2.2 Applying, Medical Qualification, the OPSI Exam & Renewal (230 CMR 6.02)

Step 1: meet the general requirements (230 CMR 6.02(2))

• Age: every applicant other than an apprentice must be 18 or older.
• Application: a completed application on an Office form. The form may require a valid email address unless the applicant certifies that they do not have one, and OPSI sends exam notices by email.
• Fee: set annually by the Secretary of Administration and Finance. OPSI currently lists a nonrefundable $75 processing fee per restriction.
• Medical documentation: a legible copy of one of:
  1. a valid DOT medical certificate (most applicants use the federal Medical Examiner's Certificate, form MCSA-5876, from an examiner listed on the FMCSA National Registry);
  2. a Massachusetts Intrastate Medical Waiver from the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV), for applicants whose conditions are listed in 540 CMR 14.04(d); or
  3. the ANSI/ASME B30.5 qualifications for operators. OPSI's "ANSI/ASME Medical Qualifications Form," which includes drug testing, is completed by the applicant's primary care physician and is meant for applicants who do not hold a commercial driver's license. If the medical certificate or waiver expires before the hoisting license does, the licensee must send a copy of the new one.
• Photo: a photograph, or permission for OPSI to use the RMV photo if the applicant lives in Massachusetts. Every license must carry the licensee's photo (MGL c. 146 § 65).
• Identification: a legible copy of a U.S. state, U.S. territory or federal government-issued identification or driver's license. A driver's license learner's permit is accepted only for apprentices under the regulation; OPSI's form lists a valid driver's license, learner's permit or Massachusetts ID.
• Apprentice only: proof of current registration with the Division of Apprentice Standards.

Step 2: apply and get scheduled

Step 3: the written exam (230 CMR 6.02(3))

Every applicant except an apprentice must pass a written examination administered by the Office with a minimum grade of 70%. The applicant must show knowledge of:

1. the operation of the equipment for which they are being examined;
2. the ability to comprehend and interpret operation manuals, safety codes and other safe-hoisting information in English;
3. emergency procedures; and
4. Massachusetts General Laws and regulations on hoisting machinery.

OPSI's application says the exam is based on "thorough and practical knowledge of all working parts of the hoisting machinery that the applicant is applying for, as well as safe operating practices, safety inspection of the equipment, hand signals" and the hoisting laws and regulations. Crane and excavator applicants must know the national standard hand signals printed in 230 CMR 6.00 to pass.

What OPSI does not publish. OPSI does not publish the number of questions, a time limit, a pass rate or domain weights. Massachusetts hoisting schools describe the written test as roughly 30–40 multiple-choice questions for each restriction, with each restriction scored as a separate exam. Treat that as an informal description, not an official specification.

Practical exam and waiver

• The Office may also require a practical examination, at its discretion or when federal law requires one for that equipment. A practical exam tests the ability to operate the equipment, read manuals and safety codes, interpret hand signals, communicate in English, handle emergencies, and apply Massachusetts law.
• Waiver: the Commissioner may, at their discretion, waive the exam for an applicant who holds a nationally recognized certification that is substantially equivalent to, or greater than, the Massachusetts requirements. This is discretionary. A national certification is never a license by itself.
• Apprentice applicants are exempt from examination.

Failing, retesting and appealing

• 60-day rule: no application for a license of any particular class more often than once in 60 days (MGL c. 146 § 57; 230 CMR 6.02(3)(a)2). Each new attempt needs a new application and fee.
• Score appeal: within one week of receiving the score or its posting on the Office website, whichever is earlier, make a written demand on the Office form with the fee. A board of three Inspectors (or the Chief and two Inspectors) hears it under MGL c. 30A and issues a written decision.

Step 4: incomplete applications and denials (230 CMR 6.02(4))

• An incomplete application (missing forms, blank fields, missing fees or missing documents such as the medical certificate) is refused. This is not a denial, carries no hearing right, and the applicant may supplement or reapply.
• The Office may deny a license for false or fraudulent information, while the applicant is under investigation, or for any conduct that would justify discipline under 230 CMR 6.12.
• A denied applicant has a limited hearing right: the request must be in writing within 14 days of the written denial and must specifically refute the facts behind the denial.

Step 5: renewal (230 CMR 6.02(6) and OPSI's renewal page)

Step 6: keep your record current

• Notify the Office of any change of mailing or email address within 15 days (230 CMR 6.02(8)). A licensee who does not is responsible for missed notices, including renewal forms.
• Disclose any criminal conviction or out-of-state license discipline within 15 days (230 CMR 6.11(5)).