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To check a CSCS card, use CSCS’s own checking tool, CSCS Smart Check, rather than looking at the plastic. It works as a mobile app, as a desktop website for site offices, and through systems already built into many sites.
Why a visual check is not enough
A card can look right and still be out of date, belong to someone else, or be the wrong card for the work. Checking it electronically confirms it is genuine and current and shows who it belongs to.
How to check a card
- Use the official route. CSCS Smart Check is the official checker. The older Go Smart app was switched off in March 2024, so if anyone on your team still mentions it, move them to Smart Check.
- Match the face. Compare the photo and name with the person in front of you.
- Match the card to the job. A labourer’s card is not for skilled trades; a supervisor needs a supervisor’s card.
- Check the expiry date and keep a record of the check for your site induction file.
Which card fits which job
There are thirteen CSCS cards, and the colour only tells you half of it: two of them are gold and they are not the same card. Our CSCS cards page covers every card type.
| Colour | Who it is for |
|---|---|
| Green | Labourer. General site work, not skilled trades. 2 years on the first card, then 5 on renewal. |
| Blue | Skilled Worker. Level 2 NVQ in a trade. 5 years. |
| Gold | Advanced Craft (Level 3 NVQ in a trade) or Supervisor (Level 3 or 4 supervisory NVQ). |
| Black | Manager. Site, contracts and project managers. |
| Red | Trainee, apprentice, provisional and experienced worker cards. |
| White | Academically or professionally qualified people. |
If a card has expired
Every CSCS card application, including a renewal, needs a CITB Health, Safety and Environment test pass from the last two years. That is usually the quickest fix: we are an approved test centre in Stoke-on-Trent with sessions every fortnight, and you get your result before you leave. You can book your HS&E test online, and our which CITB HS&E test guide shows which version to sit.
If the card does not match the work
If someone has the skills but not the qualification for the right card, an NVQ is assessed on the job from the work they already do. There is no college and no exam. On the GQA routes a temporary CSCS card is issued when they register, so they can keep working while they complete.
Frequently asked questions
Can I check a CSCS card online?
Yes. Use CSCS Smart Check, which works as an app and as a desktop website.
What do I need to renew a CSCS card?
A CITB Health, Safety and Environment test pass from the last two years, plus the qualification your card type needs.
How long does a blue CSCS card last?
Five years.
Where can I sit the HS&E test?
At an approved test centre. Ours is in Stoke-on-Trent, with sessions every fortnight.
Read the source
CSCS (the Construction Skills Certification Scheme), its card checking guidance and its news on CSCS Smart Check replacing Go Smart; the Acadame CSCS card pages and HS&E test page. Facts checked on 23 October 2026.
Tell us what the job is
Say what the work involves and who is doing it, and we will say honestly which course or card it needs, including when the answer is that you do not need one.
Real people, quick answers. 0330 124 2165.
