How Long Does It Take For DOL OSHA 10/30-Hour Card To Expire

At the federal level, your DOL OSHA 10-hour or 30-hour card does not expire—OSHA does not set an expiration date for student course-completion cards. However, some states, cities, and licensing bodies require you to refresh training every five years (or meet continuing-education equivalents) to work on certain projects or to maintain a license.

In other words, your card itself doesn’t “expire” federally, but your ability to use it can, depending on where and how you work.

Why the Confusion? (OSHA Card vs. Local Rules)

Think of your OSHA 10/30 card like a driver’s ed certificate: the course proves you learned safety basics, but your permission to drive (work on specific job types or hold a license) can be governed by state or city rules. OSHA’s national Outreach program issues cards with no federal expiry, yet several jurisdictions have adopted time-limit requirements for workers or contractor licensing.

The Federal Baseline (What OSHA says)

• Do student course-completion cards expire? OSHA’s Outreach FAQ clarifies that student cards don’t expire (Maritime cards used to expire, but no longer do). This applies to Construction, General Industry, Maritime, and Disaster Site Worker outreach courses.

• Replacement card policy (Important!): You can only get a replacement OSHA 10/30 card if your class was taken within the last five years, and you can receive only one replacement per class. OSHA does not keep student databases; you must contact your original trainer or provider. If it’s been more than five years, you’ll need to retake the course to receive a new wallet card. (This does not mean your training “expired”—it’s about record retention and replacement logistics.)

Key nuance: The 5-year window you hear about so often usually refers to replacement eligibility and recordkeeping, not federal card expiration.

Where Your Card Effectively “Expires”: State and City Rules You Should Know

Below are authoritative, current examples where local law or licensing creates a five-year recency expectation. If you work in these places or under these licensing regimes, build these timelines into your compliance calendar.

1) Nevada (Statewide – Construction and Certain Industries)

Nevada law requires workers/supervisors on construction sites (and certain entertainment/convention work) to obtain OSHA 10/30 cards within 15 days of hire. Crucially, any completion card used to satisfy Nevada’s requirement “expires 5 years after the date it is issued” and must be renewed (by retaking OSHA-10/30 or by documented job-specific continuing education: ≥5 hours for 10-hour cards and ≥15 hours for 30-hour cards). Practically speaking, Nevada treats your card as expiring after 5 years for covered work.

2) New York City (Local Law 196 – Site Safety Training)

NYC’s SST regime requires specific training to obtain/renew SST cards for construction/demolition. If your OSHA-10 is older than 5 years, you’ll need to refresh before an SST card can be issued or renewed. So while your federal OSHA card doesn’t expire, NYC’s SST framework makes “≤5-years-old” the practical standard for using it toward site eligibility.

3) Philadelphia (Contractor Licensing)

To obtain or renew a Contractor License, Philadelphia requires that at least one supervisory employee has completed OSHA-30 (or approved equivalent) within the past 5 years (and allows continuing-education alternatives for renewals). If that training is older than five years, your license application/renewal won’t meet the standard.

4) Connecticut (Certain Licensed Trades)

Connecticut’s regulations for electrical and plumbing trades require a 4-hour refresher when the OSHA-10 course was completed five or more years ago—again, not a federal expiration, but a state trade-license maintenance rule.

Quick Reference: Does my OSHA 10/30 “Expire”?

How to know which rule applies to you (5-Minute Self-Audit)

1. Where do you work?

   • If you’re in Nevada or NYC or you need a Philadelphia contractor license (or a CT trade license), the five-year rule likely applies in some way. If you work elsewhere, check any state plan or city licensing pages.

2. What type of work?

   • Large public works, licensed trades, demolition, or high-risk construction often trigger local training recency rules even when general construction may not.

3. Who’s asking for your card?

   • Owners, GCs, or unions may impose contractual 5-year recency even without a law. Ask for the written requirement so you can plan renewals intelligently.

4. Do you need to replace a lost card?

   • If your class was within 5 years, contact your original trainer (OSHA won’t have your records). If older than 5 years, retake to get a new wallet card.

Pro Tips to Stay Compliant

• Calendar the “5-year” date anyway.
  Even if local law doesn’t force renewal, the replacement rule and evolving owner requirements make a 5-year check-in smart.

• Keep redundant proof.
  Scan your card and course completion certificate. Save them in your phone and cloud storage. Many sites accept certificates while you wait for replacement.

• Track jurisdiction-specific cards.
  NYC’s SST card has its lifecycle—don’t conflate it with your OSHA 10/30 card. The SST portal and DOB notices spell out accepted training and recency.

• If you’re a supervisor or license holder, build a training matrix.
  For every foreman or site safety manager, record: OSHA-30 date, local CE credits, and license renewal dates. This prevents last-minute scrambles (especially in Philly and NYC).

• Don’t confuse “trainer” cards with “student” cards.
  Authorized Outreach Trainers must take updated courses every 4 years to keep teaching. That doesn’t apply to students—but it’s one reason you hear about “expiring OSHA cards.”

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 ever expire under federal OSHA rules?

No. Federal OSHA does not impose an expiration date on student completion cards. Local rules may affect where you can use an older card.

