Safety training ยท OSHA Outreach
Do OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 cards expire?
Under federal rules, no. But a card that never expires can still be too old for a New York City job site, a Nevada showroom, or a Connecticut public works project.
The federal answer
OSHA's Outreach Training Program FAQ is direct: student course completion cards in Construction, General Industry, Maritime, and Disaster Site "do not have an expiration date" (OSHA Outreach FAQ). Maritime cards stopped expiring on April 1, 2019, and cards issued before that date remain valid.
Three other points from OSHA explain why the card alone is rarely the whole story:
- It is voluntary. OSHA describes Outreach as a voluntary program that does not meet the training requirements for any OSHA standard, and notes that states, municipalities, or others may still require it as a condition of employment (OSHA Outreach Training Program).
- It is not a certification. OSHA says none of the Outreach courses is considered a certification (OSHA Outreach Training Program). Employers remain responsible for training workers on the specific hazards of their jobs (OSHA FAQ).
- Replacements are limited. A replacement card comes from the original trainer, only if the class was taken within the last five years, and only once per student per class. OSHA keeps no class records and does not verify individual cards (OSHA FAQ).
Part of the confusion comes from trainers. An Outreach trainer's authorization lasts four years and must be renewed with an update course (OSHA FAQ). The trainer's status expires. The student's card does not.
Where OSHA cards do have time limits
New York City: Site Safety Training (SST)
On New York City job sites that have a Construction Superintendent, Site Safety Coordinator, or Site Safety Manager, workers need 40 hours of safety training and supervisors need an SST card showing at least 62 hours (NYC DOB SST worker information). An OSHA 30 course counts toward both totals and an OSHA 10 course counts toward the worker total, but the city card has its own clock:
- SST cards are valid for five years from the date of issue.
- Worker renewal takes eight hours of refresher courses and supervisor renewal takes 16 (NYC DOB). The refresher training must be completed within the 12 months before the card is renewed (NYC DOB SST training).
- Under Local Law 10 of 2026, cards expiring on or after May 3, 2026 can be renewed up to one year after expiration. During that grace year the expired card cannot be used on a job site (NYC DOB).
- A worker with OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 from the past five years can get a temporary SST card valid for six months.
DOB says penalties can reach $5,000 per untrained worker, charged to the site owner, the permit holder, and the worker's employer (NYC DOB SST FAQ).
Nevada
Nevada requires non-supervisory construction workers to get an OSHA-10 card, and supervisors an OSHA-30 card, within 15 days of being hired (NRS 618.983). Those construction cards used to expire after five years, but Senate Bill 233 removed the expiration and renewal rules in 2015 (Nevada regulation R071-15). Some older training websites still repeat the old rule.
The five-year limit survives in two other Nevada laws. Cards used to meet the entertainment industry requirement (NRS 618.9911) and the convention services requirement (NRS 618.9929) expire five years after they are issued (NRS Chapter 618).
Public works projects
Several states require OSHA 10 on public construction. Most set no expiration, but one uses a look-back window:
| State | Rule | Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | OSHA 10 on covered public works (§31-53b) | Card must be dated no earlier than five years before the project starts |
| Massachusetts | OSHA 10 on public works over $10,000 (c.30 §39S) | None in the statute |
| Missouri | OSHA 10 on public works within 60 days of starting (RSMo 292.675) | None in the statute |
| New York State | OSHA 10 on public work contracts of $250,000 or more (Labor Law §220-h) | None in the statute |
Connecticut also requires a refresher of at least four hours for plumbers and electricians whose OSHA 10 is five or more years old (§31-53b).
Project owners and general contractors can set their own limits in contracts, too. If a bid package says "OSHA 10 within the last five years," that becomes the rule for that job.
What to record for each worker
- Card type (10 or 30) and industry (Construction or General Industry).
- Class completion date, which is the anchor for every look-back and replacement rule above.
- A photo of the card. OSHA will not verify it and the trainer can only replace it within five years.
- A next due date only where a rule applies, such as an SST card's expiration. Leave it blank otherwise so the tracker does not flag cards that are still valid.
Rules change. This guide summarizes public sources and is not legal advice. Confirm current requirements with OSHA and the state, city, or project owner that requires the training before acting on them.