Free · Validity guide · UK (CITB Site Safety Plus scheme)

How long are SMSTS and SSSTS certificates valid?

Updated 25 Oct 2026Sources checked
Issuer ruleSet by CITB, not by lawUK (CITB Site Safety Plus scheme)

5 years

CITB says SMSTS and SSSTS certification is valid for five years. To stay certified, site managers take the two-day SMSTS-R refresher and supervisors the one-day SSSTS-R refresher before the expiry date, or retake the full course.

Work out your SMSTS / SSSTS expiry date

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Use the date of your last SMSTS, SSSTS or refresher certificate.

Enter a date to see when it expires, how many days are left, when to book the renewal, and to add reminders to your calendar.

Validity
5 years (SMSTS, SSSTS and their refreshers)[1]
SMSTS-R
2-day refresher, before the expiry date[2]
SSSTS-R
1-day refresher, before the expiry date[3]
Legal status
A CITB scheme, often required by principal contractors[1]

Who needs a SMSTS / SSSTS

Site managers, project managers and site supervisors on construction sites where the principal contractor or client asks for CITB Site Safety Plus training as evidence of competence. SMSTS is the five-day course for managers, SSSTS the two-day course for supervisors. Neither is named in law, but they are a common contractual requirement.

What happens if it expires

  • CITB says the refresher must be taken before the expiry date. Its course pages do not describe a grace period, so expect to retake the full course once the certificate has expired.
  • Principal contractors who require SMSTS or SSSTS can stop a manager or supervisor running a site until the certificate is current.

How to renew

  1. Find the expiry date

    Check the date on the certificate or in the CITB card and training record checker.

  2. Book the refresher early

    Book SMSTS-R (two days) or SSSTS-R (one day) with a CITB-approved training provider, well before the expiry date.

  3. Complete it before expiry

    CITB says you need to complete the refresher before the expiry date to stay certified.

  4. Update training records

    Record the new certificate and the next five-year expiry date for each manager and supervisor.

When to book

13

weeks

Book the refresher about three months before expiry. Managers are hard to release for two days at short notice. This is our suggestion, not a CITB rule.

A simple reminder plan: 180 days, 90 days, 30 days, 7 days before the expiry date. The calculator above puts these in your calendar.

Evidence to keep

  • The certificate date, course type (SMSTS, SSSTS or refresher) and expiry date for every manager and supervisor.
  • Copies of the certificates, as principal contractors often ask for them at pre-start.

Common mistakes

  • Waiting until the certificate has expired, then needing the full five-day or two-day course instead of the refresher.
  • Tracking SMSTS but not the CSCS manager or supervisor card it may be linked to.

For teams and managers

Keeping site managers and supervisors certified?

Hold every SMSTS and SSSTS date on one list. ExpiryEdge reminds the manager and the training coordinator six months out, so the refresher is booked while it still counts as a refresher.

See construction compliance
FAQ

SMSTS / SSSTS questions, answered

CITB says certification is valid for five years. To stay certified you retake the course or complete the SMSTS-R refresher before the expiry date.

The SSSTS-R refresher is a one-day course for existing site supervisors who have already completed the two-day SSSTS. The certificate is valid for five years.

CITB’s course pages say the refresher must be completed before the expiry date. They do not describe a grace period, so plan for the full course if the date has passed and check with your training provider.

No law names SMSTS or SSSTS, but many principal contractors require them as evidence that site managers and supervisors are competent.

Sources

Every rule on this page comes from these official sources.

  1. 1.

    Site Management Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS)

    CITB · citb.co.uk · checked 25 Oct 2026

  2. 2.

    SMSTS Refresher (SMSTS-R)

    CITB · citb.co.uk · checked 25 Oct 2026

  3. 3.

    SSSTS Refresher (SSSTS-R)

    CITB · citb.co.uk · checked 25 Oct 2026

Guidance, not legal advice. This covers UK (CITB Site Safety Plus scheme) and reflects the sources as checked on 25 Oct 2026. Check the official source or take professional advice for your situation.

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