In Panama, electrical, plumbing and refrigeration work has to be in the hands of someone licensed by the Junta Técnica de Ingeniería y Arquitectura (JTIA). Checking that your electrician or plumber holds that licence is free and takes two minutes. This guide shows how, and what the result means.
Who needs a licence
Law 15 of 1959 created the JTIA, and the board regulates each technical trade by resolution. These are the grades you will come across when hiring for work at home:
| Grade (as the JTIA names it) | What they may do |
|---|---|
| Instalador electricista | Works under another professional's direction. On their own, small repairs only: up to 6 circuits and 120 volts. |
| Electricista general | Installations of up to 600 volts on their own responsibility. |
| Instalador fontanero and fontanero | The official names for a plumbing installer and a plumber (plomero in everyday speech). |
| Mecánico de refrigeración doméstica | Equipment of up to 3 tons: the air conditioners in a house. |
| Mecánico de refrigeración comercial | Equipment of up to 50 tons per unit. |
For a house, the distinction that matters is between the instalador electricista and the electricista general: a new installation or an increase in load is work for the second.
Idoneidad or licence: what changed in 2019
Until 2018 the JTIA gave tradespeople a certificate of competence, the certificado de idoneidad. Since 2 January 2019 it issues a Licencia Temporal Renovable (renewable temporary licence), valid for five years. Earlier certificates remain valid. So a tradesperson may show you either one. Both count, but the licence has an expiry date, so check it is current.
How to check, step by step
- Ask for the number and the full name. Someone whose paperwork is in order gives them readily, and usually carries the card (carné).
- Open the JTIA lookup: jtiapanama.org.pa/consulta-de-profesionales-idoneos. It needs no account and no payment. The page is in Spanish.
- Choose how to search: by licence number (No. de Idoneidad), ID number (No. de Cédula) or name (Nombre).
- Compare the result. It shows the full name, the number and the grade granted. The name should be the person who will work in your home, and the grade should match the job.
If they don't appear, don't write them off without asking: a name or number may have been mistyped. Ask to see the card and, if you're still unsure, call the JTIA on 202-4724. The online lookup is for information; the page itself says it is not valid for official procedures. For those, anyone may ask the JTIA for a formal certification.
What the number tells you
A number such as 2019-906-208 has three blocks. The middle one is the code the JTIA assigns to each profession:
| Code | Grade |
|---|---|
| 601 | Instalador electricista |
| 600 or 906 | Electricista general |
| 200 | Instalador fontanero (plumbing installer) |
| 400 | Fontanero (plumber) |
| 702 | Mecánico de refrigeración doméstica |
| 703 | Mecánico de refrigeración comercial |
If someone offers a complete electrical installation and their number carries code 601, they are an installer: they can do the work, but under the responsibility of an electricista general or an engineer.
When you will be asked for it
- The fire service's electrical certification. It is handled by DINASEPI, the fire service's safety directorate, and requires the current licence of the professional responsible. An electricista general, a technician or an engineer can submit it; an instalador electricista cannot. In March 2026 it cost B/.45 for a home.
- Dealings with the electricity distributor. Naturgy's service request form asks for that certification for an increase in load, a change of voltage or moving the meter.
- Municipal permits. In the district of Panamá, the minor-works permit is applied for by a professional or company registered with the JTIA, and remodels that touch the electrics or plumbing fall outside it: they need plans.
No licensed professional, no certification; no certification, and those procedures stall. Better to know before the work starts than after.
If the work goes wrong
Consumer law covers you even with nothing signed:
- If defects show up within 30 days of a repair, the provider must put them right within 15 days, unless you agreed otherwise in writing (Executive Decree 46 of 2009, article 29).
- A deficient repair must be done again, free, within 15 days (Law 45 of 2007, article 43).
- The provider must give you an invoice or receipt with their tax number (RUC), what was done, the price and the date (Law 45, article 36).
If they don't respond, the consumer authority ACODECO handles complaints and rules on claims of up to B/.5,000. For guidance call 510-1300 or see acodeco.gob.pa.
What we do at BuenOficio
When a tradesperson adds their number to their profile, we look it up by hand in the JTIA lookup. Only if the name and grade match do we show the Verified JTIA certificate badge. A profile without the badge doesn't mean they have no licence: it means they haven't given us the number yet. Ask them, and check it yourself with the steps above.
Find electricians, plumbers and air conditioning technicians near you.
Sources (checked 3 October 2026): Law 15 of 1959 and JTIA resolutions 114 of 1974 (electricians), 190 of 1983 (plumbers), 197 of 1985 (refrigeration), 075 of 2018 (renewable temporary licences) and 005 of 2026 (certifications); the JTIA table of profession codes; Bomberos de Panamá, 13 March 2026; Naturgy's service request form; Municipal Agreement 110 of 2025 of the district of Panamá; Law 45 of 2007, Law 14 of 2018 and Executive Decree 46 of 2009.
This guide is general information: rules and prices change, and every job is different. Check the details with the official source before you decide.
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