Ref LOLER reg 10, reg 11, Schedule 1Checked November 2026

LOLER Certificate

What most people call a LOLER certificate is, in law, a report of thorough examination. Regulation 10 of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 requires the examiner to write one for every item examined, and Schedule 1 sets out what it must contain.

It is not a pass certificate. A report can list defects and still allow the item to be used, or it can say the item must not be used until a dangerous defect is fixed. Read every one, not just the date at the bottom.

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Legal name: Report of thorough examination
Written within: 28 daysL113 guidance
Dangerous defect: At onceCopy to the enforcing authority
Keep periodic reports: 2 yearsOr until the next report, if later

Fees are a guide, not a quote. Excluding VAT unless stated.Sources read November 2026

Part 1

When you should have a report

For each item after every periodic thorough examination, whether every 6 or 12 months or under a scheme.
Before first use, for equipment that needs an initial examination.
After installation at a new location, where safety depends on installation conditions.
After exceptional circumstances such as an overload, damage or major repair.
When you hire or borrow equipment: ask to see the current report before it is used.

A report that says "do not use"

If the report identifies a defect involving an existing or imminent risk of serious injury, the examiner must tell you straight away and send a copy to HSE or the local authority. You must not use the equipment until the defect is put right.

Report and certificate fees

Item	Typical fee
Report per item Included in the examination fee	Included
Reissue or copy A lost report, from the examiner’s records	£0 to £25
Online records portal Reports and due dates by site	Often included

Excluding VAT. If a firm charges separately for the report, ask why: the report is the point of the examination.

Work out a yearly budget

Part 2

What Schedule 1 says the report must contain

Who and where: Name and address of the employer the report is for, and the address of the premises where the examination took place.
The equipment: Details to identify it, including the date of manufacture if known, and its safe working load.
Why it was examined: First examination after installation, every 6 months, every 12 months, under a scheme, or after exceptional circumstances.
Defects: Any defect that is or could become a danger, the repair or replacement needed, and the latest date for each.
Tests: Particulars of any test carried out as part of the examination.
Next examination: The latest date by which the next thorough examination must be done.
The examiner: Name, address and qualifications of the person making the report, and whether self-employed or who employs them.
Dates and signature: The date of the examination, the date of the report and who signed or authenticated it.

Reports lapsed or missing? Tell us what you have and we will find an examiner to bring them up to date.

Request an examination

Part 3

What to do when a report arrives

Read the defects first
same day
Anything marked dangerous means the item stays out of use. Note the dates for everything else.
Book repairs
by the dates given
Your maintenance firm or supplier fixes defects, and you keep the evidence that each is done.
File it
same week
By item, so you can show the current report and the previous one to an inspector or insurer.
Diary the next date
same week
The latest date for the next examination, with a reminder a month before it.

Questions duty holders ask

Is there such a thing as a LOLER certificate?

Not in law. The regulations require a report of thorough examination. Examiners often call it a certificate, and may fix a tag to the equipment, but the report is the document that matters.

How long is a LOLER certificate valid for?

Until the latest date for the next examination shown on the report, usually 6 or 12 months after the examination. It stops being valid earlier if the equipment is damaged, overloaded or substantially modified.

How quickly should I get the report?

As soon as practicable, and HSE’s guidance in L113 says within 28 days. A dangerous defect must be reported to you straight away.

How long do I keep LOLER reports?

Periodic reports until the next report or for two years, whichever is later. Reports of initial examinations for as long as you use the equipment (two years for accessories), and installation reports until it leaves that location.

Can reports be electronic?

Yes, as long as they are secure, can be printed on request and show who authenticated them.

Where our information comes from

Fee bands are our own reading of UK examiners’ published price lists and guides (2024 to 2026), which we do not name. Rules come from the regulations and HSE guidance below.

Get your reports back in date

Three short steps: where the equipment is, what it is, and how to reach you. About two minutes.

Step 1 of 3

Where is the equipment?

Postcode