Crane Certification

To be a certified crane operator, several eligibility requirements must be met and validated. These include candidate age, compliance with Ethics and Substance Abuse Policies, and passing scores on all virtual and practical exams.

These requirements adhere to current OSHA and ASME standards regarding employment in the lifting industry in the United States and apply to the certified population

A list of all requirements for crane certification is below, including the necessary documentation to validate the requirements:

Requirements for Crane Operator Certification

Certification Eligibility Requirements

• Be 18 years of age or older.
• Agrees to adhere to the
  • 1) Code of Ethics & Substance Abuse Policies Agreement
  • 2) CIC Exam Security Agreement
  • 3) Confidentiality of CIC Candidate Information Policy Agreement.
• Take and pass the General Knowledge Exam and a Supplemental Exam for each certification desired.
• Take and pass Practical Exam

Required Documentation

• Valid Government Issued Identification (Driver’s License, Passport, or Military ID are all accepted means of documentation). CDL Licenses may be required in some areas.
• Candidate Attestation to abide by
  • 1) Code of Ethics & Substance Abuse Policies Agreement
  • 2) CIC Exam Security Agreement
  • 3) Confidentiality of CIC Candidate Information Policy Agreement.
• Passing score on General Knowledge Exam and Supplemental Exam for each certification desired.
• Passing score on Practical Exam (s). 

Please enter the Online Test Portal to complete registration. The documents below are included:

• Candidate Registration
• Exam Security Agreement
• Code of Ethics and Substance Abuse Policy
• Confidentiality of CIC Candidate Information Agreement

Eligibility Determination

Each candidate completes a pre-registration application to determine their eligibility to pursue certification. CIC staff review candidate applications to determine whether the candidate meets the minimum eligibility requirements, which include:

1) being at least 18 years of age

2) acknowledging full agreement with CIC’s Ethics and Substance Abuse Policies. Additionally, the candidate must sign the Exam Security Agreement, and the Candidate Information Confidentiality Agreement, and provide a photo that meets CIC’s photo requirements. Pre-registration will be considered incomplete if any of the requested information is missing.

Candidates who do not complete pre-registration or do not meet all eligibility requirements will not be permitted to take the exams until pre-registration is complete and any possible eligibility issues are addressed. Eligibility decisions may be appealed.

Please start the pre-registration process several days prior to registering for exams to allow sufficient time to complete the required documentation and time to complete exams prior to the expiration of credentials. Candidates may enter and exit the pre-registration site as often as needed to complete the application; your progress will be saved.

Minimum Skills Needed for Certification

Candidate Eligibility Appeals

Any appeal must include the reasons the candidate believes they are eligible for certification and describe how they comply with the published requirements. CIC certification staff will confirm receipt of the candidate’s appeal through email or phone call within 30 days of receipt and forward the appeal request to the Governing Council who will review and make a final determination within 30 days of receiving the appeal. Their decision will be provided to the candidate in writing within 30 days of the decision. See CIC Appeals Policy and Procedures for more information about grounds and procedures for appeals and how to file appeals.

Location-Specific Certification Requirements

It is important to note that some employers, states, or cities may have specific requirements for crane operator certification. Each candidate and/or employer is responsible for complying with any such requirements for achieving certification. Please alert CIC and your Practical Examiner to any in advance, so that we can effectively serve your certification needs.

CIC Certification for Pennsylvania

With CIC, one Practical Exam may satisfy the Practical Exam requirements of multiple certifications. This pragmatic approach offers a convenient and cost-effective way for candidates to maximize candidates’ investment of time and money in the certification process. Assessing a candidate’s operational skills for multiple types/capacities of crane. by testing on the largest crane type/capacity for which the operator seeks certification is an efficient way for operators and employers to achieve compliance with certification requirements.

Candidates seeking multiple certifications may only be required to take ONE Practical Exam to fulfill the skills-based (hands-on) requirement for several certifications due to the higher level of operational difficulty on larger cranes. Think of it this way: If a person can safely drive a large SUV, they can also safely drive a compact car and everything in between! The same applies to mobile cranes. For example:

• The TB 21-75T Practical Exam covers TB 21 -75T and the others with lower capacity, including ABC and TB<21 T crane certifications.
• TB>75 Tons or Lattice Boom Practical Exam cover Practical Exam requirement for all five CIC certifications (ABC, TB<21, TB 21-75, TB>75, and LBCW/LBCR).

Notes: Practical Exams for both Telescoping and Lattice Boom Cranes may be conducted on either crawler or carrier-mounted cranes. Examples of carrier mounted cranes include commercial truck-mounted, wheel-mounted (rough terrain, all terrain, and industrial). Digger Derrick and Service/Mechanic Truck Cranes fall under the TB < 21 Tons crane category.

