Each certificate on an NRSWA street works card (the SWQR card) lasts five years from the date it was certificated, and in England and Scotland there's no single card expiry date: every certificate has its own. Once a certificate expires it isn't valid, but you can still renew it by reassessment for up to five years after expiry; after that it's the full assessment again.
This post covers how long an NRSWA ticket lasts, when to book the reassessment and what happens if one lapses. For the wider picture of what the qualification is and who needs it, see our NRSWA street works tickets guide (opens in a new tab).
How long does an NRSWA card last?
Five years per certificate. In England this is set by law: under the Street Works (Qualifications of Operatives and Supervisors) (England) Regulations 2016, a certificate stops being registered five years after the day it was issued. It can be re-registered for further periods as many times as you like, as long as it's renewed in time.
What catches people out is that an England/Scotland card has no overall expiry date:
- The key certificates (LA, O1 and S1) are on the front, each with its own expiry date.
- The other certificates (O2 to O8, S2 to S7) are on the back, again with their own dates.
So check the earliest date that matters for the work being done, not just the front of the card.
Cards issued under the Wales/Northern Ireland rules are different. They carry one expiry date on the front and renew by re-registration (see below).
Is an NRSWA card valid for 3 years or 5 years?
Five. You'll see "three years" mentioned online, and one line on SWQR's own application support page says it, but SWQR's candidate guidance, the Department for Transport (DfT) guidance and the 2016 Regulations all say five years per certificate.
What is an NRSWA ticket?
"NRSWA ticket", "NRSWA card", "street works ticket" and "streetworks ticket" all mean the same thing: a card from the Street Works Qualifications Register (SWQR). It shows you hold the street works qualifications needed under the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 (NRSWA).
SWQR is run by Qualifications Scotland (formerly SQA), the registration body named in the regulations, and is authorised by the UK Government transport departments. You get on the register by passing assessments at an approved centre. The centre then applies to SWQR for your card.
Section 67 of the Act puts the duty on the undertaker (the utility, or whoever is carrying out the works). Where works break up the street, they must be supervised by someone with a supervisor qualification, and there must be at least one qualified operative on site at all times while the works are in progress. The supervisor doesn't have to be on site all the time. Failing to comply is an offence.
NRSWA qualifications: operative and supervisor certificates
The NRSWA qualification is really a set of separate certificates (units).
Common to both: LA, location and avoidance of underground apparatus (key certificate).
Operatives: O1, signing, lighting and guarding (key certificate), then O2 excavation in the highway, O3 reinstatement and compaction of backfill, O4 sub-base and base in non-bituminous materials, O5 cold-lay bituminous, O6 hot-lay bituminous, O7 concrete slabs and O8 modular surfaces and concrete footways.
Supervisors: S1, monitoring signing, lighting and guarding (key certificate), then S2 to S7, which monitor the same activities. S5 covers all bituminous reinstatement.
A typical excavation operative holds LA, O1 and O2. A supervisor monitoring excavation needs LA, S1 and S2. A supervisor card doesn't make you an operative, so anyone doing both jobs needs both sets.
When to book an NRSWA reassessment
In England and Scotland you renew by reassessment: a theory-only, multiple-choice, open-book assessment at an approved centre. Training beforehand is optional. When you sit it changes how long the renewed certificate lasts:
- In the last 12 months before expiry: the new five years start the day after the old expiry date, so you don't lose any time. It works like an MOT.
- More than 12 months (but no more than 48 months) before expiry: the renewed certificate lasts a fixed six years from the renewal date. Handy if you want to line up certificates that expire at different times.
- In the certificate's first year: the renewed certificate lasts five years from the renewal date.
SWQR recommends reassessing about six months before expiry. That gives the centre time to submit the application and sort out any problems before the old date passes.
You only renew the certificates you're reassessed in. Anything you don't reassess drops off once it expires.
What happens if your NRSWA card has expired?
Once a certificate's expiry date passes, it isn't valid. That person can't count as your qualified operative or supervisor for that work until they've been reassessed.
Expired key certificates take others down with them:
- If O1 expires, every O certificate on the back of the card is invalid.
- If S1 expires, every S certificate is invalid.
- If LA expires, every certificate on the back of the card is invalid.
The other certificates aren't lost for good. DfT guidance says they become valid again once the expired key certificate is renewed.
Do you have to retrain from scratch?
Not straight away. In England and Scotland:
- Up to five years after expiry, you can still renew by reassessment. You aren't qualified in the meantime, but you don't have to start again.
- After five years, you sit the full initial assessments again, practical and theory. SWQR also says the centre's application has to reach it before the five-year cut-off, or it can't be processed.
Wales and Northern Ireland cards
Under the Wales/Northern Ireland rules, cards are re-registered with SWQR for a fee, with no assessment, at any time after the card's first year and up to three months after expiry. A re-registered card is only valid in Wales and Northern Ireland, not in England or Scotland.
How to check someone's NRSWA card
SWQR doesn't have a public online search. To check a card:
- Ask for the SWQR card and read every expiry date, front and back.
- If you need confirmation, email swqr@qualifications.gov.scot (opens in a new tab) so you have a written reply for your records. You can also phone 0345 270 2720, and they'll check up to three people per call.
- SWQR will confirm whether the person is on the register, which qualifications they hold and their expiry dates.
Make sure you're on swqr.org.uk, the official register. Some sites with similar names are training providers.
Keeping track of street works ticket expiry dates
The hard part of NRSWA isn't the rules. It's keeping track of a dozen dates per person across a whole team, when one lapsed O1 or LA can knock out a whole card.
QualTrack gives every operative a passport with each certificate recorded separately, with its own expiry date. It sends reminders at 90, 30 and 7 days before expiry, so the reassessment can be booked inside that last 12 months and nobody loses a day. You can book the course in QualTrack, see who's due in the training matrix, and a QR site card shows anyone on site whether someone is cleared for the work they're doing. There's a 60-second video (opens in a new tab) if you want a quick look.
QualTrack is from £29 a month ex VAT, and your data is held in London. Start your free trial (opens in a new tab): 30 days, no card and no contract. Or book a demo (opens in a new tab) if you'd like us to walk you through it.
FAQ
How long does an NRSWA card last?
Each certificate lasts five years from its certification date. England/Scotland cards have no single expiry date, so check every certificate.
Can I work on an expired NRSWA ticket while I wait for my reassessment?
No. An expired certificate isn't valid. Once a renewal certificate has been awarded, the England regulations treat you as qualified for up to two months while it's being registered, but that doesn't cover the gap before you pass.
Do I need to redo the full course if my NRSWA card has expired?
Not if you're within five years of the expiry date. Reassessment is enough. After five years you sit the initial assessments again.
Is training compulsory before an NRSWA reassessment?
No. Training is optional for both the initial assessment and reassessment, though most centres offer it.
Does SWQR send renewal reminders?
Yes. SWQR's card renewal reminder service sends alerts 90, 60 and 30 days before expiry. It's aimed at the cardholder, so employers still need their own view of who's due.
Is an NRSWA card the same as an EUSR card?
No. The SWQR card covers street works qualifications. EUSR runs separate utilities schemes, such as SHEA and EUSR CSCS cards. Utility contractors often ask for both.
Josh, QualTrack
