NSW Compliance Update: CCEW Formbay Templates will no longer be accepted (Action Required)
The NSW Government is introducing a major change to how Certificates of Compliance for Electrical Work (CCEW) are issued and submitted.
From 1 March 2026, electricians will be required to generate and lodge CCEWs through the Building Commission NSW (BCNSW) eCert Portal — and older certificate formats will no longer be accepted.
At Formbay, we’re sharing this update early so your business has plenty of time to prepare, update workflows, and avoid any compliance disruption.
Summary: What you need to remember
From 1 March 2026:
- ✅ CCEWs must be created and lodged via the BCNSW eCert Portal
- ❌ Formbay CCEW templates (and other external templates) won’t be accepted
- 📌 Register early, update your workflow, and avoid last-minute compliance stress
For more information, visit:
https://www.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-construction/compliance-and-regulation/ecert-portal
What’s changing from 1 March 2026?
Formbay CCEW templates will no longer be accepted in NSW
This is the most important takeaway for customers currently using Formbay-generated CCEW templates.
From 1 March 2026, CCEWs created using Formbay templates (or any external templates) won’t be accepted for NSW compliance.
Instead, electricians will need to:
- Register with the BCNSW eCert Portal
- Generate the CCEW directly inside the portal
- Submit the certificate via the portal (as required by BCNSW)
Why this matters (and why Formbay is telling you now)
Formbay exists to make compliance simpler, more transparent, and more reliable — especially in industries where paperwork can slow jobs down or create risk.
This change is significant because it impacts the core “close-out” step of electrical jobs:
- Compliance certificates will move from business-controlled templates to a government-managed portal
- Processes will shift for both field electricians and office/admin teams
Our goal is to help you stay ahead of it — not scramble when the deadline hits.
Key dates you should plan around
- From 1 December 2025: BCNSW eCert Portal opens for early use and onboarding
- 1 March 2026: Portal becomes mandatory for CCEWs
What Formbay customers should do next
1) Treat this as a workflow change, not just a new form
This affects how certificates are created, stored, and provided at the end of a job.
We recommend reviewing:
- Who in your business issues the CCEW today
- When it’s completed (on-site vs office)
- How it’s stored and sent to customers/builders
2) Register your electricians early
Don’t wait until March 2026. Getting registered and familiar with the portal early will reduce job delays later.
3) Update your internal “job completion checklist”
Your close-out process will likely need to include:
- CCEW created in BCNSW eCert Portal
- CCEW submitted via the portal
- Certificate copy saved to the job record (your internal system / customer file)
- Customer provided proof of compliance where required