How to Check a Gas Safe Registered Engineer Before Your Inspection

Why Verification Isn't Optional

Regulation 36(4) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 makes it an offence to use an unregistered person for gas work. If an engineer who lacks the right Gas Safe credentials conducts your annual check, the resulting Landlord Gas Safety Record is invalid — even if the physical inspection was done competently.

Vehicle stickers, company logos, and verbal assurances don't count. You need to verify two things independently: the business registration and the individual engineer's qualifications for the specific appliances in your property.

Step 1: Look Up the Business Online

Before booking, search the Gas Safe Register at gassaferegister.co.uk or call 0800 408 5500. You can search by the business trading name or their 7-digit registration number.

The lookup confirms whether the business holds an active, un-suspended registration. If the registration has expired or been revoked, any work they do on your property is illegal.

Step 2: Check the Engineer's ID Card on Arrival

Every Gas Safe registered engineer carries a physical ID card. When they turn up at the property, ask to see it. Check:

• Front of the card: photograph matches the person, the licence number is legible, and the expiry date hasn't passed
• Back of the card: lists the specific gas categories the engineer is qualified for

This second part is where landlords commonly slip up. Gas Safe qualifications are appliance-specific. The back of the card shows individual categories — domestic boilers, gas fires, cookers, warm air units, LPG installations, and others. An engineer qualified for domestic boilers but not gas fires cannot legally inspect a gas fire in your property. An inspection conducted outside their listed categories renders the CP12 invalid.

Step 3: Match Categories to Your Appliances

Before the engineer starts work, compare the categories on the back of their card against what's actually in the property:

If there's a mismatch — say you have a gas fire and the engineer only carries the boiler category — don't proceed. You need a different engineer, or one with the broader range of qualifications, to complete the check on the uncovered appliances.

What Changed When CORGI Was Replaced

The Council for Registered Gas Installers (CORGI) was the gas registration body in Great Britain until 1 April 2009, when the Gas Safe Register took over. The HSE owns the Gas Safe scheme; Capita plc operates it under contract through December 2029.

Any engineer still referencing CORGI registration without a current Gas Safe card is not legally authorised. CORGI credentials expired on 1 April 2009 and cannot be used for annual safety checks.

What to Do If Something Seems Wrong

If the engineer can't produce a valid ID card, or the card categories don't cover all the appliances in your property, don't let them proceed. It's not confrontational — it's a legal requirement. A quick call to Gas Safe Register on 0800 408 5500 can resolve any ambiguity.

If you've already had a check done and you're now unsure about the engineer's qualifications, you can verify their registration retrospectively using the same lookup tool. If the engineer was unregistered or uncategorised for your appliances, the record is invalid and you'll need a fresh check from a properly qualified engineer.

Our Gas Safety Compliance Guide includes the full engineer verification protocol as a standalone checklist you can use at every annual inspection.

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