To check an asbestos worker in New York State, search the person’s last name in the Department of Labor’s Asbestos Individual Certificates list on data.ny.gov. Each row shows the endorsement (Handler, Supervisor, Inspector or one of six other types), the status and the expiration date. The company doing the removal needs its own Asbestos Handling License, which you check on the DOL Asbestos Contractors Listing. Under Industrial Code Rule 56, asbestos has to be removed by a licensed contractor using certified workers; the one exception is an owner-occupied single-family home where the owner does the work alone (DOL publication P231).
By our count of the list as updated October 24, 2026, 21,727 endorsements are active, held by 16,733 people. A certificate typically runs about 13 months from issue, in line with the yearly refresher course DOL requires for renewal. Of 5,632 endorsements that expired in the past 12 months, only 72 match a current endorsement of the same type under the same name, so an Expired row usually means the person let that endorsement lapse.
| Item | What we found |
|---|---|
| Where to check a worker | DOL Asbestos Individual Certificates on data.ny.gov (updated October 24, 2026; expired rows stay for two years) |
| Where to check a company | DOL Asbestos Contractors Listing (active Asbestos Handling Licenses) |
| Active endorsements | 21,727, held by 16,733 people |
| Largest types | Handler 7,434, Supervisor 4,753, Inspector 3,548, Project Monitor 2,043, Air Sampling Technician 1,869 |
| Typical term | About 13 months (median 383 to 435 days from issue, by type) |
| Expiring within 60 days | 2,251 (10.4% of active endorsements) |
| Expired in the past 12 months | 5,632; 72 matched to a current endorsement of the same type |
| People with two or more active endorsements | 2,756 (16.5%) |
How to look up a New York asbestos certificate
- Ask each worker for the DOL photo ID certificate. DOL issues one card per person, with a code for every category the person holds (application SH 440).
- Open the certificate list and filter last_name, then first_name. Check that the endorsement_type matches the job: Handler for the removal crew, Supervisor for the person running the work area, Inspector for the survey before work starts.
- Read certificate_status and expiration_date. The date has to cover the days the person will be on your job.
- Look up the company on the Asbestos Contractors Listing. An Asbestos Handling License is valid for one year from issuance and costs $300 (DOL instructions SH 433).
- For a larger project, ask the contractor for its DOL project notification. DOL posts notified projects in its Asbestos Control Bureau reports, and the bureau’s district offices answer questions about a specific property.
- In New York City, handlers also need a separate certificate from the city’s Department of Environmental Protection. The DEP card is valid for two years and the state card for one, so check both (NYC Business: Asbestos Handler Certification).
Which asbestos endorsement does each job need
DOL issues nine endorsements, each with its own code and fee (certificate instructions SH 442, 12/25). A worker may only do the tasks covered by the endorsements on the card. The last two columns are our counts from the October 24 list; the expired share is the part of each type’s rows marked Expired.
| Code and endorsement | DOL fee | Active | Expired share |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Handler | $50 | 7,434 | 43.0% |
| B Restricted Handler (Allied Trades) | $50 | 164 | 70.2% |
| C Air Sampling Technician | $75 | 1,869 | 36.6% |
| D Inspector | $100 | 3,548 | 32.0% |
| E Management Planner | $150 | 420 | 22.1% |
| F Operations and Maintenance | $50 | 730 | 46.6% |
| G Supervisor | $75 | 4,753 | 36.9% |
| H Project Monitor | $150 | 2,043 | 35.1% |
| I Project Designer | $150 | 766 | 27.2% |
The survey and monitoring endorsements tend to travel together. 640 people hold Air Sampling Technician, Inspector and Project Monitor at once, and another 607 hold Air Sampling Technician with Project Monitor. Handler plus Supervisor, the usual removal-crew pair, appears for 128 people.
Why New York asbestos certificates expire every month
Expiration dates are spread across the calendar because each certificate follows its holder’s training date. Among active endorsements, 909 expire in the rest of October 2026, 1,342 in November and 1,576 in December, then 1,150 to 1,800 in each month through October 2027. In the October list, 92.8% of active endorsements were issued in the past 12 months.
- Refresher every year: refresher training has to be taken yearly, whatever date is printed on the card (SH 442).
- Two-year limit: a worker who waits more than two years for a refresher has to take the initial course again.
- Renewal paperwork: the worker sends back the current certificate with the renewal and can work from a photocopy until the new card arrives. DOL’s License and Certification Unit answers at (518) 457-2735.
Asbestos survey before a New York building permit
DOL requires an asbestos survey before interior or exterior renovation, remodeling, repair and demolition work, done by a certified New York State Asbestos Inspector (P231, building permit applicants). Buildings condemned as structurally unsound are treated as containing asbestos and have to be demolished by a licensed asbestos contractor. General contractors, plumbers, electricians and roofers without an asbestos handling license may not disturb asbestos material. The homeowner exemption covers only an owner-occupied single-family house where the owner does all the work; a house slated for demolition does not count as occupied (DOL homeowner exemption FAQ).
New York City adds its own step. A DEP-certified asbestos investigator files form ACP-5 when the work is not an asbestos project, or the owner files ACP-7 with DEP when it is, before the Department of Buildings will issue the permit (NYC DOB asbestos requirements). Our guide to NYC asbestos ACP records by address shows how to find those filings for a building.
Checklist before asbestos work starts in New York
- Asbestos survey report signed by a certified NYS Asbestos Inspector, covering the areas the job will disturb.
- Company name on the DOL Asbestos Contractors Listing, with a license date that covers the job.
- Handler and Supervisor endorsements active for the named crew, checked by name on data.ny.gov.
- Air sampling and project monitoring by certified people, with their endorsements on the same list.
- In New York City: DEP handler cards and the ACP-5 or ACP-7 filing for the permit.
- Clearance results in writing before other trades close up walls or ceilings.
For other state licenses, see our contractor license lookup guide. Mold work in New York uses a separate DOL license, covered in our New York mold license lookup, and our New York elevator license lookup reads another DOL list the same way.
Asbestos contractors on public projects in New York also need a DOL registry certificate; see our New York Contractor Registry lookup.
Counts are our calculations from the New York State Department of Labor’s Asbestos Individual Certificates data on data.ny.gov, downloaded October 25, 2026. DOL and NYC pages checked October 25, 2026.