CIC Crane Operator certifications are valid for a period of five (5) years.

CIC offers five (5) Mobile Crane Operator Certifications based on crane type and/or crane type and capacity. These certifications include:

Articulating Boom Cranes

Telescoping Boom Cranes Under 21 Tons (fixed cab)

Note: Service/Mechanic Truck (SMT) and Digger Derrick (DD) cranes are both examples of common cranes certified in the Telescoping Boom Cranes Under 21 Tons category.

Telescoping Boom Cranes 21 to 75 Tons (fixed or rotating cab)

Telescoping Boom Cranes Over 75 Tons (rotating cab)

Lattice Boom Cranes (crawler or carrier mounted)

Steps to Pre-Registering & Submitting Eligibility Application

 1.ADA Testing Accommodations

If a candidate needs assistance to take exams for a disability covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, they must complete and submit the Special Accommodations Request form at least four (4) weeks prior to testing to allow sufficient time for arrangements to be made. The request will be reviewed by CIC and the candidate will be notified about eligibility for the accommodation, and if eligible, to confirm whether the accommodation can be provided. See more on this topic here.

Special Accommodations Request Form

2.Enter the CIC Test Portal

To start the process, please visit the CIC Test Portal. Create a log in and password, and then follow the prompts to enter the pre-registration process. Be sure to save your login and password as it will be needed each time you enter the CIC testing site. Complete applicable registration process including age verification/date of birth, address, employer, etc.

3. Choose and Purchase Exams

Choose and purchase your exams. Whether this is your first time getting certified or you are recertifying, you will choose the General Exam and at least one Supplemental Exam (one for each type of certification or recertification you seek). If you are pre-registering for initial certification, you must also choose and purchase the Practical Exam you need to take to achieve certification.

• Initial Certification Exams. During the pre-registration process, initial certification candidates will select our three-exam package – enough to earn one full certification. Those exams include two knowledge-based Virtual Exams (the General Knowledge Exam and a Supplemental Exam), and one Practical Exam. Many candidates choose to make the most of their testing dollars by seeking certification for multiple crane types or crane types and capacities at the same time.
• Recertification Exams. Eligible recertification candidates will select and purchase at least two Virtual Exams but are not required to complete the Practical exam for recertification if they have had at least 1,000 verifiable crane-related hours over the past five (5) years and hold a current, unexpired certification. See Recertification section in this handbook for more details.

4. Submit Candidate Photo

Photos submitted for use on certification cards must meet all CIC photo requirements and be uploaded digitally by the candidate as a part of the online pre-registration process. Photos must be submitted prior to taking exams.

CIC Photo Requirements

5. Complete, Review, and Electronically Attest to all Required Documents.

6. CIC Reviews Completed Eligibility Application Materials

Once the required documents are submitted, CIC will review the application for candidate eligibility during normal business hours, and send an email to the candidate notifying them of their eligibility status. When approved, the Candidate will receive a confirmation email from CIC confirming their eligibility. At this time, the candidate may proceed with taking Virtual Exams and scheduling Practical Exams. If the candidate does not currently meet eligibility requirements, they may contact CIC by phone at (407) 878-5590 or email at help@cicert.com for assistance.

Practical Exam Scoring Fee – The $70 CIC Practical Exam Scoring Fee does not cover the cost of Practical Exam Administration or Exam Site Fees. The candidate pays these fees directly to a Practical Examiner and Practical Exam Site. These fees vary, as Practical Examiners and Exam Sites are private entities not employed by CIC. CIC will maintain neutrality in the market and will not engage in price fixing with any organization.

Recertification – No Practical Exam is required for Recertification if the candidates certification has not yet expired and they have accumulated at least 1,000 crane operator-related hours over the most recent five years and meets the remaining eligibility requirements. If they have less than 1,000 hours, they will need to take and pay all associated Practical Exam Fees.

CIC Certification Exam Fees

Initial Certification

One (1) Online General Knowledge Exam + One (1) Online Supplemental Exam = $215

One (1) Hands-on Practical Exam Scoring Fee =  $70

TOTAL: $285

Recertification

One (1) Online General Knowledge Exam +  One (1) Online Supplemental Exam =  $215

TOTAL: $215

CIC Administrative Fees

Replacement Certification Card = $35

Virtual Exam Retesting Fee =  $75

Add-On Virtual Exam to Existing Certification =  $75

Non-Compliant Photo Submission =  $25

Rush Practical Exam Scheduling Assistance (within 10 business days of desired Practical Exam) =  $125

Practical Exam Rescheduling Fee =  $70