How to check an engineer is Gas Safe registered

Anyone working on a gas boiler, hob, fire or pipework in Great Britain must be on the Gas Safe Register. It is the official list of businesses and engineers legally allowed to do gas work, and it replaced CORGI in 2009. Checking takes two minutes and there are three ways to do it.

Ask for the engineer’s ID card and check the seven-digit licence number on gassaferegister.co.uk. Or search the register by your postcode. Or call the free helpline on 0800 408 5500. Do this before any work starts, not after.

Points to take away

• Every gas engineer carries a Gas Safe ID card. Always ask to see it.
• Check the licence number online, by phone, or search the register by postcode.
• Read the back of the card: it lists exactly what the engineer is qualified to work on.
• The business and the individual both need to be registered.
• No card, expired card, or wrong qualifications: stop and find someone else.

Reading time: about 5 minutes.

Why this matters

Gas work done by someone who is not registered is a criminal offence under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. More to the point, it is dangerous. Badly fitted or badly repaired gas appliances cause fires, explosions and carbon monoxide poisoning. A registration check is the single easiest safeguard, and a genuine engineer expects to be asked.

Method 1: check the ID card

Every Gas Safe registered engineer carries a photo ID card. Ask to see it and look at both sides.

The front shows the engineer’s photo, name and a seven-digit licence number, a start date and an expiry date, and a security hologram. Check the expiry date is in the future. A card can look convincing and be out of date.

The back is the part people skip. It lists the categories of gas work the engineer is qualified and authorised to do, with a start and expiry date for each. An engineer can be genuinely registered for cookers and fires but not for boilers. If you need boiler work, the back of the card must show a current boiler qualification. If it does not, they cannot legally do the job.

Method 2: check online

Go to gassaferegister.co.uk and use the check tool.

• By engineer: enter the seven-digit licence number from the card. The result confirms the engineer is current and shows what they are registered for.
• By business: enter the Gas Safe registration number (one to six digits) or the trading name. This confirms the company itself is registered.
• By location: enter your postcode to see registered businesses nearby, filtered by domestic or commercial.

If the details on the card do not match what the register shows, treat that as a serious red flag.

Method 3: the freephone helpline

Call 0800 408 5500. Give the licence number or the business name and they will confirm the registration over the phone. Useful if you cannot get online or want a second check.

Warning signs someone is not registered

• They cannot produce an ID card, or make excuses for not having it
• The card is expired, or the photo does not match
• The back of the card does not cover the work you need
• They are cash-only, cannot give a proper invoice, or will not put their registration number on paperwork
• They pressure you to skip the check or start immediately
• The quote is far below everyone else’s, with no explanation

None of these on their own proves fraud. Together, or with a refusal to be checked, they are enough to walk away.

The business and the individual

Both have to be registered. The business that trades, quotes and invoices holds a Gas Safe registration number. The individual engineer who turns up must be listed under that business and hold the right qualification for your appliance. A sole trader is both at once. For a larger firm, the person on your doorstep matters as much as the company name on the van, so check the card, not just the branding.

Finding a registered engineer

You can search the Gas Safe Register directly by postcode, or use this directory. Every company listed here is drawn from the Companies House register under a heating trade code, but that is a listing, not a safety check. Confirm Gas Safe registration yourself before any work begins.

If you are a landlord, your annual gas safety certificate (CP12) must be done by a registered engineer, and the same checks apply.

Get free quotes from Gas Safe registered engineers covering your postcode, or browse the directory to find heating companies registered in your area.