The CSCS Green (Labourer) card

Here it is first, before anything else.

The Labourer card is for workers doing qualifying labouring duties on sites that require a card: carrying, clearing, assisting the trades. If that is the work, this is your card.

Construction card schemes are separate from one another. What they broadly share is a common safety baseline, the CITB HS&E test, which comes in three types (Operatives; Specialists; Managers & Professionals). The Operatives test is the one labourers take; different occupations need different test types, and other schemes may accept other recognised evidence, so it is one baseline, not one identical test for everyone. official

The CSCS Labourer card is the entry-level card in the CSCS family, coloured green, restricted to labouring occupations. My CSCS shows your digital card and can store your qualifications and training records. official The Level 1 qualification has a minimum age of 16 (NOCN); confirm the CSCS card age with CSCS. official (qualification age) · to confirm (card age)

What it gives you: appropriate card evidence for labouring duties, and evidence of basic safety awareness; site admission remains at the principal contractor's discretion. What it is not: it is not a competence card for any trade or machine, and it does not replace proper on-the-job training and supervision. to confirm

Level 1 Award (or CSCS-recognised alternative) + HS&E test → apply → if CSCS approves → green card

The two things you need

1. Pass the appropriate CITB HS&E test. A knowledge check, run by CITB, that you understand the basics of working safely on site. CITB runs three types: Operatives (general site workers, and the one labourers take; different occupations need different test types), Specialists (trade-specific roles) and Managers & Professionals. The Operatives test is 50 questions, 45 minutes, 90% to pass, on a computer at a test centre. It is a common safety baseline across construction cards, not one identical test for every scheme: others may accept other recognised evidence. official

2. Hold the Level 1 Award in Health and Safety in a Construction Environment, or a CSCS-recognised alternative. A small qualification, around 30 hours of total qualification time (NOCN); delivery varies by provider and format. official The Award is an assessed qualification; the HS&E test is a separate knowledge check. In Scotland it is the Level 4 equivalent. official

With both done, you apply through the My CSCS app or CSCS Online and, if CSCS approves the application, the card is issued. No practical, no trade assessment.

There is no single "cost of a green card". The card and the test are the two fixed fees; the course is the variable part. CSCS is blunt: do not pay more than £36 for the card, so budget around £36 and confirm the current fee on CSCS. official verify

Fees that apply	Cost
CSCS card application (direct to CSCS) official	around £36, confirm on CSCS
CITB HS&E test official verify	£23.50
Card plus test (if you already hold the Level 1 Award)	about £60 (£36 + £23.50 = £59.50)

The card and test fees are the two charges verified here; get a current quote for the course from the provider. Every other figure here is an estimate. Fees change, so confirm the current figures on cscs.uk.com and citb.co.uk before you pay.

If you fail the test, check CITB for the current resit rules and fee. Funding may be available for the course, which can cut the biggest variable cost, but you still pay the card and test fees (about £59.50) unless those are separately covered, so ask before paying full price.

changed 1 Feb 2025

The green card used to be the Construction Site Operative card. The old card was being used by skilled workers as an easier route onto site, instead of their proper trade card. official That broke the whole idea of a card meaning something.

So on 1 July 2014, CSCS stopped issuing new Construction Site Operative cards, replacing them with today's green card, locked to labouring occupations only. official verify That is why it is deliberately narrow, and why getting one when you are not a labourer misses the point. CSCS itself has run since 1995. official

The green card is a start, not a ladder. Skilled trades, plant operation and supervision each have their own cards and routes, and they are separate, not steps you climb up from green. Find your route on the NSI skills page →

A recognised construction-related Level 2 NVQ/SVQ (or another CSCS-approved qualification) can lead to the blue Skilled Worker card, and a construction-related Level 3 NVQ/SVQ or another CSCS-approved qualification can lead to gold; blue is not a mandatory step before gold. official

The question that matters most is unowned by anyone online: will this card get me on this site? A card does not give an automatic right of entry: the principal contractor decides who is admitted and what evidence of competence is required. official The table is NSI's general reading of the right card for the job, not live site data; the green card is the wrong evidence for a skilled occupation or plant whatever the size of the site, and every site decides for itself. to confirm

You are	Large / principal-contractor site	Smaller / domestic
A labourer, green card	Appropriate card; entry still at the site's discretion	Appropriate card; entry still at the site's discretion
Doing a trade, green card only	Wrong card	Wrong card
Operating plant, green card only	No; the green card is not evidence of plant competence	No; the green card is not evidence of plant competence

Does the green card guarantee I get on site? No. The principal contractor decides who is admitted; the card is the evidence they look for, not a right of entry.

Is it really called the labourer card? Yes. Everyone says "green card", but its official name is the CSCS Labourer card. It replaced the old Construction Site Operative card in 2014.

Do I need the HS&E test as well as the green card? The HS&E test is not a separate card, it is one of the two requirements. You also need the Level 1 Award (or a CSCS-recognised alternative), then you apply and CSCS approves the card. Passing the test does not issue it automatically.

How do I renew? Show you are still labouring and hold a current HS&E test; the exact rules differ for the 2-year card and older cards, so check CSCS.

Do I need a green card before a plant or trade card? No. Plant and trades have their own cards with their own requirements; the green card is for labouring.

How much, and what age? The card is around £36 and card plus test about £60. From scratch is only an NSI illustration of about £210, assuming a course of about £150, because providers vary. Confirm current fees on CSCS and CITB. The Level 1 qualification has a minimum age of 16 (NOCN); confirm the CSCS card age with CSCS.