If you've made it this far, you are probably asking the following two questions:
- Who is required to have a MA hoisting license?
- How do you obtain a MA hoisting license?
Let's talk about the first question ...
Who is Required to Have a MA Hoisting License?
There is plenty of confusion and false information circulating over when it's required to hold a Massachusetts Hoisting License. Here is some clarification.
The Regulation
"Hoisting Machinery" is defined within MA state regulations (seen in the image below). It states "higher than ten feet, and either the capability of lifting loads greater than 500 pounds or the capacity of the bucket exceeds 1/4 cubic yards". HOWEVER ... This statement is meant as a residual clause, a catch-all to cover any remaining equipment not specified in the sentence prior. The sentence prior specifically declares "excavators, backhoes, front end loaders, uniloaders, skid loader, skid steer loaders, compact loaders or similar devices, lattice cranes, derricks, cranes with or without wire rope; all fork lifts, powered industrial lift trucks, overhead hoists (underhung), overhead cranes, underhung cranes, monorail cranes, lifting devices, cableways, powered platforms". If you are operating any of the equipment stated in this sentence, you MUST hold a valid hoisting license.
What's New
Additionally, it does NOT matter what type of attachment you have on the machine; it still requires a license. Previously, the Hoisting FAQ section stated that certain attachments nullified the need for a hoisting license if the attachment was not capable of holding a load. These FAQs are now considered Null & Void by the DPL. So regardless of what you are doing, if the machine is specified or described in the Hoisting Machinery definition, you must have a license to be at the operator controls while the machine is running.
520 CMR 6.01(2)
Myths About Who Needs to Hold a Massachusetts Hoisting License
In some cases, you might falsely believe that the hoisting machinery you’re operating doesn’t require a license.
- Private Property: You might assume you do not need a license in your own yard. The reality is that you are required to hold a hoisting license—even to operate on private property.
- Supervised: Another misconception is that a hoisting license is not necessary if you are operating equipment in the presence of someone else who has a hoisting license. Massachusetts requirements are clear: No matter who else holds a license, the moment you operate hoisting machinery, you need one of your own. Each person operating needs to carry this license, and you need to renew it on time.
- Common Misunderstanding: People commonly believe that all three of the following criteria have to be true in order for the equipment you operate to require a MA Hoisting License:
- Capable of hoisting a load higher than 10 ft.
- Capable of hoisting more than 500 lbs.
- Bucket capacity exceeds ¼ cubic yards
However, the regulation actually reads:
- Capable of hoisting a load higher than 10 ft -AND-
- a. Capable of hoisting more than 500 lbs. -OR-
- b. Bucket capacity exceeds ¼ cubic yards
So, if #1 is true, then you only need either a. or b. to be true to require a license.
How Do I Obtain a Massachusetts Hoisting License?
For those who need to carry a hoisting license in Massachusetts, the next natural question is, how do I obtain one? The Massachusetts government has dictated the following in regards to obtaining licensure:
“To obtain a license, hoisting operators must be 18 years old, complete an application, and successfully pass an exam covering all working parts of the hoisting machinery, safe operating practices, hand signals, and inspection procedures.”
The MA hoisting license exam is difficult, so it’s a good idea to enroll in a course that adequately prepares you.
If you're wondering how you can get a hoisting license in Massachusetts, Mass Hoisting Training and our sister company, At Leisure Contractor Licensing, are here to help. We offer both classroom and online exam prep courses to meet your schedule and learning style. Our course curriculums cater specifically to the Massachusetts hoisting exam, and have been developed from decades of experience by industry experts.
Hoisting Machinery is defined as Derricks, cableways, machinery used for discharging cargoes, and temporary elevator cars used on excavation work or used for hoisting building material, when the motive power to operate such machinery is mechanical and other than steam.
Consistent with M.G.L. c. 146, § 53, this definition includes, but is not limited to:
Tower cranes, lattice boom cranes, telescoping boom cranes with or without wire rope, telehandlers, forklifts and other general industrial fork trucks, crawler and rubber tired excavators, backhoes and front end loaders, compact hoisting machinery, overhead gantry cranes, marine lifts, jib and other shop cranes capable of lifting more than two tons or more than 12 feet, specialty equipment as categorized in 230 CMR 6.10, and any other machinery not specified in this regulation that is deemed by the Commissioner to be governed by M.G.L. c. 146, § 53. The equipment outlined in this definition shall be deemed to include equipment with or without any manufacturer approved attachments.
Exemptions:
The following equipment has not historically been deemed to be hoisting machinery and shall be deemed exempt from 230 CMR 6.00: Municipal solid waste vehicles, vacuum trucks, street sweeping equipment, service truck cranes used for vehicle repair with capacity less than 14,000 pounds, tow trucks used for any size motor vehicle towing, bucket truck mounted hoists with capacity of two tons or less, truck mounted lift gates, pallet movers with lifting height less than two feet, portable electric chain hoists with capacity of two and a half tons or less using a power source of 240 volts or less, and other equipment specifically excluded by the Commissioner.
You must be 18 years of age or older.
There are varying grades of a hoisting license. For a full list of license grades, click here.
230 CMR 6.00 shall apply to hoisting machinery as defined in 230 CMR 6.01 that is used on private or public property for the erection, construction, alteration, demolition, repair or maintenance of buildings, structures, bridges, highways, roadways, dams, tunnels, sewers, underground buildings or structures, underground pipelines or ducts, and all other construction projects or facilities or other uses on private or public grounds including the warehousing and movement of materials, except when being used exclusively for agricultural purposes.
To obtain a hoisting license, you must pass a written exam. The exam is comprised of 50% MA state-law and 50% equipment specific safety. Many of the questions are very challenging, particularly questions that pertain to MA state law.
No. M.G.L. c. 146, § 53 provides an exemption for hoisting machinery used exclusively for agricultural purposes.
Per 230 CMR 6.02(2), you must possess a U.S. state, U.S. territory, or federal government issued identification driver’s license or, for apprentices only, a driver’s license learner’s permit.
Yes, after your license expires, you will have a one-year grace period to renew your license before going Null & Void, at which time you will need to retake the exam. During the period you are expired, you are not legally allowed to operate machinery.
A hoisting license is good for two years. However, when you first obtain your license, it’s only good until your second birthday, which is your expiration date. For example, if you took the state exam on May 1, 2025, and your birthday is June 1, 2025, that means your license will expire June 2026; or a year and one month after you have first passed the exam.