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New York City construction certification requirements

The safety training New York City asks of construction crews, rule by rule: what each card is, who needs it, how long it lasts, and the official source to check it against.

Last reviewed September 27, 2026

This is a summary to help you plan, not legal advice. Check the linked source before you rely on it.

Site Safety Training (SST) card, Local Law 196 of 2017

Workers need an SST card showing at least 40 hours of safety training defined by the NYC Department of Buildings. Supervisors need a Supervisor SST card showing at least 62 hours.

The cards it asks for

  • NYC SST Card (Worker, 40 hour)

    Who needs it
    Every worker on a covered site.
    Issued by
    NYC DOB registered course provider
    How long it lasts
    Valid for 5 years.
    Work out an expiry for NYC SST Card (Worker, 40 hour)

  • NYC Supervisor SST Card (62 hour)

    Who needs it
    Designated site safety professionals: site safety managers and coordinators, construction superintendents, concrete safety managers and the designated competent person. Other forepersons need the worker card.
    Issued by
    NYC DOB registered course provider
    How long it lasts
    Valid for 5 years.
    Work out an expiry for NYC Supervisor SST Card (62 hour)

  • NYC SST Temporary Card (6 month)

    Who needs it
    A new worker who holds an OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 card from the last five years and is finishing the remaining hours for the worker card. Only if you use it.
    Issued by
    NYC DOB registered course provider
    How long it lasts
    Valid for 6 months.
    Work out an expiry for NYC SST Temporary Card (6 month)
Who it covers
Construction and demolition workers on job sites that require a Site Safety Plan and a designated Construction Superintendent, Site Safety Coordinator or Site Safety Manager. The Department's Site Safety Construction Map says whether a given address is covered. The Supervisor card is required of the designated site safety professionals: Site Safety Managers, Site Safety Coordinators, Construction Superintendents, Concrete Safety Managers and the designated competent person. Forepersons and everyone else on the site need the worker card.
Deadline
The card must be held, and validated in the Department's Training Connect app, before the worker enters a covered site. An expired card cannot be used, even inside the renewal grace period.
Renewal
SST cards expire five years after the date of issue. A worker card is renewed with 8 hours of refresher courses and a Supervisor card with 16 hours, from a DOB registered provider, taken in the 12 months before the card expires. A card that expires on or after May 3, 2026 can be renewed up to one year after it expires, but it cannot be used on a site until it is renewed, and missing that year means applying for a new card. A card that expired before May 3, 2026 cannot be renewed. Record the expiry date printed on the card and shown in Training Connect.
Read closely
Local Law 10 of 2026 took effect May 3, 2026. It added the one year renewal grace period above and, from August 1, 2026, replaced the 2 hour Drug and Alcohol Awareness course with a 2 hour Mental Health Awareness course for new cards and in some renewal options. Holders of active cards do not need the new course, and the 40 and 62 hour totals did not change. The Department's older SST FAQ page still says a renewal must be issued before the card expires; that text predates the law. Separately, on September 8, 2026 the Department invalidated every SST certificate issued by Redcode Inc.: cards built on that training are revoked on December 8, 2026 unless the training was retaken by December 7, 2026, so an SST card can stop counting before its printed expiry. Recording the issuing provider is worth the column.
Official sources

Site safety manager, site safety coordinator, construction superintendent and concrete safety manager

The person designated to one of these site roles must hold the matching Department of Buildings certificate, registration or license. A site safety manager, site safety coordinator or construction superintendent also needs a valid Supervisor SST card.

The cards it asks for

Who it covers
Sites where Chapter 33 of the Building Code requires the role. The Department says a site safety manager is required on new construction or demolition sites 15 stories and above or 100,000 square feet or greater, a site safety coordinator on new buildings 10 to 14 stories under construction or demolition, and a construction superintendent at new buildings and buildings under demolition nine stories and below. The concrete contractor designates a concrete safety manager where the concrete portion of the project is 2,000 cubic yards or more.
Deadline
Before doing the duties of the role. The Administrative Code makes it unlawful to do them without the credential.
Renewal
Site safety manager certificate, construction superintendent license and concrete safety manager registration: every 3 years. Site safety coordinator certificate: every year. Each renewal needs a Department approved course of at least 8 hours, taken in the 1 year before renewal. Apply 30 to 90 days before expiry. A lapsed license can be renewed late within 1 year of expiry, with a late fee.
Read closely
The site safety coordinator term is 1 year by rule, unlike the 3 year default for other Department licenses. The Department's pages call the construction superintendent credential a registration; the Administrative Code now calls it a license. The Department's notice says that from January 1, 2026 the limit for a construction superintendent is no more than 1 job, either a major building or a non-major building. That limits assignments, not the card.
Official sources

