up to 45kVA. Standard residential.

For most HDB and condo work, Electrician grade is enough. For commercial premises or more complex homes, you need Electrical Technician grade or higher. Our LEW grades guide covers each grade in detail.

Licence status

• Active: currently licensed and authorised to work within their grade.
• Expired: the licence has lapsed. They are not currently authorised, whatever their past qualifications.
• Suspended: temporarily suspended, possibly over a compliance issue. Do not engage.
• Revoked: permanently cancelled. Do not engage.

Validity period

Check the licence does not expire before your project is due to finish. If it lapses mid-project, the LEW must renew before carrying on.

Red flags when hiring

A few behaviours should make you think twice about an electrician's legitimacy.

• Won't share licence details. A licensed electrician should hand over their LEW number happily. Evasiveness, a 'forgotten' number, or 'I'll send it later' is a warning sign.
• A number that doesn't match. If the number returns nothing or shows someone else, something is wrong. Do not proceed.
• Company claims instead of named individuals. 'We are licensed' means nothing unless they name which specific people hold LEW licences. Companies don't hold the licence; individual workers do.
• Suspiciously cheap. A quote far below the market may mean unlicensed labour. Licensed pros carry training, insurance, and compliance costs that others skip.
• No test certificate. After installation work, a LEW should issue a test or completion certificate. If they say testing isn't needed or offer no paperwork, the work may not be up to standard.
• Working outside their grade. An Electrician-grade LEW taking on a commercial job that needs Electrical Technician grade is working beyond their scope. The register shows the grade; match it to your project.

If you can't find them in the register

If your search comes back empty, run through these before drawing conclusions.

• Name variations. The register uses legal names, which may differ from the name used day to day. Try the full legal name, alternative spellings, and different name orders.
• Recent licence activity. If the licence was just granted or renewed, there can be a short processing lag. It is rare but possible. Ask for the licence number and run an exact search.
• Genuinely unlicensed. If they cannot produce a valid number that matches an active record in ELISE, they are not authorised to do licensed electrical work in Singapore.

If you conclude the electrician is not licensed, do not engage them for any installation work. That covers DB box replacement, new circuits, rewiring, and any change to fixed wiring. For the full picture, see our complete list of what work requires a LEW in Singapore. The safety, legal, and insurance risks are not worth the savings.

Our licensed electrical works team holds verified, active LEW licences that you can check directly in the EMA register. With our HDB and residential LEW services, we share licence details upfront as standard.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find the EMA LEW registry online? The EMA runs the e-Licence Information Services (ELISE) portal at elise.ema.gov.sg. It is open to the public with no account needed. ELISE is the only authoritative source for LEW checks in Singapore, so always confirm private directories and company claims against it. Bookmark the URL, since verifying credentials is worth doing every time you hire an electrician.

What do I need to search the registry? The most reliable search is by LEW licence number, entered exactly as it appears on the worker's card. You can also search by the Worker's Name field, though common names may return several matches. ELISE also lets you filter by Postal Code (first 2 digits), Street Name, and voltage grade. There is no company-name field, because licences go to individuals, not companies. Ask the electrician directly for their number; a genuine pro will give it without hesitation.

Can a company claim LEW status if only one employee is licensed? A company can advertise licensed electrical services if it employs LEWs. But the person actually doing or directly supervising the installation must hold the licence. A company with one LEW and five unlicensed workers cannot have the unlicensed workers do installation work on their own. Ask which specific person will be your LEW and verify them individually. If the company says its LEW will simply 'sign off' on work done unsupervised by someone else, that does not meet the rules.

How often is the registry updated? It updates as licence transactions are processed, usually within days. New licences, renewals, expiries, suspensions, and revocations all show up once processed. Always check the status reads 'active' and the validity dates cover your project. An expired licence means no current authorisation, whatever the qualifications. Search close to your start date.

What if my electrician isn't in the registry? First try alternative spellings and the licence number directly. If you still can't find them, ask for the number. If they cannot produce one that matches an active record, do not engage them for licensed work. The risks (safety, legal, insurance) are real. Our licensed electrical works team provides licence details upfront as standard.

Hire with confidence

The EMA register exists to protect you. Five minutes of searching gives you certainty that the person working on your system is qualified and authorised. Make it a non-negotiable step every time you hire someone for installation or modification work.

The electricians who pass this check are the ones worth trusting with your home's safety.