How do you check a training certificate or card is genuine?
Check it with the scheme that issued it, never from the card alone. CITB and CSCS run online card checkers for CSCS cards, NPORS checks a card by registration number, surname, date of birth and NI number, IPAF verifies a PAL card from the licence number and date of birth, PASMA checks a certificate from the name and certificate number, and Qualsafe certificates can be verified online. For courses a provider certifies itself, ask the provider, ideally through a QR code on the certificate.
Last reviewed: 22 October 2026
- CITB says construction scheme card fraud is a serious issue for the industry.
- Each scheme runs its own checker, and each asks for different details.
- A genuine CSCS card should appear on CITB's card checker.
- IPAF's PAL card check returns the holder's name, photo and categories.
- Provider issued certificates have no scheme checker, so a QR check from the provider fills the gap.
Why check at all?
CITB's page on fraudulent construction scheme cards says that construction scheme card fraud is a serious issue for the industry. A card or certificate that looks right can still be forged, altered, expired or belong to someone else, so the safe check is against the scheme's own records.
Each scheme's own checker
- CSCS cards: CITB's card checker, where a genuine card should appear, and CSCS's own card checking page. CITB also lists visual checks: the CSCS hologram top left, a photo that matches the holder, the registration number and expiry date under the name and repeated on the back, the HS&E Tested logo, colour that runs to the edge of the card and sharp printing
- NPORS cards: the NPORS online card checker, using the NPORS registration number, the operator's surname, date of birth and NI number
- IPAF PAL cards: IPAF's verify a PAL card page, using the licence number and the holder's date of birth. It shows the holder's name, photo and categories, so you can see whether they are trained on the machine you need
- PASMA towers: PASMA certificates are checked online with the first name, last name and certificate number. PASMA cards are now virtual, in the TowerSure app
- Qualsafe first aid: Qualsafe says its certificates are verifiable online, in its First Aid at Work specification
For any other scheme or awarding body, look for its checker on its own website rather than a link on the certificate, which a forger could change.
What about certificates a provider issues itself?
Many courses, such as fire marshal or manual handling, lead to a certificate from the training provider rather than a scheme. No scheme checker covers them, so the only way to check one is to ask the provider, which usually means an email and a wait.
A QR code on the certificate makes that check instant. In our live training provider demo at training-demo.varsuite.co.uk, every certificate has a number that cannot be guessed and a QR code. Scanning it opens a page that says whether the certificate is valid, expired or revoked, with the name, course, date and provider only. It shows no date of birth and no employer, every check is logged, and the check pages are kept out of search engines.
Awarding body certificates sit on the same delegate record, and employers can see all their staff's certificates in their own portal, so a site manager has one place to look. The rest of the system is on our training provider software page.
Sources
Checked on 22 October 2026:
- CITB, Fraudulent construction scheme cards and check a card
- CSCS, check cards
- NPORS, online card checker
- IPAF, verify PAL card
- PASMA, cards and certificates FAQs
- Qualsafe Awards, Level 3 Award in First Aid at Work specification, version 11, March 2026
How do I check a CSCS card is real?
Use CITB's card checker, where a genuine card should appear, or the CSCS card checking page. CITB also lists visual checks, such as the hologram, a matching photo and colour that runs to the edge of the card.
What do I need to check an IPAF PAL card?
The licence number and the holder's date of birth. IPAF's check returns the holder's name, photo and categories.
Can I check a fire marshal or manual handling certificate?
Only with the provider that issued it, as no scheme checker covers them. A QR code on the certificate that opens the provider's own check page is the quickest way.
What should a certificate check page show?
Enough to confirm the certificate and no more: the name, the course, the date, the provider and whether it is valid, expired or revoked. A date of birth or employer is not needed for that.
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