How do I check if a CSCS card is genuine?

Use CSCS Smart Check. It is the official verification platform and CSCS describes it as the only one that covers all 2.3 million cards carrying the CSCS logo. It is available as a website at CSCSSmartCheck.co.uk, as an app on iOS and Android, and as an API that site access and induction systems can plug into.

Is looking at the card enough?

No. CSCS states plainly that visual card inspections will not detect cards that are fake, have been revoked or were fraudulently obtained. A card can look perfect and still be worthless. Scanning it is the only way to know.

What does Smart Check actually show?

It confirms the card is genuine, that it is in date, and that the holder has the appropriate training and qualifications for their role. Expired cards display as not valid when scanned.

How do I check my own CSCS card?

Your card and its expiry date sit in the My CSCS app, which is where you also renew or replace it. If you want to see what an employer sees, your digital card can be verified through Smart Check using its dynamic QR code or by manual entry.

Does checking a card cost anything?

CSCS publishes Smart Check as a website and a free app for one-off checks. The API route, which is what large contractors use to automate checks at induction and site sign-in, is arranged with CSCS directly.

What if I think a card is fraudulent?

Check it with Smart Check first, then report it to CSCS through the fraud reporting route on their site. Holding a fraudulently obtained card means the person is not qualified for the job they are being let onto site to do, which is the whole point of the check.

Check a CSCS Card

Published 29 July 2026

There is one official way to check a CSCS card and it is called CSCS Smart Check. CSCS describes it as the only platform that verifies all 2.3 million cards displaying the CSCS logo, and it runs as a website, as a phone app, and as an API that site systems can call at induction or at the gate.

The one thing to take away

Do not check a card by looking at it. CSCS is explicit that visual inspection will not catch a card that is fake, revoked or fraudulently obtained. A photocopy in a file proves you saw something, not that it was valid. Scan it.

How to check someone else's card

Open Smart Check. Use the app on iOS or Android, or go to CSCSSmartCheck.co.uk in a browser. Large contractors usually skip this step because the check is wired into their induction system through the API.
Scan or key in the card. Physical cards are scanned. Digital cards held in the My CSCS app present a dynamic QR code, and manual entry works for both.
Read what comes back. Smart Check confirms whether the card is genuine, whether it is in date, and whether the holder has the training and qualifications appropriate to their role. An expired card returns as not valid.
Act on the result. An expired card should be handed back to its owner so they can renew it. A card you suspect is fraudulent should be reported to CSCS.

Checking has become less optional than it used to be. With the Building Safety Act in force, contractors carry responsibility for making sure everyone on site is trained and qualified for the work they are doing, and a card that was never checked is not evidence of anything.

How to check your own card

If you are the cardholder, the question is usually one of three things, and they have different answers.

“When does mine run out?” The expiry date is printed on the card and shown in the My CSCS app. There is a renewal window either side of it, which is set out on CSCS card expiry and replacement.
“Have I got the right card at all?” Holding the wrong card is a real problem rather than a technicality. CSCS states that skilled workers holding a Labourer card will be refused site access. Compare your role against the 13 CSCS card types.
“Is my card lost?” Lost, stolen and damaged cards are replaced through My CSCS or CSCS Online for a fee, and the replacement keeps the original expiry date.

If your check says the card has expired

An expired card usually means a new CITB HS&E test pass is needed before the card can be renewed, because most CSCS cards require a test pass from within the last two years. That is the point at which most people find this site.

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Smart Check availability, coverage, the visual inspection warning and the expired card behaviour verified against cscs.uk.com, July 2026. We are not affiliated with CSCS and do not operate any card checking service; see scope and limitations.

Checking a CSCS card: common questions

How do I check if a CSCS card is genuine?: Use CSCS Smart Check. It is the official verification platform and CSCS describes it as the only one that covers all 2.3 million cards carrying the CSCS logo. It is available as a website at CSCSSmartCheck.co.uk, as an app on iOS and Android, and as an API that site access and induction systems can plug into.
Is looking at the card enough?: No. CSCS states plainly that visual card inspections will not detect cards that are fake, have been revoked or were fraudulently obtained. A card can look perfect and still be worthless. Scanning it is the only way to know.
What does Smart Check actually show?: It confirms the card is genuine, that it is in date, and that the holder has the appropriate training and qualifications for their role. Expired cards display as not valid when scanned.
How do I check my own CSCS card?: Your card and its expiry date sit in the My CSCS app, which is where you also renew or replace it. If you want to see what an employer sees, your digital card can be verified through Smart Check using its dynamic QR code or by manual entry.
Does checking a card cost anything?: CSCS publishes Smart Check as a website and a free app for one-off checks. The API route, which is what large contractors use to automate checks at induction and site sign-in, is arranged with CSCS directly.
What if I think a card is fraudulent?: Check it with Smart Check first, then report it to CSCS through the fraud reporting route on their site. Holding a fraudulently obtained card means the person is not qualified for the job they are being let onto site to do, which is the whole point of the check.