Does Texas have a crane operator license?
No. Texas does not issue its own crane operator license. For construction work, crane operators fall under the federal OSHA rule, 29 CFR 1926.1427. It requires employers to make sure each operator is trained, certified and evaluated before running covered equipment on their own.
Certification can come from an accredited crane operator testing organization or from an audited employer program. Most Gulf Coast contractors and plants ask for third-party certification, and NCCCO is the name you'll see most often in job postings.
What OSHA requires
- Certification by type, or type and capacity. Your certificate covers specific crane types, not every crane.
- Five years. Certifications from an accredited testing organization are valid for five years.
- Employer evaluation. Certification alone isn't the end. Your employer must also evaluate that you can safely run the equipment you're assigned.
- Supervised trainees. Uncertified operators can only run equipment as operators-in-training, continuously monitored by a qualified trainer, with limits on high-risk work like lifts near power lines or hoisting personnel.
How NCCCO mobile crane certification works
According to the NCCCO Mobile Crane Operator Candidate Handbook:
- You must be at least 18.
- You pass a Core written exam plus at least one specialty written exam.
- You pass a practical exam on the matching crane type.
- Specialties include lattice boom, telescopic boom swing cab, and telescopic boom fixed cab.
- Certification lasts five years. Recertification requires the written exam; operators with enough documented crane hours may not need the practical.
NCCCO also certifies riggers, signalpersons, overhead crane operators, tower crane operators and others. See rigger and signalperson training and overhead crane training.
Prep course or full training?
Experienced operators who have been running cranes but never certified usually need a short exam-prep course: load charts, the written exam content, and practice on the practical course.
New operators need much more: basics, seat time and supervised practice before testing. See how to become a crane operator in Texas.
Recertification candidates mostly need a written-exam refresher, plus the practical if they don't have the documented hours.