Scaffold training cards, Building Code section 3314.4.5

Anyone who uses, installs, adjusts, repairs, maintains or removes a scaffold, and whoever supervises them, needs a Department approved scaffold course for that work, repeated every 4 years.

The cards it asks for

Who it covers
Supported scaffold users and their supervisors: 4 hours. Installers, adjusters, repairers, maintainers and removers of a supported scaffold 40 feet or more high, and their supervisors: 32 hours. Anyone who installs, adjusts, repairs, maintains, uses or removes a suspended scaffold: 16 hours. Suspended scaffold supervisors: 32 hours. The code lists exceptions, among them registered design professionals who only inspect and stair towers not connected to a work platform.
Deadline
Before doing or supervising the work.
Renewal
Every 4 years. Supported scaffold users retake the 4 hour course. Everyone else takes an 8 hour refresher. A refresher up to 1 year late still counts, but the person may not do or supervise that work until it is done. After more than 1 year the initial course must be taken again.
Read closely
The cards are issued in the Department's Worker Wallet, which the Department calls the only worker card accepted on NYC job sites. The 4 years run from the last initial or refresher course, so record that date.
Official sources

Rigging crew, supervisor and signalperson training, Building Code section 3316.9

Everyone on a crew hoisting or lowering a suspended load on the outside of a building, their supervisor and their signalpersons need either an accredited rigging and signaling certification or a Department approved rigging course, refreshed every 4 years. People using rope access outside a building need SPRAT or IRATA certification.

The cards it asks for

  • NYC Rigging Worker (16 hour)

    Who needs it
    Ironworkers, riggers and signalpersons on outside hoisting, unless a licensed rigger supervises them directly.
    Issued by
    NYC DOB registered course provider
    How long it lasts
    Valid for 4 years.
    Work out an expiry for NYC Rigging Worker (16 hour)

  • NYC Rigging Supervisor (32 hour)

    Who needs it
    The rigging foreman of an outside rigging crew, unless a licensed rigger supervises directly.
    Issued by
    NYC DOB registered course provider
    How long it lasts
    Valid for 4 years.
    Work out an expiry for NYC Rigging Supervisor (32 hour)

  • Accredited Rigging and Signaling Certification

    Who needs it
    In place of the Department course, for riggers and signalpersons who hold one. The code caps it at 5 years.
    Issued by
    Accredited certification program
    How long it lasts
    No expiry set by this rule. See the renewal note.

  • Industrial Rope Access Certification (SPRAT or IRATA)

    Who needs it
    Anyone who goes up or down the outside of a building on ropes, and their supervisor.
    Issued by
    SPRAT or IRATA
    How long it lasts
    No expiry set by this rule. See the renewal note.

  • NYC Tower Crane Rigging Worker (30 hour)

    Who needs it
    Ironworkers who erect, jump or dismantle a tower crane, including the rigger foreman.
    Issued by
    NYC DOB registered course provider
    How long it lasts
    No expiry set by this rule. See the renewal note.
Who it covers
Rigging crews, their supervisor and signalpersons working outside any building in the city. Not required for people under the direct and continuing supervision of a licensed rigger or sign hanger, or for hoisting equipment rated 2,000 pounds or less. Crews who erect, jump or dismantle a tower crane need a separate course of at least 30 hours.
Deadline
Before doing or supervising the work.
Renewal
Department course: crew members and signalpersons take a 16 hour initial course and an 8 hour refresher; supervisors take a 32 hour initial course and a 16 hour refresher. Refreshers are due 4 years after the initial course and every 4 years after that. Certification instead: it must be renewed at least every 5 years, and the certifying body sets the actual term.
Read closely
The tower crane section asks for an 8 hour course every 3 years in a sentence about people who took the 30 hour course before the section took effect. Read literally, it does not say whether newer workers must also refresh, so no expiry is set on that card. The code sets no term for rope access certification; SPRAT and IRATA set their own. For an accredited certification, record the expiry printed on the card.
Official sources

Master, special and tower crane rigger licenses, and lift director registration

Hoisting or lowering any suspended article, including a suspended scaffold, on the outside of a building must be done by or under the direct and continuing supervision of a licensed rigger. Since January 1, 2025, whoever acts as lift director must be registered with the Department, unless a master rigger or a designated master rigging foreman working under one.

