What is an SST card, and who needs one in NYC?
Short answer
An SST (Site Safety Training) card is the NYC Department of Buildings card that proves you finished the safety training required by Local Law 196 of 2017. Workers need 40 hours for the SST Worker card; site safety supervisors need 62 hours for the Supervisor card. You need it to work on NYC job sites that have a Construction Superintendent, Site Safety Coordinator or Site Safety Manager.
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Who needs an SST card
Local Law 196 covers job sites that need a Site Safety Plan and a designated Construction Superintendent, Site Safety Coordinator, Site Safety Manager, Concrete Safety Manager or competent person. On those sites every construction and demolition worker, foreperson and journeyperson needs a valid SST card, whether they work for the general contractor or for a small subcontractor.
Minor alterations and new 1-, 2- or 3-family homes usually do not need a site safety professional, so workers there generally do not need the card. To check a specific address, use the DOB Site Safety Construction Map.
Some people on covered sites do not need a card as long as they are not the designated safety professional: owners, project managers, engineers and architects, delivery persons, flag persons, security officers, special inspectors and consultants.
Which courses make up the 40-hour Worker card
DOB gives two ways to reach 40 hours. Option 1 is the usual one, because it starts from OSHA 30.
| Course | Option 1 | Option 2 |
|---|---|---|
| OSHA 30 or DOB 40-Hour Site Safety | 30 | - |
| OSHA 10 | - | 10 |
| 8-Hour Fall Prevention | 8 | 8 |
| 8-Hour Site Safety | - | 8 |
| 4-Hour Supported Scaffold User and Refresher | - | 4 |
| 2-Hour Mental Health Awareness | 2 | 2 |
| General electives | - | 4 |
| Specialized electives | - | 4 |
| Total | 40 | 40 |
Your OSHA card (or the DOB 40-Hour Site Safety course) counts only if it is less than 5 years old. Since August 1, 2026 the 2-Hour Mental Health Awareness course has replaced the 2-Hour Drug and Alcohol Awareness course (Local Law 10 of 2026).
The 62-hour Supervisor card
Site Safety Managers, Site Safety Coordinators, Construction Superintendents and competent persons need the Supervisor SST card: OSHA 30 or 40-Hour Site Safety (30 hours), 8-Hour Fall Prevention (8), 8-Hour Site Safety (8), 4-Hour Supported Scaffold User and Refresher (4), and 2 hours each of Mental Health Awareness, Site Safety Plan, Tool Box Talks, Pre-Task Meeting, general electives and specialized electives.
A foreperson who is not the designated safety professional needs only the regular 40-hour SST card.
How you get the card
- Take the courses with a DOB-registered course provider.
- The provider enters your courses in DOB Training Connect and issues the card. Sites scan it with the Training Connect app before you are let in.
- If you already have OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 from the last 5 years, you can get a 6-month SST Temporary card while you finish the remaining hours.
DOB allows SST courses in person, as live online classes (camera on, identity checked) and, for SST-only courses, on demand. A class day is capped at 9.5 hours including breaks, so the full 40 hours takes several days.
More questions
How much does an SST card cost?
Each course provider sets its own price. NYC Small Business Services also runs a free SST training program for eligible New Yorkers (nyc.gov/SST). Trade Progress Center does not publish prices on the site: ask the office for the price of your package.
Does an SST card replace my OSHA card?
No. OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 are federal outreach cards; the SST card is an NYC DOB card. OSHA 30 counts as 30 of the 40 SST hours if it is less than 5 years old.
What happens if I work without an SST card?
DOB does not fine the worker. It fines the site owner, the permit holder and the worker’s employer, up to $5,000 per untrained worker. In practice a covered site will not let you in without a card that scans as valid.
Is the SST card the same as the DOB Worker Wallet card?
No. The Worker Wallet holds scaffold, rigging and other worker certifications. The SST card stays a separate card, and on covered sites you need both if your job requires a certification.
How long is an SST card valid?
Five years from the date it was issued. To renew it you take an 8-hour (worker) or 16-hour (supervisor) refresher.
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: SST Information
- NYC DOB: SST Frequently Asked Questions
- NYC DOB: FAQs, Local Law 10 of 2026
- NYC DOB: Site Safety Construction Map
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.