How to run an ARCtick licence check
Ask for the technician's licence number
Refrigerant handling licence numbers start with the letter L. Ask for the number of the person who'll actually be working at your place, not just the business owner.
Search the Look for the Tick licence check
Search by the licence number, or by first name and surname. The number is the surer search if you have it.
Read the result
It tells you whether the licence is current and, if it is, which type the technician holds. The ARC's page doesn't say the check shows an expiry date, so don't expect one.
Match the licence to the job
RAC01 covers any system and any work. RSS03 only covers installing and decommissioning a single-head split under 18kW, as the table below shows.
Ask the business for its RTA certificate
The ARC's RTA check is provided only for wholesalers, so ask the business for its Refrigerant Trading Authorisation certificate instead. RTA numbers start with AU.
Check the state licence
An ARC licence covers refrigerant handling and nothing more. State plumbing, electrical and contractor licences apply on top, and the second table shows where to look.
RAC01 or RSS03: what each licence allows
| RAC01 (full) | RSS03 (restricted Splits) | |
|---|---|---|
| Install a single-head split under 18kW | Yes | Yes, including wall hung, cassette and ducted indoor units |
| Install a multi-head split | Yes | No |
| Work on a split over 18kW | Yes | No |
| Service, repair or regas that touches the refrigerant | Yes | No |
| Remove refrigerant before decommissioning | Yes | Yes, on the single-head splits it covers |
| Other air conditioning systems, any capacity | Yes | No |
Three ARC tools, and which one is for you
The licence check is for individual technicians. It answers one thing: is this person's refrigerant handling licence current, and what type is it.
The Look for the Tick business search is a different tool. It finds businesses by business type, by the service they offer (such as single-head install and decommission) and by suburb or postcode, but it has no field for a business name. It's handy for seeing who works in your area, and no help for checking one particular business.
The RTA check searches by business name or RTA number, but the ARC says it's provided exclusively for wholesalers. As a homeowner, ask for the certificate.
Since 2009, RTA holders have had to show their RTA number in their advertising, including webpages and online ads, and on quotes, invoices and receipts. The only exception is a bare listing with a business name and phone number. If an installer's website and quote don't show an AU number, ask why. A licensed technician who isn't employed or hired by an RTA holder must put their own licence number on their quotes, invoices and receipts.
Refrigerant is licensed work, for everyone
The ARC says handling fluorocarbon refrigerant without a refrigerant handling licence is an offence, and its FAQ calls it one of strict liability. Topping up a system before it's been fully tested and every leak found and repaired is illegal, whoever does it. If someone offers a quick regas without looking for the leak first, that's your sign to find someone else.
State licences: what the work needs and where to check
| What the work needs | Where to check | |
|---|---|---|
| Victoria | Plumbing registration with the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC) to install, plus a Registered Electrical Contractor for electrical work. A Restricted Electrical Worker's licence only covers like-for-like disconnect and reconnect | ESVConnect for an electrician's licence. Ask the installer for their BPC registration details |
| New South Wales | A licence or certificate for air conditioning and refrigeration work, which can include the associated wiring | Service NSW's licence check, by name, licence number, licence type, ABN, ACN or location |
| Queensland | A QBCC mechanical services licence at any value, and an electrical licence from the Electrical Safety Office | The QBCC licensee register, by licence number or name, with full licence history |
| Western Australia | An electrical contractor's licence, with a number starting EC, for the electrical installing work | Building and Energy's online licence search |
| ACT | An unrestricted electrical licence for low voltage wiring. A restricted licence holder can only disconnect and reconnect | Access Canberra's public registers, which show expired, suspended, surrendered and cancelled licences and any disciplinary action |
| Tasmania | Refrigerated air conditioning work is prescribed plumbing work | Ask for the licence numbers, as ads no longer have to show them |
| South Australia and the NT | State licences apply, and we couldn't confirm the details at the source | Ask for each licence number and check it with the state regulator |
Gas heating needs a different licence
For a gas heater, the licence that matters is the gasfitter's, and the refrigerant licence doesn't come into it. Energy Safe Victoria tells Victorians to check a gasfitter's licence online.
In Queensland, working on a type A gas device needs a gas work licence, and a servicing licence doesn't include installing, removing, altering or certifying. In WA, a Class G gasfitting permit covers installing and servicing domestic installations.
For Victorian rentals, gas safety checks need a gasfitter endorsed for Type A Gas Appliances Servicing, which shows on their Plumbers Identity Card.
What should be on the quote and the paperwork
- The business's RTA number, starting with AU.
- If the technician works independently, their own refrigerant handling licence number, starting with L.
- In NSW, the contractor licence number. NSW trade ads must show it with the category of work.
- In Queensland, the QBCC licence number. The QBCC counts websites, social media and online directories as advertising.
- In WA, the electrical contractor's EC number, which belongs on all their business materials.
- In Victoria, the electrical contractor's REC number, which Energy Safe Victoria says goes on all their promotional material.
- At the end of a Victorian install, a Certificate of Electrical Safety and a plumbing compliance certificate.
Licence warning signs
- No AU number on the website, the quote or the invoice.
- An RSS03 holder quoting a multi-head split, a system over 18kW, or a regas.
- A licence that doesn't show as current on the ARC check.
- A regas offered before anyone has looked for the leak.
- In Queensland, a directory listing with no licensed name or licence number.
- Vague answers when you ask who'll do the electrical work.
Checks you can run, and what the installer must hold
You can
- Running the ARC licence check on the technician coming to your home.
- Asking the business for its RTA certificate.
- Looking up the state licence on the register, where your state has one.
- Keeping the quote, the invoice and the certificates.
Leave to a licensed installer
- A current RAC01, or an RSS03 where the job fits it.
- An RTA number on their ads, quotes and invoices.
- The state plumbing, gas or electrical licences the job needs.
- Issuing the compliance certificates at the end.
What we'd do
Where we'd start
We'd run the ARC check on the person who'll actually be at our place, ask the business for its RTA certificate, then look up the state licence on the register before booking anything. It doesn't take long, and it's the same ground we cover before passing a job to an installer. If any answer comes back vague, we'd keep looking. You can read how we do it on how we check installers.
