In brief
There is no single "licence" for crane operators; the certificate required depends on the type of crane and the work the operator actually does. For mobile crane operators, an MYK certificate is mandatory from 23 March 2027; for overhead cranes and tower cranes, certificates accepted by the vocational training regulation are required together with operating training given by the employer. Whatever the certificate, the operator only learns your crane, your loads and your site through workplace-specific hands-on training.
A crane operator certificate is not a single document
The welder using an overhead crane in a metal workshop, the operator climbing into the cab of a tower crane on a construction site and the hired operator arriving on site with a truck-mounted mobile crane all ask the same question: "Which certificate is needed?" The answer is not the same for all three. What people look for as a crane operator certificate is an area where three separate sets of rules intersect: the OHS rules on the use of work equipment, the vocational training regulation and the communiqués of the Vocational Qualifications Authority (MYK). If the crane goes out on a public road, traffic legislation also comes into play.
| Crane type | Typical place of use | Main certificate requirement | Periodic inspection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overhead crane, bridge crane | Metal and machinery workshops, foundries, warehouses | Vocational training certificate suited to the employee's main job, plus the employer's operating training | At least once a year, by an authorised person registered on EKİPNET |
| Mobile crane | Installation, construction sites, dispatch | MYK Mobile Crane Operator Level 3; a suitable driving licence if it goes on the road | At least once a year |
| Tower crane | Construction work | Vocational training certificate suited to construction work, plus operating training | Accredited inspection body; after first installation and at least once a year |
This article focuses on the certificate question. For day-to-day use and checks of cranes, see our article on overhead crane safety, and for installation and wind limits on site, see our article on tower crane safety.
What does the legislation require of the operator? Three layers
1. Assignment and operating training. Under Art. 8 of the Regulation on Health and Safety Requirements for the Use of Work Equipment, work equipment involving a specific risk is used only by persons assigned to use that equipment. Art. 11 requires the employee who will use the equipment to be trained before use on the risks and how to avoid them. If the operator cannot see the entire path of the load, a trained and experienced person is assigned to guide them (Annex II 3.2.3).
2. Vocational training certificate. Under Art. 17/3 of Law No. 6331, in hazardous and very hazardous work where vocational training is mandatory, a person who cannot document that they have received vocational training related to the work they will do cannot be employed. Art. 6 of the vocational training regulation lists the accepted documents: they include diplomas and master craftsman certificates under Law No. 3308, operator certificates issued by the Ministry of National Education (MEB) or institutions authorised by it, certificates for training organised with MEB approval, and MYK vocational qualification certificates.
3. MYK certificate. In occupations made subject to a certificate requirement by MYK communiqués, a course certificate alone is not enough; an MYK certificate obtained by examination is required.
Overhead crane and bridge crane operating certificate
In metal and machinery businesses in Bursa, the overhead crane is often entrusted not to a separate operator but to a welder, fitter or machine operator. In this case, the question of a "bridge crane operating certificate" splits into two parts:
- The certificate for the main job: For a welder, a certificate suited to welding work is required; for a CNC operator, one suited to machining. This certificate does not cover crane use, but it is a precondition for the employee to work in that workplace.
- Authorisation and training for the crane: Every employee who will use the crane is assigned in writing and trained before use. The controls are arranged so that they cannot fall into the hands of anyone not authorised.
Example: Consider a machinery manufacturing workshop in Nilüfer with 60 employees. In the welding section, 4 welders turn parts over with the overhead crane, and 1 employee does loading in dispatch. The welders' certificates are required according to welding work, and the dispatch employee's certificate according to storage, loading and unloading work. For all five, the employer's crane authorisation and hands-on operating training are also required. If an operator who only uses the crane is also to be assigned, the Annex 1 equivalent of their work is assessed separately.
Not every document issued on the market under the name "crane operator certificate" is one of the documents listed in the legislation. An attendance certificate without MEB approval is valuable as a record of workplace-specific training but does not meet the vocational training obligation. Always check who issued the certificate and under which programme.
Mobile crane operator certificate: the MYK requirement
MYK Communiqué No. 2026/1, published in the Official Gazette of 23 March 2026, added the Mobile Crane Operator (Level 3) qualification to the list of occupations subject to a certificate requirement. Under the communiqué, persons without an MYK certificate in this occupation cannot be employed from twelve months after publication, i.e. from 23 March 2027.
