- CSCS Smart Check covers all 2.3 million cards displaying the CSCS logo.
- CITB revoked 863 fraudulent CSCS cards in 2024.
- An SIA licence costs £204 and lasts three years.
- Using an unlicensed security operative can carry up to five years on indictment.
Start here, by situation
- You manage a site and want to check a card: CSCS Smart Check. For an electrician, the ECS guide.
- Someone offered you a card without a test: fake CSCS cards.
- You hire door staff or guards: your legal duty to check and how cloned licences are caught.
- You want a security licence: SIA licence cost and requirements.
- You want the right CSCS card: card types.
Construction and electrical cards
How to check a CSCS card compares the three Smart Check routes (website, app, API) and explains why looking at a card cannot find a fake, a revoked card or one obtained fraudulently. Fake CSCS cards gives the reported prices against the genuine cost, CITB's revocation figures and prosecutions.
CSCS card types lists the types on the CSCS site and why an employer questions a card that does not fit the job. Fake ECS and JIB cards covers the electricians' scheme, where the JIB says most fraud is advance-fee. Test centre fraud explains why a genuine card can still be fraudulent if the test behind it was rigged.
Security licences
SIA licence cost gives the fee, the identity documents and the application steps. Cloned and fake SIA licences sets out three published prosecutions and the card's security features. Employing unlicensed security staff covers sections 3 and 5 of the Private Security Industry Act 2001 and the reasonable-precautions defence.
How each scheme is checked
| Card | Official check | Report fraud to |
|---|---|---|
| CSCS | Smart Check: CSCSSmartCheck.co.uk, mobile app or API | The fraud reporting section on cscs.uk.com |
| ECS | ecscard.org.uk/check, the ECS Check app, or CSCS Smart Check | feedback@ecscard.org.uk |
| SIA licence | Physical security features and the SIA's register of licence holders | The SIA online form, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 |
The offences that apply are collected on UK law on fake documents.
Further guides
Frequently asked questions
Can a work card be checked online?
Yes. CSCS runs Smart Check, ECS has its own checker and app, and the SIA keeps a register of licence holders.
Who prosecutes fake work cards?
Trading Standards teams, the SIA for security licences, and CITB works with CSCS to revoke fraudulent cards.
Why is looking at a card not enough?
CSCS says visual inspection will not detect cards that are fake, revoked or fraudulently obtained.
Who is responsible for checking cards on site?
CSCS says the Building Safety Act makes contractors responsible for making sure everyone on site is appropriately trained and qualified for their role.
How do I report a suspected fake SIA licence?
Use the SIA's online reporting form, or report anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, which says it passes reports to the police and the SIA.