Sites now check CSCS cards digitally — expired or fake cards get caught

Checking cards at the gate has changed. With Smart Check, site managers verify a CSCS card in real time — status, qualifications, expiry — straight from the scheme's database. A card that "looks fine" but is expired or not genuine does not pass any more.

The good news for workers: through the My CSCS app you get access to your digital card as soon as your application is approved — no more waiting for plastic in the post before you can start.

Also worth knowing: the old Industry Accreditation route (cards based on experience alone, "grandfather rights") is gone — those cards all expired at the end of 2024. The only way to hold a CSCS card now is through a recognised qualification.

Bottom line: know your expiry date, keep your test in date, and renew early — you can do it up to 6 months before expiry, yourself, at the official price. We have a free step-by-step guide on graftum.com/cscs in 7 languages.