Federal OSHA does not require the card. Some states do.
Federal OSHA calls the Outreach Training Program voluntary, and its FAQ says the 10- and 30-hour courses do not by themselves meet any OSHA training requirement. Employers still have to train workers on the specific hazards of their jobs under individual standards. The legal requirement to hold an OSHA card comes from states, cities and contracts. The checker covers every jurisdiction where we verified the statute or official agency guidance.
The rules at a glance
| Jurisdiction | Who | Requirement | Refresh | Law |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | Construction workers / supervisors on any site | OSHA 10 / OSHA 30 within 15 days | Card expires after 5 years | NRS 618.9911 |
| New York City | Workers and supervisors on sites needing a Site Safety Plan | SST card (40 h / 62 h) | Valid 5 years, 8 h / 16 h refresher | Local Law 196 |
| New York State | Public work contracts of $250,000 or more | OSHA 10 before any work | No renewal required (NYS DOL) | Labor Law §220-h |
| Connecticut | Workers on covered public works | OSHA 10 with first certified payroll | 4-hour refresher for licensed plumbers and electricians whose card is 5+ years old | CGS §31-53b |
| Massachusetts | Public works and buildings over $10,000 | OSHA 10 before starting | None in statute | MGL c.30 §39S |
| Missouri | On-site workers on public works | OSHA 10 or approved equivalent within 60 days | Cards do not expire (DOLIR) | RSMo 292.675 |
| New Hampshire | State-funded public work of $100,000 or more | OSHA 10 before starting | None in statute | RSA 277:5-a |
| Rhode Island | State and municipal construction of $100,000 or more | OSHA 10, card carried on the person | None in statute | RIGL §37-23-1 |
| West Virginia | Public improvement contracts over $50,000 | OSHA 10 within 21 calendar days (exempt if on site under 21 days) | None in statute | W. Va. Code §21-3-22 |
| Philadelphia | Workers on permitted sites; licensed contractors | OSHA 10 for all; OSHA 30 for one supervisor | Supervisor OSHA 30 within 5 years of licensing | Phila. L&I rules |
Each result in the checker links to the official source.
How to read a result
"Required" names the course. Most public-works laws ask specifically for the construction 10-hour course. If you choose General Industry for one of those states, you will usually see no requirement, which is correct, because those statutes do not cover general industry work.
"Applies to" tells you whether the rule covers every site (Nevada, NYC, Philadelphia) or only public projects (CT, MA, MO, NH, RI, NY State). For public projects, enter the contract value: New York State starts at $250,000, New Hampshire and Rhode Island at $100,000, and Massachusetts above $10,000.
"Deadline" matters for onboarding. Nevada gives a worker 15 days from starting on a site, Missouri allows 60 days from starting on the project, and Massachusetts and New York State expect the training before the first day.
"Refresh rule" is where most compliance mistakes happen:
- Nevada's card expires five years after issue. Renewal means retaking the course or completing continuing education: 5 hours for OSHA 10, 15 hours for OSHA 30.
- NYC SST cards are valid five years. Renewal requires the refresher hours within the 12 months before renewal. For cards expiring on or after May 3, 2026, NYC allows renewal up to one year after expiry, but an expired card cannot be used on site during that grace period.
- Connecticut adds a 4-hour refresher for licensed plumbers and electricians whose OSHA 10 is five or more years old.
- New York State's own guidance says that once a worker has completed OSHA 10, no renewal is required for state public work.
States without a card statute
If your state is not listed, there is no state law we could verify that requires OSHA 10 or 30 for private work. That does not mean nobody will ask. In practice the card is required by:
- General contractors, in site rules and subcontract exhibits. Many require OSHA 10 for all workers and OSHA 30 for foremen.
- Owners and public agencies, in project specifications.
- Unions, through apprenticeship programs.
- Insurers, sometimes as part of a safety program review.
Ask for the specs before you bid, and keep the cards on file so you can answer in minutes.
Turning the rules into reminders
Knowing a rule is the easy part. Remembering that Maria's Nevada card hits five years next March is harder. In the OSHA card tracker you can set the training each job site requires and see who is missing it. Add an expiry date only where a rule creates one, and you will get reminders at 60, 30 and 7 days. On the Crew plan, the worker gets a text too.
Keeping this accurate
Laws change. We checked each rule against the official statute or agency page listed in our research notes in October 2026 and cite the source on every result. If you are bidding a public job, read the contract specifications too, because they can be stricter than the statute.
Worked examples
A roofing sub in Las Vegas, private commercial job. Nevada's rule applies to construction sites regardless of who owns the project. Workers need OSHA 10 within 15 days of starting, and supervisors need OSHA 30. Cards older than five years must be renewed under Nevada law, so the tracker should get an expiry date five years from issue.
An electrical contractor on a $3 million Massachusetts school renovation. It is a public building over $10,000, so every employee on site needs OSHA 10 Construction before they start, and proof goes in with the first certified payroll. No refresher is needed for older cards under the statute.
A plumbing contractor on a $400,000 Connecticut municipal project. The Connecticut statute covers public building projects meeting its funding and cost thresholds, so check the contract. Licensed plumbers whose OSHA 10 is five or more years old need the 4-hour refresher before working there.
A drywall crew on a private Manhattan high-rise. NYC Local Law 196 applies on many permitted sites, depending on the site's safety-supervision designation. Workers need an SST card, and SST cards expire five years after issue. OSHA 10 alone is not enough.
A general contractor in Texas. Texas has no state OSHA card statute, so the answer depends on contracts and owner requirements. Many large owners still require OSHA 10 for everyone on site.
When rules overlap
A single project can sit under several rules at once: a state statute, a city rule, an owner's specification and a GC's prequalification policy. Always apply the strictest one. If a New York City public project falls under the state public-works rule and Local Law 196, workers need both the OSHA 10 for the state requirement and an SST card for the city. Often one course path satisfies both. For example, the NYC 40-hour SST path can include OSHA 30, so keep evidence for each requirement.