Guides & Resources

If your facility runs an overhead crane with a rated capacity exceeding three tons, California law requires that crane to be inspected and certified annually by an accredited third-party certificating agency. The certification must result in a Plate V certificate per Title 8, Section 5021, and a copy of that certificate must be available with each crane or at the project site (Title 8, Section 5025). If you cannot produce a current one, the crane cannot legally be used.

A surprising number of facilities are out of compliance and don't realize it. Some let their certificates lapse by a few months. Others assume their in-house maintenance team covers the requirement. It doesn’t. Annual certification must come from an independent agency accredited under Title 8, Section 344.60. There is no self-certification path in California.

And if your insurance carrier ever asks for documentation of your crane's compliance after an incident, a lapsed or missing Plate V is the last thing you want to have

Proof Load Testing

Beyond the annual certification, Title 8, Section 5022 requires proof load tests at specific intervals.

New cranes must complete a quadrennial proof load test before initial use and every four years after. Previously uncertificated cranes already in service must be tested at the time of initial certification and every four years after that. If certificated equipment has been out of service for six months or more past its certification due date, a full examination equivalent to initial certification, including a proof load test, is required before the crane can re-enter service.

If your company operates a mobile crane with a rated capacity exceeding three tons in California, that crane must be inspected and certified annually by an accredited third-party certificating agency. The certification must result in a Plate V certificate per Title 8, Section 5021, and a copy of that certificate must be available with each crane or at the project site (Title 8, Section 5025). If you cannot produce a Plate V, the crane cannot legally be used.

This applies to all terrain cranes, rough terrain cranes, crawler cranes, hydraulic truck cranes, boom trucks, and any other mobile crane configuration exceeding the three-ton threshold. It does not matter whether the crane is owned, rented, or leased. If it is in lifting service in California, it must have a current Plate V.

A surprising number of crane owners and fleet operators are out of compliance and either don't know it or assume their internal maintenance program covers the requirement. It does not. Annual certification must come from an independent agency licensed under Title 8, Section 344.60. There is no self-certification path in California.

Proof Load Testing

Beyond the annual certification, Title 8, Section 5022 requires proof load testing at specific intervals.