The communiqué provides an exception for holders of master craftsman certificates under Law No. 3308 and graduates of the relevant programmes of vocational and technical schools under MEB and of universities. The condition for the exception is that the person works in the field, branch or programme written on their diploma or certificate. The certificate is obtained by a theoretical and practical exam at certification bodies authorised by MYK for this qualification; for the process, see our article on occupations requiring an MYK certificate.
Two further issues are often overlooked with mobile cranes:
- Hired operators: In hazardous and very hazardous workplaces, employees coming from other workplaces to work cannot start work without a document showing that they have been trained on the risks they will face (Law No. 6331, Art. 17/5). Before lifting, ask the crane company for the operator's MYK certificate, health report, OHS training record and the crane's periodic inspection report.
- Public roads: If the crane goes out on a public road, a driving licence appropriate to the vehicle's registration type is also required. Under Art. 75 of the Highway Traffic Regulation, a class G licence is issued for motor vehicles of the construction machinery type; a class B licence does not authorise the use of construction machinery (Art. 85).
Tower crane operators
The tower crane is construction work equipment. The construction work row of Annex 1 covers, in addition to building, road, bridge and similar work, the use of the vehicles, materials, fixed installations and equipment needed for this work. For this reason, tower crane operators are required to have a vocational training certificate suited to construction work; operator certificates from MEB or institutions authorised by it fall within this scope.
With tower cranes, the operator's health is as important as the certificate. The operator climbs up inside a tall tower to the cab every day; fitness for work at height is assessed separately at the pre-employment examination. The periodic inspection of a tower crane is carried out not by a single authorised person but by an accredited inspection body. For site organisation, see our construction sector page.
As important as the certificate: workplace-specific overhead crane training
A certificate shows the operator's general competence. It does not show your crane's capacity, its control type, the blind spots along the runway or the centre of gravity of the parts lifted every day. A significant proportion of accidents happen to employees who are "certified but using this crane for the first time". So plan the operating training under Art. 11 not as a classroom lesson but as hands-on training at the crane.
Repeat the training when a new crane is purchased, when the control type changes or after an accident or near miss; Art. 17/1 of Law No. 6331 lists a change of work equipment among the situations in which training is repeated. Our article on slings, chains and lifting accessories can support training on sling and chain selection.
Checklist for employers
Before starting an operator, have the answers to these questions in writing on your file:
- Which row of Annex 1 does the employee's main job fall into, and do they have a certificate suited to that row?
- If they are a mobile crane operator, do they have an MYK certificate or a diploma showing the exception in the communiqué?
- Are the issuing institution and programme among the documents listed in the legislation?
- Has the pre-employment examination been carried out? In hazardous and very hazardous work, an employee cannot start without a fitness-for-work report.
- Has hands-on operating training been given and recorded?
- Is the crane authorisation list up to date, and are the controls or key closed to unauthorised use?
- Is the crane's latest periodic inspection report valid? For the inspection schedule, see our periodic inspection service.
The 2026 base administrative fine for breaching vocational training and OHS training obligations is 8,980 TL per employee; for current amounts, use the OHS administrative fines tool.
We plan vocational training through our solution partners working under protocols with Public Education Centres: MEB-approved, 40-hour modules are selected together with the business according to its line of production. To plan the job-certificate matching of your operators and hands-on training specific to your crane together, see our vocational training page, and for sector risks, see our metal and machinery page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a licence needed to use an overhead crane?
No driving licence is required for an overhead crane used inside a plant. What is required is a vocational training certificate suited to the employee's main job, written assignment by the employer and hands-on operating training given before using the crane.
When is an MYK certificate mandatory for mobile crane operators?
Under Communiqué No. 2026/1, the certificate requirement for Mobile Crane Operator (Level 3) starts on 23 March 2027. After this date, a person without a certificate cannot be employed as a mobile crane operator unless they fall under an exception such as a master craftsman certificate or a vocational and technical education diploma in the relevant field.
Is a crane operator certificate valid for every crane?
No. The certificate shows general competence; workplace-specific operating training and authorisation are also needed for each crane. Also check whether the certificate was obtained from an institution and programme accepted by the legislation.
Does a crane operator certificate expire?
The vocational training regulation does not set a general renewal period for the documents it accepts. The validity period of MYK certificates is set in the relevant national qualification; a class G driving licence is valid for 10 years. The operating training given by the employer is renewed when the equipment changes and after an accident.
Position-by-position certificate checks for hazardous and very hazardous work, and MEB-approved 40-hour vocational training modules provided through our solution partners.
Bursa SİSTEMER OSGB Technical Team — written from the field experience of our OHS specialists and workplace physicians. Legal information is valid as of the publication/update date; contact us for an assessment specific to your business.