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Am I Eligible for Lead Certification?
California Department of Health Services -- Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch

On this page...
  • Lead Supervisor eligibility
  • Lead Worker eligibility
  • Important information about old training

  • You must be eligible for certification before you apply.  If are not eligible and apply anyway, DHS will deny you certification and your application fee will not be refunded.  The eligibility requirements for each certificate are listed below.  These are also given in the application instructions.  For more help determining your eligibility, call the Lead-Related Construction Information Line at 1-800-597-LEAD (Outside California, dial 510-869-3953.)
     
    Lead Inspector / Assessor Certificate Eligibility Requirements
    Required Training:   
    • Lead-Related Construction Inspection / Assessment course (40 hours); or
    • CIHs may take a Lead-Related Construction Certified Industrial Hygienist Course (24 hours).
    Required Education and Experience:   
    • A Bachelor's Degree or higher in a biological, chemical, physical science or related field; and
      • 1 year of experience in lead-related construction or a related field (such as asbestos or environmental remediation); a) conducting environmental inspections and assessing environmental health, occupational safety or environmental hazards; or b) designing projects in environmental health, occupational safety or environmental hazard reduction; or
    • An Associate's Degree or higher (or 20 semester / 30 quarter college units) in a biological, chemical, physical science or related field; and
      • 2 years of experience in lead-related construction or a related field (such as asbestos or environmental remediation); a) conducting environmental inspections and assessing environmental health, occupational safety or environmental hazards; or b) designing projects in environmental health, occupational safety or environmental hazard reduction; or
    • A High School Diploma or its equivalent and
      • 3 years of experience in lead-related construction or a related field (such as asbestos or environmental remediation); a) conducting environmental inspections and assessing environmental health, occupational safety or environmental hazards; or b) designing projects in environmental health, occupational safety or environmental hazard reduction.
     

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    Lead Project Designer Certificate Eligibility Requirements
    Required Training:  
    • Lead-Related Construction Supervision & Project Monitoring course (40 hour) + Lead-Related Construction Project Design course (16 hours); or
    • CIHs may take a Lead-Related Construction Certified Industrial Hygienist Course (24 hours).
    Required Education and Experience:  
    • A Bachelor's Degree or higher in engineering, architecture or a related profession; and
      • 1 year of experience in building construction and design or a related field; or
        
    • An Associate's Degree or higher (or 20 semester / 30 quarter college units) building construction, building design or related field; and
      • 2 years of experience in building construction and design or a related field; or
        
    • A High School Diploma or its equivalent; and
      • 4 years of experience in building construction design or a related field.
     
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    Lead Project Monitor Certificate Eligibility Requirements
    Required Training:  
    • Lead-Related Construction Supervision & Project Monitoring course (40 hour); or
    • Lead-Related Construction Work course (24 or 32 hours) + Lead-Related Construction Supplemental Supervision & Project Monitoring course (16 hours); or
    • CIHs may take a Lead-Related Construction Certified Industrial Hygienist Course (24 hours).
    Required Education and Experience:  
    • A Bachelor's Degree or higher in a biological, chemical, physical science or related field; and
      • 1 year of experience in lead-related construction or a related field (such as asbestos or environmental remediation) conducting, monitoring or designing projects in environmental health, occupational safety or environmental hazard reduction; or
        
    • An Associate's Degree or higher (or 20 semester / 30 quarter college units) in a biological, chemical, physical science or related field; and
      • 1 year of experience as a certified lead supervisor; or
      • 2 years of experience in lead-related construction or a related field (such as asbestos or environmental remediation) conducting, monitoring or designing projects in environmental health, occupational safety or environmental hazard reduction; or
        
    • A High School Diploma or its equivalent; and
      • 2 years of experience as a certified lead supervisor; or
      • 3 years of experience in lead-related construction or a related field (such as asbestos or environmental remediation) conducting, monitoring or designing projects in environmental health, occupational safety or environmental hazard reduction.
     
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    Lead Supervisor Certificate Eligibility Requirements
    Required Training:  
    • Lead-Related Construction Supervision & Project Monitoring course (40 hours); or
    • Lead-Related Construction Work course (24 or 32 hours) + Lead-Related Construction Supplemental Supervision & Project Monitoring course (16 hours).
    Required Experience and Education:  
    • 1 year of experience as a certified lead worker; or
    • 2 years of experience in lead-related construction or a related field (such as asbestos, the building trades or environmental remediation) conducting health, occupational safety or environmental hazard control.
    •  No education is required.
     
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    Lead Worker Certificate Eligibility Requirements
    Required Training:  
    • Lead-Related Construction Work course (24 hours).  (Note: 32 hour Work courses are also acceptable.)
    Required Experience and Education:  
    • No experience or education is required.
     
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    Important Information about Old Training

    If it has been more than 1 year since you completed your DHS-approved training, you must take 7 hours of DHS-approved Continuing Education before applying for certification.  To find out what kind of continuing education you must take, look at "Taking Lead Training".

    If it has been more than 3 years since you completed your DHS-approved training, you must take the full course over again before applying for certification.

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