How to check a CSCS card
Check a CSCS card with CSCS Smart Check — scan the card with the app or enter its registration number at cscssmartcheck.co.uk. It confirms the card is genuine, in date, and shows the holder's photo and qualifications. A card that does not verify should be treated as invalid.
Why the visual check is not enough
Fake CSCS cards are sold online and some look convincing. Since cards moved to a smart format, the reliable check is the chip and the CSCS database, not the look of the card.
How to check
Download the CSCS Smart Check app, or use cscssmartcheck.co.uk.
Scan the card, or enter the card's registration number.
Compare the photo and name with the person in front of you, and check the card type and expiry date match the work they will do.
What the check shows
A genuine card returns the holder's name and photo, the card type, the qualifications it was issued on and its expiry date. If the photo does not match, the card type is wrong for the work, or the card has expired, treat it as no card.
Signs a card may be fake
A card that will not scan, a photo that looks pasted on or does not match the holder, spelling mistakes, a card type that does not fit the qualification claimed, or a holder who cannot say which test they sat. Cards bought online without a test or qualification are fakes, whatever the seller calls them — and using one is a criminal offence.
If you are offered a 'CSCS card' with no test, or a test you can pass without sitting it, it is a scam.
Checking your own card
Use the My CSCS app to see your card, its expiry date and your qualifications, and to start a renewal.