How to Spot a Fake SST Card or an Unapproved SST School in NYC

Somebody on a job site offered you a card. No class. Quick. Cash.

Look. We get it. Nobody wants to sit through 40 hours. But a card with no class behind it isn’t a shortcut. It’s a problem with a laminate on it.

Here’s how to tell the real thing from the scam, in about five minutes. Predictive Safety wrote this one. We’re a registered school, so we’ve got a dog in this fight, and we’ll tell you how to check us too.

Why fake cards and unapproved schools exist

Because the card is required and the class takes time. That’s the whole business model.

NYC law requires construction workers on covered sites to carry an SST card. A Worker card is 40 hours of training. A Supervisor card is 62 hours. [1][7] Cards are issued only after the provider verifies the required training. [7]

So somebody figured: skip the training, keep the money. Easy, right? Except it’s the exact thing the city goes looking for.

In September 2026 the Brooklyn District Attorney announced an indictment of a training company over SST and OSHA cards allegedly sold to people who didn’t complete the coursework. Undercover city investigators were allegedly the ones buying. The NYC Department of Buildings (NYC DOB) invalidated the SST cards that company issued. An indictment is an accusation, not a conviction. [6]

Red flags: the sound of a scam

Red flags about the course

• A card promised without training hours. Real cards come after 40 hours (Worker) or 62 hours (Supervisor). [7] No hours, no card. Anyone saying different is selling something else.
• “Same-day card, no class.” The provider has to verify your training before the card issues. [7] Same day with no class means nobody verified anything. You paid HOW much for that?
• They don’t care who you are. Providers must confirm your identity before online training starts, and they must monitor that you actually take it. [7] A school that skips ID or says “just send someone else” is either lying or will get caught.

Red flags about the school

• You can’t find the school on the NYC DOB list. Only registered course providers may offer and advertise SST courses or issue SST cards. [2] If they’re not on the list, they can’t legally sell you the class. Keep reading, because we’ll show you the list.
• Cash only, no receipt. A real school can tell you what you bought, when, and what your record will show. If the answer is “trust me,” don’t.
• A price way under everyone else. We’re not quoting numbers here. Check the going rate on our cost page, then ask yourself how somebody delivers 40 real hours for a fraction of it. Math is undefeated.

How to check a school (two minutes)

1. Open the NYC DOB Registered Course Provider List. [1]
2. Find the school’s name, address and phone. Each entry shows the provider and the courses it’s approved for. [1]
3. Make sure the SST course you’re buying shows under that provider. Providers may only offer and advertise the courses they’re approved for. [2]
4. Ask whether the school also issues the SST card. NYC DOB tells people to check this. [4]

Not on the list? Walk away.

How to check a card

Short version: use the Training Connect app. NYC DOB says anyone can use it to check an SST card, and it’s the former SST Validator app. [3]

Scan or look up the card. If the app doesn’t show a valid card for that person, it isn’t one.

One honest note: we looked for a public website lookup on nyc.gov and didn’t find one. The app is the official route we could confirm. [3]

Supers and site safety people, this is the part for you. NYC DOB’s FAQ says each submitted SST card on a worksite must be validated in the Training Connect app. [4] Ten seconds per card beats an inspector’s afternoon. See our Local Law 196 page for the employer side.

Also: cards expire 5 years from card issuance, not from the day you finished class. [7] Don’t call a card fake just because it’s expired. Check the date in the app.

What a fake card can cost you

• The card can be invalidated. In the Brooklyn case above, NYC DOB invalidated the SST cards a company had issued. [6]
• Employers take the penalty hit. NYC DOB’s FAQ says it issues violations with civil penalties per untrained worker to the site owner, permit holder and employer, and also does unannounced inspections where untrained workers were found. [4]
• Workers don’t get violations from NYC DOB. The same FAQ says the Department does not issue violations to workers. [4] That doesn’t mean a bad card keeps you working. When NYC DOB invalidated a school’s cards, it said anyone trying to enter a site with one must be turned away until they get a valid card. [8]
• You may need real training again. NYC DOB’s path back is real training from a registered provider. [8]

We’re not going to tell you “you’ll go to jail.” The case we found charged the people who sold the cards. We found nothing in the official sources about charges against buyers, so we’re not saying it. [6]

Already paid for one? Do this

1. Check the school and the card using the steps above.
2. Save everything. Receipts, texts, the card, names, phone numbers, where you met.
3. Report it. NYC DOB’s Worker Wallet notice tells people to report training fraud to the Training Compliance Unit at tcintake@buildings.nyc.gov. [5]
4. Get real training. Pick a registered provider, check the list again, and take the class. See our Worker card and Supervisor card pages, or the full walk-through in How to Get Your SST Card.

You got played. It happens. The shame belongs to the guy who sold it, not you.

Here’s how we do it

We’re Predictive Safety, a registered school on the NYC DOB record. Look us up on the list above. We check your ID. You take the hours. Your record goes into Training Connect. Your card is processed immediately, typically in hand within 48 hours. If something’s wrong, our guarantee page says what we do.

Ready to do it right? Get your card.

FAQ

How do I know if an SST school is approved by NYC DOB?

Check the school’s name on the NYC DOB Registered Course Provider List on nyc.gov. [1] Only registered providers may offer and advertise SST courses or issue SST cards. [2] If the school isn’t there, don’t pay.

How can I check if an SST card is real?

Use the Training Connect phone app. [3] NYC DOB says the public can use it to check an SST card, and site safety professionals are encouraged to use it. [3] We couldn’t confirm a public web lookup, so the app is the answer for now.

Can I get an SST card without taking a class?

No. A Worker card requires 40 hours of training and a Supervisor card requires 62. [7] Providers must verify the required training before a card issues. [7]

Does a fake or invalidated card get me in trouble?

NYC DOB can invalidate cards tied to a fraud case. [6] Employers and site owners face civil penalties per untrained worker, but NYC DOB says it does not issue violations to workers. [4]

Who do I report a fake school to?

Email NYC DOB’s Training Compliance Unit at tcintake@buildings.nyc.gov. [5] Include the school name, how they contacted you, and any receipts.

Is an expired SST card fake?

No. An SST card expires 5 years from card issuance. [7] Check the issue and expiry dates in the Training Connect app, then see our renewal guide.

Sources

1. NYC DOB, Registered Course Provider List: https://www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/safety/dob-approved-course-provider-list.page
2. NYC DOB, What is a Registered Course Provider?: https://www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/safety/sst-course-provider-information.page
3. NYC DOB, About NYCDOB Training Connect: https://www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/safety/nycdob-training-connect.page
4. NYC DOB, SST Frequently Asked Questions: https://www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/safety/sst-frequently-asked-questions.page
5. NYC DOB, Worker Wallet service notice: https://www.nyc.gov/assets/buildings/pdf/workerwallet-sn.pdf
6. Brooklyn District Attorney press release, Sept. 8, 2026: https://www.brooklynda.org/?p=23991
7. Local Law 196 of 2017 and NYC rule 1 RCNY §105-03 (not legal advice)
8. NYC DOB, notice on invalidated SST cards, April 2, 2024: https://www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/dob/pr-notice-of-intent-to-revoke.page