IPAF is registered with the UK Financial Services Authority as an industrial and provident society (No. 30998R) and therefore must have two levels of membership:

• Full members who have full voting rights and full access to all member services, and
• Associate members (associations, company associates, press, individual associates and small users) who do not have full voting rights, but have full access to all member services. 

IPAF’s PAL Card (Powered Access Licence) is the proof provided to all persons who successfully complete training and testing on an IPAF machine-based course.

In order to deliver IPAF training courses, you need to be employed by an IPAF training centre or become a registered IPAF independent instructor member.

To become an IPAF instructor, you must meet the following criteria:

• 36 months’ MEWP operating experience 
• IPAF Operator Licence held for 6 months minimum
• IPAF Demonstrator Licence held for 3 months minimum
• IPAF MEWPs for Managers course successfully completed
• Evidence of Acceptable Instructional Techniques training (3 days minimum)
• Successful completion of an approved Harness Instructor course
• Evidence of IPAF MEWP-specific Instructor training (4 days minimum) 
• Evidence of HSE required standard for First Aid at Work training level
• Successful completion of IPAF Instructor Examination
• Mentoring

To become an independent instructor member, please e-mail the IPAF Training Operations Coordinator.

If operators want to add a category to their PAL Card, they need to successfully complete the IPAF approved Theory Test Paper. In addition to this, they must achieve the required standard when operating each of the machine categories that they wish to add on to their PAL Card.

If demonstrators want to add a category to their PAL Card, they must do the operator theory test and practical test on that category, then do the demonstrator course.

If you have lost your PAL Card (Powered Access Licence) you will need to order a replacement, there will be a fee for a replacement card. Please see the Lost PAL Card page.

Contact an IPAF training centre. Only operators or demonstrators who have been filling out their log books (hard copy or digital via the IPAF ePAL app) will be eligible for a renewal test. Those who have not been filling out their log books will not be eligible for a renewal test and will have to re-sit the full operator/demonstrator course again.

All renewals must be done before the expiry date. Otherwise, an operator will have to do a full operator course and a demonstrator must do the full operator and demonstrator courses.

From 1 July 2022 all MEWP operators applying for a renewal course will be required to show ten (10) entries as evidence of their experience recorded in their log book (either hard copy or digital via the IPAF ePAL app). Subsequently, in order for an operator to be able to take a MEWP Operator renewal course they will need to show:

• From 1 Jan 2023 evidence of a minimum of twenty (20) entries
• From 1 Jan 2024 evidence a minimum of thirty (30) entries
• From 1 Jan 2025 evidence of a minimum of forty (40) entries
• From 1 Jan 2026 onward: evidence of a minimum of sixty (60) entries over 5 years

For regions where the PAL Card operator licence has a two-year expiry period, operators must have evidence of 24 entries in order to qualify for a renewal course.

Yes, provided that there are suitable facilities and equipment. Please discuss with your selected training centre.

The PAL Card is increasingly recognised worldwide. However, the employer and usually also the self-employed have a duty to know and abide by the legislation of the country they are planning to work in. IPAF may be able to assist with a summary of the legislation for countries in which we operate (please contact the IPAF head office in the UK). Ultimately it will be down to the site manager or equivalent at the differing work sites in each country to decide whether they are willing to accept the training you have received. IPAF's increasing worldwide reputation means that the PAL Card’s acceptance is growing daily.