How to Renew Your CISRS Card Before It Expires
Most CISRS cards last five years, and renewing is not automatic: for a Scaffolder or Advanced Scaffolder card you have to complete a two-day CISRS CPD refresher course and hold a current health and safety test. Get it done and your card is extended for another five years. Leave it too late and you can find yourself turned away from site until it is sorted.
Here is what renewal involves and when to start.
The five-year clock
Check the expiry date on your card now, not the week it runs out. Most CISRS cards are valid for five years from issue, and the renewal takes a bit of organising, so the people who never have a gap are the ones who diarise it well in advance.
The CPD refresher course
Since 1 July 2017 it has been a requirement that Scaffolder (blue) and Advanced Scaffolder (gold) cardholders complete a two-day CISRS Continuing Professional Development refresher course to renew. It keeps you current on changes to safety legislation, best practice and technical guidance, the sort of updates covered in guides like TG20:21, rather than re-testing you from scratch.
You can usually book and attend the refresher when your card has six months or less left on it, or once it has expired. Other card types, such as labourer and supervisory cards, have their own renewal routes, so check what applies to your specific card on the CISRS website.
The health and safety test
Alongside the refresher you need a current CITB Health, Safety and Environment test. Like the card itself, the test does not last forever, so part of staying "renewable" is keeping that in date too. If yours has lapsed, book it early, because it is one more thing that can hold up the process.
Do not let it lapse
An expired card means you are, on paper, no longer certified, and most main contractors will not let you on site without a valid one. You can still renew after expiry by completing the refresher and test, but every week the card is out of date is a week you might lose work. The whole point of the trade's card scheme, as we cover in our guide to CISRS cards, is that the card is your ticket onto site. Keep it current and you keep working.
If you are progressing at the same time, it is worth knowing how renewal fits alongside stepping up to the Advanced Scaffolder card.
Card sorted and looking for your next role? Browse the latest scaffolding jobs and apply direct to the firms hiring.
Common questions
- How long is a CISRS card valid for?
- Most CISRS cards are valid for five years. You renew before or shortly after expiry, and a successful renewal extends the card for another five years.
- How do you renew a CISRS Scaffolder or Advanced Scaffolder card?
- Scaffolder (blue) and Advanced Scaffolder (gold) cardholders must complete a two-day CISRS CPD refresher course to renew, a requirement since 1 July 2017. You also need a current CITB Health, Safety and Environment test. Check cisrs.org.uk for the exact steps for your card.
- When can you book the CISRS CPD refresher?
- You can usually book and sit the refresher when your card has six months or less remaining, or once it has expired. It is worth booking early, because course places and the health and safety test can take time to arrange.
- What happens if your CISRS card expires?
- An expired card means you are no longer certified, and many sites will not let you work until it is renewed. You can still renew after expiry by completing the required refresher and test, but you risk losing work in the meantime, so it is better to sort it before the date.