Which NYC scaffold course do you need? Scaffold cards and the DOB Worker Wallet
Short answer
It depends on what you do on the scaffold. Anyone who works on a supported scaffold needs the 4-Hour Supported Scaffold User course, retaken every 4 years. Suspended scaffold (swing stage) users need 16 hours, people who install or remove supported scaffolds 40 feet or taller need 32 hours, and suspended scaffold supervisors need 32 hours. Your scaffold qualifications go on the DOB Worker Wallet card, which is separate from your SST card.
Checked against the official sources on
Scaffold courses by role
| What you do | DOB course | Refresher |
|---|---|---|
| Use or work on a supported scaffold | 4-Hour Supported Scaffold User and Refresher | Retake the 4-hour course every 4 years |
| Install, adjust, repair, maintain or remove a supported scaffold 40 feet or taller (or the sidewalk shed it stands on), or supervise that work | 32-Hour Supported Scaffold Installer and Remover | 8-Hour Installer and Remover Refresher every 4 years |
| Use, install, adjust, repair, maintain or remove a suspended scaffold | 16-Hour Suspended Scaffold User | 8-Hour Suspended Scaffold User Refresher every 4 years |
| Supervise suspended scaffold work | 32-Hour Suspended Scaffold Supervisor | 8-Hour Suspended Scaffold Supervisor Refresher every 4 years |
The 4-hour supported scaffold course also counts toward the SST card. DOB notes that suspended scaffold users may also need a Certificate of Fitness from a licensed rigger or sign hanger.
What is the DOB Worker Wallet card?
The Worker Wallet is a plastic card that shows your DOB worker certifications when it is scanned with the Training Connect app: supported and suspended scaffold, rigging, mast climber, tower crane rigger and periodic gas piping inspector qualifications. Since July 1, 2025 it is the only worker card accepted on NYC job sites for these qualifications.
The course provider issues the Worker Wallet card when you finish your first worker certification course and adds later courses and refreshers to it. It does not replace the SST card: on sites that need SST, you carry both.
- Install the Training Connect app.
- Turn on NFC (tap to scan) on your phone.
- Tap your card. If a course you took is missing, contact the provider that taught it.
Can scaffold training be online?
Partly. The hands-on parts of DOB scaffold courses must be done in person. The lecture parts can be taught in a live online classroom, but not as self-paced video: on-demand courses are allowed only for SST-only courses.
More questions
Is the 4-hour supported scaffold course the same for SST and for the scaffold card?
DOB lists two versions: one that counts for SST only, and one that counts for both the scaffold qualification and SST. If you will work on scaffolds, make sure your course is the version that puts the qualification on your Worker Wallet.
I have an old paper scaffold card. Do I need a new one?
Since July 1, 2025 every worker with a DOB worker certification must hold a Worker Wallet card. Your next refresher with a DOB-registered course provider puts your qualification on a Worker Wallet.
Does the Worker Wallet replace my SST card?
No. They are two different cards. On sites covered by Local Law 196 you need an SST card, and if your role needs a worker certification you need the Worker Wallet too.
Training for this
Our NYC DOB courses are taught by a Trade Progress Center instructor registered with the NYC DOB as a trainer, OSHA classes by an OSHA-authorized trainer, and FDNY courses are exam preparation. Classes in English, Russian or Spanish, in person or online.
Official sources
- NYC DOB: Training (SST and Worker Wallet)
- NYC DOB: SST Frequently Asked Questions
- NYC DOB: DOB-Approved Courses and Requirements
- NYC DOB: 8-Hour Suspended Scaffold User Refresher requirements
- NYC DOB: 8-Hour Supported Scaffold Installer and Remover Refresher requirements
- NYC Building Code 3314.4.5.2: training for supported scaffold users
This page explains the rules in plain words. The agencies’ own pages and rules decide, and they change: check the source links before you act.