How do I renew my IPAF or PASMA card?

Key facts

• Renewal is by full retraining, not by exam alone. Both schemes repeat the original course.
• Course length on renewal is the same as the original: typically 1 day for the headline IPAF MEWP categories and PASMA Towers for Users.
• Book renewal at least 6 weeks before expiry, ideally 8–10 weeks, so a borderline assessment can be retaken without the card lapsing.
• If the card has already lapsed, the same retraining course is the route back. There is no shortened “late renewal” option.
• Group and fleet renewals can be delivered on-site for three or more operatives.
• Cost band is the same as the original course. CITB Levy-registered employers can usually grant-recover renewal training.

The renewal route on IPAF

Renewing an IPAF PAL Card means taking the same operator course again at an accredited centre. The standard route for most operators is the 1-day IPAF Operator course on each category held (3A scissor, 3B boom, 1B static boom). Operators who hold combined 3A + 3B run a 1.5-day renewal. Theory and practical are both reassessed. The new PAL Card is issued centrally by IPAF and arrives a few weeks after the course; a temporary certificate covers the operator the same day. Endorsements such as IPAF Harness Awareness renew on the same cycle alongside the categories.

The renewal route on PASMA

Renewing a PASMA card means retaking the same course at an accredited PASMA centre. The most common renewal is Towers for Users, a 1-day course. Towers for Stairs renewals are half a day; Towers for Managers renewals are one day; Combined Low Level Access + Towers for Users renewals are one day. As with IPAF, theory and practical are both reassessed, and the new PASMA card is issued centrally with a temporary certificate on the day. Operatives renewing multiple PASMA endorsements can usually batch them into the same attendance.

When to book the renewal

Book renewal at least 6 weeks before card expiry, and ideally 8–10 weeks. That window gives:

• Date flexibility at our Cannock centre or on your site.
• Time to retake the practical without the card lapsing if the assessment is borderline on the day.
• Enough lead time for the new card to arrive from IPAF or PASMA before the old one expires, so site teams never see an expired card from your operatives.

If you are inside the 4-week window already, book now and we will fit the operative into the next available slot. If the card has already lapsed, see the next section.

What happens if the card has already lapsed

An expired card is treated by site supervisors the same way as no card. The operative cannot operate the equipment. Both schemes still allow you to renew at any time, by retaking the full course at an accredited centre. There is no shortened “late renewal” route. The longer the gap since expiry, the more likely a contractor will ask for additional checks on top of the standard renewal: some Tier 1 main contractors treat a long-lapsed card as a fresh-start situation rather than a renewal. The best move once a card has lapsed is to book the next available course and get the operative back into a current credential as quickly as possible. Detail of the validity rules is in our card validity FAQ.

Multiple categories at renewal

Both IPAF and PASMA cards record multiple categories or endorsements on a single card. At renewal, all the categories on the card are renewed together on a single attendance where the centre can schedule it. Common patterns:

• IPAF 3A + 3B + Harness Awareness: renews in two consecutive days.
• PASMA Towers for Users + Towers for Stairs: renews in 1.5 days.
• Full IPAF + PASMA stack: renews in 3–3.5 consecutive days alongside any new categories the operative needs adding.

We will scope the renewal block per operator at booking. Send us the categories on the card and we will sequence the days.

Group and fleet renewals

CITB Levy-registered employers with multiple operatives at or near card expiry typically benefit from group renewals delivered on the employer’s site. The per-operative travel and downtime saved against centre-based renewal usually outweighs the on-site delivery cost on groups of three or more. Send us the operative list, current expiry dates and postcode, and we will quote on-site against centre-based. Detail in our on-site IPAF and PASMA FAQ.

Cost of renewal

A renewal course is the same length as the original, so the cost band is similar. Three factors typically pull the renewal cost down against an original course of the same category:

• Group bookings. Renewals tend to land in clusters at fleet level, so multiple operatives are usually renewed on the same course.
• On-site delivery for groups of three or more. Lower per-head travel and lost-time cost.
• CITB Levy. Renewal training is grant-recoverable in the same way as original training for Levy-registered employers.

Full breakdown in our cost FAQ.

Related questions

• How long are IPAF and PASMA cards valid?
• How much do IPAF and PASMA courses cost?
• Can IPAF and PASMA training be delivered on-site?
• How long do IPAF and PASMA courses take?
• What is the IPAF PAL Card?

Quick answers to related questions

Can I renew IPAF or PASMA early?

Yes. Both cards can be renewed at any point before expiry. The new five-year clock starts from the new card issue date, so renewing very early shortens the practical lifetime of the renewal. 6–10 weeks before expiry is the usual sweet spot.

Is there a shorter refresher course for renewal?

No. Both IPAF and PASMA require the full course to be retaken. The five-year cycle is designed around retraining at the original duration.

Can renewals be done on-site?

Yes. IPAF PAL Card and PASMA card renewals are commonly delivered on-site for groups of three or more, particularly for fleet renewals where moving operatives to a centre is expensive.

Last updated: 2026-05-21. Reviewed by the MPTT work-at-height training team, IPAF- and PASMA-approved instructors.