The cards it asks for

Who it covers
Master rigger: any weight. Special rigger: suspended scaffolds, and loads up to 2,000 pounds on equipment rated up to 2,000 pounds. Tower crane rigger: whoever supervises tower crane erection, jumping or dismantling. Lift director: crane and derrick picks.
Deadline
Before doing the work.
Renewal
Every 3 years. The renewal courses must be taken in the 1 year before renewal. Master rigger: a 16 hour rigging supervisor refresher and an 8 hour lift director refresher. Special rigger: an 8 hour suspended scaffold supervisor course and an 8 hour hoisting equipment course. Tower crane rigger: an 8 hour tower crane rigging course. Lift director: an 8 hour lift direction course.
Read closely
The Department's special rigger renewal page asks for one 8 hour refresher certificate, while the rule lists two 8 hour courses. Ask the Department or a registered provider which they accept. The lift director page does not state a term; 3 years comes from the Administrative Code default for Department licenses and registrations. Record the date printed on the card.
Official sources

Hoisting Machine Operator (HMO) license and NCCCO certification

Anyone who operates a power operated hoisting machine under the Department's jurisdiction needs a Department Hoisting Machine Operator license of the right class. The operator must also hold, and keep current, the national crane certifications the Department names for that class.

The cards it asks for

  • NYC Hoisting Machine Operator License (HMO)

    Who needs it
    Crane operators and operating engineers: Class A, B or C, or a limited license for boom trucks, articulating boom cranes, mini cranes and rotating telehandlers.
    Issued by
    NYC Department of Buildings
    How long it lasts
    Valid for 3 years.
    Work out an expiry for NYC Hoisting Machine Operator License (HMO)

  • Crane Operator (NCCCO)

    Who needs it
    Every licensed operator, for the certifications the Department lists for their license class.
    Issued by
    NCCCO
    How long it lasts
    Valid for 5 years.
    Work out an expiry for Crane Operator (NCCCO)
Who it covers
Crane and hoisting machine operators. Class A, B and C licenses cover cranes by boom length and capacity. Limited licenses cover articulating boom cranes, boom trucks, mini cranes, sign hanging cranes and rotating telehandlers. Not required for machines rated one ton or less, or for power operated scaffolds and window washing machines.
Deadline
Before operating. Since November 7, 2024 a Department license is required to operate an articulating boom crane, mini crane or rotating telehandler.
Renewal
The license is renewed every 3 years, with a Department approved 8 hour refresher taken in the 1 year before renewal and current NCCCO certifications. The certifications the Department lists must be kept up for the whole license term. A Class B rating expires with the license unless renewed with it.
Read closely
The Department's pages state a 3 year term for Class A, B and C. For the limited licenses, 3 years comes from the Administrative Code default. The HMO license and the NCCCO certification each carry their own expiry, and they rarely line up, so record both. Federal OSHA treats an accredited crane certification as valid for 5 years.
Official sources

Structural welder license

Manual welding on any structural member of a building must be done by a welder licensed by the Department of Buildings.

The card it asks for

  • NYC Welder License

    Who needs it
    Ironworkers, steel erectors and anyone else doing manual structural welding.
    Issued by
    NYC Department of Buildings
    How long it lasts
    Valid for 3 years.
    Work out an expiry for NYC Welder License
Who it covers
Steel erectors, ironworkers and anyone else doing manual welding on a structural member of a building.
Deadline
Before welding on a structural member.
Renewal
Every 3 years. Apply 30 to 60 days before the expiry on the card to avoid a late fee. The renewal page asks for a copy of an AWS or NYSDOT welder certification card.
Read closely
The Department's welder FAQ says there are no changes to welder license renewal until further notice. It also says AWS requires recertification every six months and NYSDOT every three years; those are the certifiers' own rules, so they are not set here as an expiry.
Official sources

Master plumber, master fire suppression piping contractor and gas work qualifications

Plumbing and fire suppression piping work must be done by a licensed master, or under a master's direct and continuing supervision. Anyone doing gas work under a master plumber also needs a Department gas work qualification.

