• A TR Group Site
  • Help
  • Cart
Driving Tests DT logo small
Driving tests
  • Learner licence
    • Car
    • Motorbike
    • Heavy vehicle
    • Learner Licence Plus
  • Courses
  • Tourist
  • Resources
  • Learn
  • Resources
  • Learner licence
    • Car
    • Motorbike
    • Heavy Vehicle
    • Learner Licence Plus
  • Your courses
    • Enrolled courses
  • View all courses
  • Tourist
  • Resources home
  • iOS application
  • Android application
  • Contact us
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy
  • Home
  • /
  • Resources
  • /
  • Forklift
  • / How often do you need to renew your forklift operator’s certificate?

How often do you need to renew your forklift operator’s certificate?

A forklift operator’s certificate is a course that teaches forklift operation and safety protocols followed by a practical assessment that includes three types of lifting, manoeuvring, a pre-shift check and correct shutdown procedure.

The recommendation in the Approved Code of Practice is to repeat this training every three years. Note that this is a recommendation, it’s not mandatory. However, the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 says that you must either follow the Code or choose an alternative method which has superior health and safety outcomes. In this case, you could renew your forklift operator’s certificate every two years and that would be superior but if you leave it longer than three years, that is worse.

If your forklift operator’s certificate course is overdue, what do you do?

You simply take the online forklift operator’s certificate course. There is nowhere in the Approved Code of Practice where it says anything like ‘if your certificate is within 3 months of the expiry date you can renew it by doing a refresher, but if not, you must take a full course.’ We have seen forklift training companies that say this exact thing and it’s simply them trying to get more dollars from you.

There is no difference in the theory material you must cover whether it’s a refresher course or a new course – the Approved Code of Practice outlines what it is. Therefore, if your operator’s certificate is overdue, you can be current again by completing our online forklift operator’s certificate course.

By Darren Cottingham

Darren has written over 3000 articles about driving and vehicles, plus almost 500 vehicle reviews and numerous driving courses. Connect with him on LinkedIn by clicking the name above

‹ What is a forklift licence?
How much training should you give your forklift operators? ›
Tagged with: forklift | Posted in Forklift
  • DisqusDisqus

Licences and Courses

  • Car
  • Motorbike
  • Heavy Vehicles
Car
  • Core
  • Behaviour
  • Parking
  • Emergencies
  • Road position
  • Intersection
  • Theory
  • Signs
Motorbike
  • Bike-specific questions
  • Core
  • Behaviour
  • Parking
  • Emergencies
  • Road position
  • Intersection
  • Theory
  • Signs
Heavy Vehicles
  • Class 2
  • Class 3-5
  • Core
  • Behaviour
  • Parking
  • Emergencies
  • Road position
  • Intersection
  • Theory
  • Signs

Vehicle and workplace training

  • About
  • Resources
DT Driver Training TR Group
About
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
Resources
  • Homepage
  • Driving Tests Android App
  • Driving Tests iPhone App
  • Getting your learner licence
DT Driver Training TR Group
Copyright 2010-2025 DT Driver Training Ltd, PO Box 12541, Penrose, Auckland, 1642. All rights reserved. Questions and images are used with permission from NZTA; question answers are proprietary.