2. I lost my OSHA card. Can OSHA look me up and send another?

No. OSHA doesn’t keep your student records. Ask your original trainer/provider. One replacement max, and only if your class was ≤5 years ago. Otherwise, retake.

3. My OSHA-10 is 7 years old, and I’m moving to NYC. Is it still good?

For NYC SST, if your OSHA-10 is >5 years old, you’ll need a refresher before DOB will issue/renew your SST card. Plan to avoid job site delays.

4. I’m a contractor in Philadelphia. What’s the 5-year rule?

Your Contractor License application/renewal must list a supervisory employee with OSHA-30 taken within 5 years (or approved continuing education). Keep proof handy.

5. I work in construction in Nevada. When does mine expire?

For covered Nevada work, your OSHA 10/30 expires after 5 years under state law; renew by retaking OSHA-10/30 or completing approved, job-specific CE hours.

6. What about Connecticut?

If you hold certain CT trade licenses (e.g., electrical or plumbing), the state requires a 4-hour refresher when your OSHA-10 is ≥5 years old.

Compliance Decision Tree

1. Are you working under federal OSHA only, with no local licensing/owner rule?
   → Your OSHA 10/30 card does not expire. Keep a digital copy and note the 5-year replacement limit.

2. Are you working in Nevada, New York City, or Philadelphia (or a jurisdiction with specific rules)?
   → Treat your OSHA 10/30 as 5 years for work eligibility/licensing. Calendar renewals; track CE where allowed.

3. Are you in a licensed trade (e.g., CT electrical/plumbing)?
   → Follow trade board refreshers (e.g., CT’s 4-hour refresher at 5 years).

What this means for Safety Managers and HR

• Write it down: Include a one-page “OSHA 10/30 validity” policy in your site-specific Safety Program that explains:

  • Federal: card doesn’t expire; 5-year replacement limit.

  • Local overlays: list every jurisdiction and its recency rule (Nevada/NYC/Philly/CT trades, etc.).

  • Documentation: what counts as acceptable proof (wallet card, provider certificate, SST card).

• Map projects to rules: For every new bid or award, tag it with “OSHA card rule = federal only / Nevada / NYC / Philly / CT trade,” then use a training matrix to auto-flag who needs refreshers.

• Train for competence, not just compliance: Even when not required, a refresher every ~5 years helps keep hazard recognition sharp—especially for new tech, materials, or methods.

Step-by-step: Replacing your DOL Card the Right Way

1. Find your original provider (Check, emails, wallet photos, or certificates).

2. Contact them and request a replacement within 5 years of completion.

3. If you can’t locate your trainer or it’s been more than 5 years, retake OSHA 10/30 to get a new card.

4. Store digital copies of your new card/certificate in multiple places.

Authoritative references: OSHA FAQ and Outreach program pages (replacement, records retention).

Example Compliance Calendar

• Day you finish OSHA-10/30 → Save card + certificate to cloud and safety folder.

• Each year → Review local project pipeline: if Nevada/NYC/Philly/CT trades are likely, plan refreshers before Year 5.

• Month 54 (4.5 years) → Email reminders to affected employees and supervisors; book classes or CE.

• Month 58–60 → Complete training/CE; update the matrix; file proof.

Bottom Line

“OSHA doesn’t make my 10/30 card expire. But this project/jurisdiction requires 5-year recency, so I’ve refreshed and here’s the certificate. My original card is older than five years, and that’s fine under federal rules, but I’ve met your local requirement.”

This approach is accurate, respectful, and compliant.

Sources

• U.S. Department of Labor – OSHA

  • Outreach Training Program FAQ (no federal expiration for student cards; replacement rules; records kept 5 years).

  • Replacement card policy (≤5 years; contact your trainer).

  • Outreach overview (records and verification; replacement constraints).

• Nevada (state law and official guidance)

  • NRS 618.983 / 618.9911: Cards used for Nevada compliance expire after 5 years; renewal via OSHA-10/30 or job-specific CE hours.

  • Nevada DIR/SCATS FAQ sheets confirming 5-year expiration for covered work.

• New York City (Local Law 196 / DOB)

  • NYC DOB Fact Sheet: OSHA-10, older than 5 years, requires refresher before an SST card can be issued/renewed.

• Philadelphia (Contractor Licensing)

  • The Philadelphia Code § 9-1004: Supervisor must have OSHA-30 within 5 years (with CE alternatives for renewals).

  • City licensing page reiterating OSHA-30 within 5 years for supervisors.

  • L&I regulation memo outlining the CE option during the preceding 5 years.

• Connecticut (trade licensing)

  • State regulation (e.g., 20-332-15a for electricians) requires a 4-hour refresher if OSHA-10 was completed 5+ years prior.

Final takeaway

• Federally: Your DOL OSHA 10/30 card does not expire.

• Practically: In Nevada, NYC, Philadelphia, and certain CT trade licenses, expect 5-year recency (or CE) rules that can determine where you can work or whether your license is valid.

• Action: Document now, plan at year 4.5, refresh by year 5 if your project or license needs it, and keep your records squared away so you’re never sidelined by paperwork.

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