The cards it asks for

  • NYC Master Plumber License

    Who needs it
    The licensee of a plumbing business.
    Issued by
    NYC Department of Buildings
    How long it lasts
    Valid for 3 years.
    Work out an expiry for NYC Master Plumber License

  • NYC Master Fire Suppression Piping Contractor License

    Who needs it
    The licensee of a sprinkler or fire suppression piping business.
    Issued by
    NYC Department of Buildings
    How long it lasts
    Valid for 3 years.
    Work out an expiry for NYC Master Fire Suppression Piping Contractor License

  • NYC Full Gas Work Qualification

    Who needs it
    Plumbers who do gas work under a master plumber's direct and continuing supervision.
    Issued by
    NYC Department of Buildings
    How long it lasts
    No expiry set by this rule. See the renewal note.

  • NYC Limited Gas Work Qualification

    Who needs it
    Plumbers who hold the limited qualification instead of the full one. It cannot be renewed.
    Issued by
    NYC Department of Buildings
    How long it lasts
    Valid for 5 years.
    Work out an expiry for NYC Limited Gas Work Qualification
Who it covers
Plumbing and fire protection contractors: the master license belongs to the firm's licensee. Gas work qualifications belong to each plumber who does gas work under a master plumber.
Deadline
Before doing the work. Workers must carry the gas work qualification card and a government photo ID while doing gas work.
Renewal
Master plumber and master fire suppression piping contractor: every 3 years, with a Department approved course of at least 7 hours taken in the 1 year before renewal. Full gas work qualification: never expires. Limited gas work qualification: expires 5 years after issue and cannot be renewed or reissued.
Read closely
Limited gas work qualifications issued before January 1, 2020 all expired on December 31, 2024, whatever their issue date. The journeyman plumber registration never expires and says on its face that it is not a license, so it is not listed here.
Official sources

Master and special electrician licenses

Electrical work must be done by a licensed master electrician, or by people under a master's direct and continuing supervision. NYC has no journeyman electrician license: electricians working under that supervision need no Department license of their own.

The cards it asks for

  • NYC Master Electrician License

    Who needs it
    The licensee of an electrical contracting business.
    Issued by
    NYC Department of Buildings
    How long it lasts
    No expiry set by this rule. See the renewal note.

  • NYC Special Electrician License

    Who needs it
    An owner's in house electrician for named buildings.
    Issued by
    NYC Department of Buildings
    How long it lasts
    No expiry set by this rule. See the renewal note.
Who it covers
Electrical contractors: the license belongs to the firm's master electrician. A special electrician license covers named buildings for an owner's own staff.
Deadline
Before doing electrical work.
Renewal
Each renewal needs a Department approved course of at least 8 hours, taken in the 1 year before renewal. Record the expiry date printed on the license.
Read closely
The license term is unsettled, so no length is set here. The Department's page still says the term is 1 year. Local Law 128 of 2024, in effect from December 21, 2025, moved electrician licensing into Title 28, whose default term for Department licenses is 3 years unless the code or a rule says otherwise. A separate bill to change the term from 1 year to 3 was filed at the end of the session without passing. Licenses issued before December 21, 2025 run to their printed expiry.
Official sources

Oil burning equipment installer license

Installing oil burning equipment must be done by or under the direct and continuing supervision of a licensed oil burning equipment installer.

The card it asks for

Who it covers
Mechanical and HVAC contractors installing oil burning equipment. Class A covers any oil burning equipment; Class B covers equipment using fuel oil grades one to four.
Deadline
Before installing.
Renewal
Every 3 years. The continuing education rule lists no course for this license.
Official sources

FDNY Certificates of Fitness for torch work, fire guards, powder actuated tools and site heaters

The Fire Code requires a Certificate of Fitness holder to do torch work personally, to stand fire guard for torch work on construction sites and rooftops, to use powder actuated tools, and to supervise portable fueled space heaters on construction sites.

