What happens when my CSCS card expires?

It stops being valid, and it will show as not valid when scanned with CSCS Smart Check. In practice that means being turned away at the gate. CSCS cards can be renewed from six months before the printed expiry date and up to a year after it, so an expired card is not automatically a lost cause.

How much does it cost to replace a lost CSCS card?

£36. Lost, stolen and damaged cards are replaced through the My CSCS app or CSCS Online. Employers, training providers and third parties replace cards for their people via CSCS Online instead.

Does a replacement card give me a new expiry date?

No, and this catches people out. CSCS states that replacement cards carry the expiry date printed on the original card. Replacing is not renewing. If your card was nearly out of date when you lost it, the £36 replacement will also be nearly out of date.

What if my card expired more than a year ago?

You are outside the renewal window and will generally need to apply as a new application rather than renew. For a Labourer card specifically, CSCS says an application more than a year past expiry needs an appeal with evidence of working in a labouring role.

Do I have to retake the CITB HS&E test to renew?

Sometimes. Several cards require a test pass from within the last two years at the point of application, so a pass that was fine when you first applied may be too old by renewal. The Labourer card is the exception worth knowing: when you renew the initial two-year card, CSCS extends acceptance of the original test pass to three years.

Are there cards that cannot be renewed at all?

Yes. On expiry, Academically Qualified Person and Professionally Qualified Person cards must be applied for as new applications. AQP applicants need a copy of the qualification certificate every time, and PQP applicants need evidence of current membership of their professional body every time, because memberships lapse.

CSCS Card Expiry and Replacement

Published 29 July 2026

Two different problems get treated as one here, and they have opposite answers. A lost or damaged card is replaced, cheaply and quickly, and you keep the expiry date you already had. An expired card is renewed, which is a fresh application with fresh requirements, and it may mean sitting the test again.

Replacing is not renewing

CSCS states that replacement cards carry the expiry date printed on the original card. If your card had four months left on it when it went through the wash, the £36 replacement also has four months left on it. Paying to replace a card that is about to expire is money spent twice.

Lost, stolen or damaged cards

All three take the same route. Individual cardholders log in to the My CSCS app, find the card in the My Cards section and select Replace Card. Employers, training providers and third parties replace cards on behalf of their people through CSCS Online instead.

Cost: £36, the same as a new card.
Expiry date: unchanged from the original.
Delivery: CSCS says approved applications arrive within five working days.
In the meantime: site staff can still check a CSCS card with CSCS Smart Check using the QR code on your digital card in the My CSCS app, which is often enough to get you on site while the plastic is in the post.

When the card has expired

There is a window rather than a cliff. CSCS cards can be renewed from six months before the printed expiry date and up to a year after it, which gives you eighteen months in total to act. The full renewal process, the evidence you upload and the fee are on CSCS card application and renewal.

Two things change while you are inside that window and both are worth checking before you start.

Your test pass may have aged out.Several cards require a CITB HS&E test pass from within the last two years at the point of application. A pass that was current when you first applied five years ago will not be.
The scheme rules may have moved. CSCS advises confirming the card, qualification and test requirements before renewing, because rules can have changed since you last applied. The CSCS card changes for 2025 and 2026 cover the recent ones.

Miss the window entirely and you are into a new application. For the Labourer card, CSCS says a previous card expired by more than a year means submitting an appeal with evidence of working in a labouring role.

Cards that must be applied for again from scratch

Renewal is not available for every card. On expiry, these two must go through as new applications every time:

Academically Qualified Person cards. CSCS now prints the specific qualification title on the reverse rather than a broad category, so a copy of the qualification certificate is required on every application.
Professionally Qualified Person cards. Evidence of current professional body membership is required every time, because memberships are themselves subject to renewal.

Both are covered on the white CSCS card page. Some other occupations are asked for a copy of the qualification certificate before renewal so that the correct titles and endorsements go on the card, and CSCS contacts you if that applies.

If you do need the test again

Most people who land here having let a card lapse need a fresh CITB HS&E test pass before they can renew. It is the same 50 questions in 45 minutes, at the same 45 out of 50 pass mark, and the syllabus will have moved on since you last sat it.

Start the 50-question mock See the revision plan

Renewal window, the £36 replacement fee, the original-expiry-date rule and the AQP and PQP reapplication requirements verified against cscs.uk.com, July 2026.

Card expiry and replacement: common questions

What happens when my CSCS card expires?: It stops being valid, and it will show as not valid when scanned with CSCS Smart Check. In practice that means being turned away at the gate. CSCS cards can be renewed from six months before the printed expiry date and up to a year after it, so an expired card is not automatically a lost cause.
How much does it cost to replace a lost CSCS card?: £36. Lost, stolen and damaged cards are replaced through the My CSCS app or CSCS Online. Employers, training providers and third parties replace cards for their people via CSCS Online instead.
Does a replacement card give me a new expiry date?: No, and this catches people out. CSCS states that replacement cards carry the expiry date printed on the original card. Replacing is not renewing. If your card was nearly out of date when you lost it, the £36 replacement will also be nearly out of date.
What if my card expired more than a year ago?: You are outside the renewal window and will generally need to apply as a new application rather than renew. For a Labourer card specifically, CSCS says an application more than a year past expiry needs an appeal with evidence of working in a labouring role.
Do I have to retake the CITB HS&E test to renew?: Sometimes. Several cards require a test pass from within the last two years at the point of application, so a pass that was fine when you first applied may be too old by renewal. The Labourer card is the exception worth knowing: when you renew the initial two-year card, CSCS extends acceptance of the original test pass to three years.
Are there cards that cannot be renewed at all?: Yes. On expiry, Academically Qualified Person and Professionally Qualified Person cards must be applied for as new applications. AQP applicants need a copy of the qualification certificate every time, and PQP applicants need evidence of current membership of their professional body every time, because memberships lapse.