Certificate of Qualification

Yes. Anyone who wants to be a crane operator in B.C. or the Yukon must register with BC Crane Safety before they start work. Register now.

Complete the online form. We will send you a confirmation email. Click the link in the email to verify your email address, and we’ll send your registration number. You will need this registration number to access SkillRecord Passport and to prove your status to employers.

Note that Canadian Immigration and Citizenship rules apply if you are moving to Canada from another country. BC Crane Safety does not process or handle visas, work permits, or immigration, and you must contact the appropriate authorities to ensure that you can legally work in B.C.

It depends on the type of crane you want to work on. Some of the smaller cranes take one or two years, some of the larger ones can take three to five years if you go through an apprenticeship.

In B.C., the most important factor is that you first pass the theory test and then, after getting some supervised experience, show that you can operate your equipment safely in a practical test. The time it takes is less important than being able to demonstrate that you have the experience and skills to pass the practical test.

B.C.’s crane operator certification system is unique in Canada. It is “competency-based” and is used in B.C. and the Yukon. In most other provinces and territories, certification is given based on the number of hours a person has spent in training. That’s important in B.C. too, but you also have to do an in-person demonstration to show that you can operate your chosen equipment safely.

New operators start by taking an online theory test. It is a multiple-choice test. Passing this test earns you a provisional designation. This is like a learner driver’s license so that you can get training and gain experience under supervision.

After passing the theory test, you accumulate hours “in the seat” under supervision at work and/or in an apprenticeship training program. The number of hours you need depends on the type of crane. When you’re ready, you can take a practical exam to demonstrate your real-life skills and earn full certification. This exam can usually be done on the equipment you’re used to operating and at the worksite you’re used to.

We have a collection of resources, including candidate handbooks and standards that describe exactly what skills and knowledge you’ll need to be able to demonstrate.

Check out our practice tests and learning guides for rigging, reading load charts, and a sample theory test for mobile cranes.

Find out what to expect during the practical test by watching our videos.

And of course, please contact us at [email protected] or 604-336-4699 if you have any questions!

That means that your employer, who signed off on your provisional designation, has to have a written supervision plan for you. Every situation is different. The plan needs to be based on the type of work you’ll be doing. The plan is your employer’s responsibility, but you should be involved in making it.

Your supervisor must be someone qualified and competent. The person could be a full scope operator but doesn’t necessarily have to be. The level of supervision they have to provide depends on whether you have a provisional designation or a letter of permission. It also depends on what kind of work you’re doing.

Find more information on becoming a provisional crane operator and the requirements for supervision of trainees and apprentices in our Knowledge Base: Provisional Crane Operator.

There are options! If you want to work in B.C. and you have experience operating select crane types, there are challenge processes that allow you to take the required tests without having to go through a whole training program.

For the following crane types, you can obtain your certificate using this Challenge Process with Fulford Certification. 

• Folding (knuckle) boom trucks up to 22 tonnes lifting capacity
• Stiff boom (telescopic) boom trucks up to 40 tonnes lifting capacity
• Mobile cranes up to 20 tonnes lifting capacity
• Self-erecting tower cranes.

If you have operated larger boom trucks, mobile cranes or tower cranes, you can use this Challenge Process with SkilledTradesBC for the written exams and with Fulford Certification for the practical test.

If you are moving to B.C. and already have a certificate from another area, please go to our Transferring Crane Operator page for more details on how to get your credentials recognized. We may be able to recognize your qualifications so that you can work in B.C. BC Crane Safety currently recognizes credentials from Canadian provinces and territories, as well as some from the USA, Ireland, the UK and Europe.

Please note that you will need to have a provisional designation to operate a crane in B.C. until your credentials are recognized, or you become fully certified in B.C.

The provisional designation is good for up to one year. You can apply to renew it. It’s only valid while you are working for the employer that sponsored you. If you change employers, you will need to apply for a new one.

You can use your online SkillRecord logbook to document your hours. Log in with your email address and password.

Apprentices registered with SkilledTradesBC must use the logbook. Whether you are a registered apprentice or not, your employer or supervisor can sign off on your logbook to verify the hours you worked operating a crane. We recommend all operators use the SkillRecord logbook throughout their careers. It’s a great way to document how you are keeping your skills up to date.

Experienced operators who want to challenge the full scope exams will need to include an employer declaration with their application. If you are self-employed or unable to contact your employer, you will need to submit a statutory declaration. The forms are different for different crane types. Find out more by visiting SkilledTradesBC.