The cards it asks for

Who it covers
Torch work with a flammable gas, including brazing, cutting and torch applied roofing: G-60, or G-41 for torch applied roofing only. Arc welding authorized by the Department of Buildings is excepted. The fire guard for torch work at a construction site or on a roof: F-60. Anyone storing, handling or using powder actuated tool loads: E-21. Supervision of portable fueled space heaters on a construction site: S-92.
Deadline
Before doing the work.
Renewal
Every 3 years. FDNY emails a courtesy notice 90 days before expiry. A renewal from 91 days to 1 year past expiry carries a $25 penalty. A certificate more than 1 year past expiry cannot be renewed, and the exam must be taken again.
Read closely
The G-60, F-60 and E-21 study booklets list no renewal rule of their own and point to FDNY's general notice, which says most certificates renew every 3 years. The S-92 and G-41 booklets say 3 years outright. Record the expiry printed on each card. A G-60 holder may pay to add G-41, so a roofer may carry either.
Official sources

NYC DEP asbestos handler, restricted handler and supervisor certificates

In New York City, asbestos workers, restricted handlers and supervisors need a city certificate from the Department of Environmental Protection as well as the State certificate.

The cards it asks for

Who it covers
Asbestos handlers on asbestos projects. Restricted handlers: people such as carpenters building containment, or electricians entering the work area for a limited time for tasks in preparation for or ancillary to the abatement. Supervisors of asbestos handlers.
Deadline
Before starting any asbestos project.
Renewal
The City's business pages say the DEP certificate lasts for two years.
Read closely
The State certificates are on the New York State page. In the city a worker needs both.
Official sources

Company documents to keep current

These belong to the company, not to a crew member. Currity tracks them on its Company documents page, beside your insurance, and warns owners and admins before each one lapses.

Safety Registration Number for construction, demolition and concrete contractors

A business that performs or supervises major construction, demolition or large concrete work needs a Department of Buildings Safety Registration Number with the matching endorsement.

  • NYC Safety Registration Number

    Kind
    Business registration
    Issued by
    NYC Department of Buildings
    How long it lasts
    Valid for 3 years.
Who it covers
Businesses that perform or supervise work needing a permit for: a new building (not a one to three family home); an alteration enlarging a building by more than 25 percent of its floor area; adding three or more stories; altering or demolishing more than 50 percent of the floor area; removing one or more floors; a demolition; or placing 2,000 cubic yards or more of concrete. The endorsements are Construction, Demolition and Concrete.
Deadline
Before conducting that business.
Renewal
Every 3 years, per endorsement. Apply 30 to 60 days before the expiry on the card to avoid a late fee. After a year the registration must be applied for again. Current general liability, workers compensation and disability insurance certificates must be on file.
Official sources

Insurance a Department of Buildings licensee must keep on file

Before a license is issued or renewed, the holder must file proof of commercial general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence, and of workers compensation and disability benefits coverage, and keep it in force for the life of the license.

  • General liability insurance (NYC DOB license)

    Kind
    General liability
    Issued by
    Insurer
    How long it lasts
    No expiry set by this rule. See the renewal note.

  • Workers compensation insurance (NYC DOB license)

    Kind
    Workers' comp
    Issued by
    Insurer
    How long it lasts
    No expiry set by this rule. See the renewal note.

  • Disability benefits insurance (NYC DOB license)

    Kind
    Other
    Issued by
    Insurer
    How long it lasts
    No expiry set by this rule. See the renewal note.
Who it covers
Holders of Department licenses and registrations, such as master plumbers, master fire suppression piping contractors, riggers, oil burner installers and Safety Registration holders. Licensed hoisting machine operators and welders are exempt.
Deadline
At issue and at each renewal of the license.
Renewal
The policy sets the dates, not the Department. The insurance must be kept in force for as long as the license lasts, so record each policy's own expiry.
Read closely
A company with no employees may file an affidavit of exemption from workers compensation and disability insurance, but general contractors and Safety Registration applicants may not.
Official sources

Keep New York City's cards current across your crew.

NYC SST Card (Worker, 40 hour) is valid for 5 years, and 31 more cards on this page expire too. Currity warns you about each one 90, 60 and 30 days out, then 14, 7 and 1, and on the day, so a lapsed card turns up on the board before it turns up on site.

Track these for your crew. Free for 14 days.What does my crew need?See a sample crewHave us load your listGet the free matrix template

From $10 a month. 14 days free, no card.

Your crew's card pages and emails come in English or Spanish. See the Spanish crew page.

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