UDT licences for overhead cranes, platforms and cranes

A UDT licence applies to one type of technical device. A forklift certificate therefore does not allow you to operate an overhead crane, a crane or a mobile platform: each of these devices requires a separate exam, and the validity period is from 5 to 10 years.

Is a forklift licence enough for an overhead crane or a platform?

No. Under the regulation of 21 May 2019, a qualification certificate covers one type of device, and the exam application concerns one type and one scope: operation or maintenance. Someone who has a forklift operator licence and is to work at an overhead crane takes another exam.

The obligation comes from the Technical Inspection Act (ustawa o dozorze technicznym). Certificates are issued by three bodies: the Office of Technical Inspection (UDT), the Transport Technical Inspection (TDT) and the Military Technical Inspection (WDT). The document is a plastic card. A UDT certificate confirms qualifications also for a device supervised by another body.

On a production floor you most often meet overhead cranes and hoists, while in warehouse and logistics work it is forklifts and platforms. Each of these devices requires its own certificate.

Do categories I S, II S and I Ż still apply?

No. Designations such as I S, II S, III S, I Ż, II Ż or IP come from the system used before 1 June 2019. Today the certificate states the type of device, and for some types it also covers simpler devices. For example, a certificate for a self-propelled crane covers mobile, portable and stationary cranes, but not the other way round.

UDT licences: validity period and scope

The validity period depends on the type of device, its difficulty and the hazard in operating it. For operation, the main devices look like this:

Device	Validity	What else it covers
General-purpose overhead cranes, hoists, winches	10 years
General and special-purpose overhead cranes, hoists, winches	5 years	general-purpose devices
Stationary cranes	10 years
Mobile and portable cranes (e.g. HDS)	10 years	stationary cranes
Self-propelled cranes	5 years	mobile, portable, stationary
Tower and quick-erecting cranes	5 years	rail-mounted cranes
Suspended or mast-type mobile platforms	10 years	stationary platforms
Self-propelled mobile platforms (e.g. scissor lifts)	5 years
Trucks with a boom or with a lifted person	5 years	all trucks with a lifting drive
Trucks without a boom and without a lifted person	10 years

There is no obligation for overhead cranes, cranes and hoists with a manual drive of all mechanisms, with a single-phase electric drive and a capacity of up to 1000 kg, and with a capacity of up to 250 kg if they do not move people. For platforms and trucks, the exemption applies to a manual drive and a capacity of up to 250 kg, except for devices that move people.

What does the UDT exam look like?

The exam is run by a commission of at least two people. The process looks like this:

The application is submitted by the candidate or their employer, on paper or electronically.
The inspection body sets a date within 30 working days of receiving a complete application, unless the candidate asks for a later one.
The theory part is written, on paper or on a computer.
The practical part checks how you operate the device in safe conditions.
The commission announces the result right after the exam and draws up a protocol.

After a negative result, the next attempt requires a new application. Questions cover regulations, the construction and operation of mechanisms, load capacity and stability, operating instructions, safe working conditions and work near overhead lines. UDT publishes the topics and sample questions for overhead cranes, cranes and platforms on its website.

You can take the exam after turning 18. The candidate must know Polish or bring a sworn translator.

How do you renew a UDT licence?

Renewal does not require a new exam. Two conditions must be met:

submit the application at the latest 3 months before the end of validity, to the body that issued the certificate,
perform the activities covered by the certificate for at least 3 years during the last 5 years of its validity and confirm this with a statement made under penalty of criminal liability.

The body issues a new certificate. The new period counts from the day the previous validity ends, not from the date of the application. In a CV in Polish, write the type of device from the certificate and its validity date, not just "UDT licences".

Certificates issued before 1 June 2019 as unlimited received a limited validity, and the application to extend them had to be submitted by 30 September 2023. The status of such a document is confirmed by the inspection body that issued it.

Frequently asked questions

Does an overhead crane controlled from the floor with a remote need a licence?

Yes, if it does not fall under the exemptions. The rules exempt equipment by drive and capacity, not by control method, so the type of crane decides whether a licence is required.

Does a scissor platform need a UDT certificate?

Yes. Self-propelled mobile platforms, including scissor ones, require a certificate valid for 5 years. The exemption covers only a manual drive and a capacity of up to 250 kg, except for devices that move people.

Is an HDS crane the same qualification as a self-propelled crane?

No. An HDS is a mobile crane, and the certificate for it also covers stationary cranes. A certificate for a self-propelled crane covers mobile ones, but with a certificate for a mobile crane you cannot operate a self-propelled one.

Can a foreigner take the UDT exam?

Yes. You must be at least 18 and know Polish, or have a sworn translator present during the exam.

This text describes the general rules. What you are entitled to depends on your type of contract: an employment contract (umowa o pracę) or a contract of mandate (umowa zlecenie). Your own contract and payslip are what count.