Workshop cards are required for mechanics who will be performing work on digital and smart tachographs in an approved tachograph workshop.
It is the workshop that is the card owner, and the mechanic will be the card user. A workshop card is valid for 1 year. Mechanics working for multiple workshops must have one workshop card for each workshop. The workshop card is personal and must not be lent to others.
You can apply for a new card or renew your workshop card on Your Page. If your workshop card is lost, defective or needs to be replaced due to administrative changes, you have to apply at a Driver and Vehicle Licensing Office (trafikkstasjon).
How to apply for a workshop card on Your Page
The mechanic who will be using the workshop card logs in and applies for it. If the company you work for has multiple departments, you need to be sure to select the department you work for. You do not need any individual rights on behalf of the enterprise in Altinn to apply.
Renew workshop card
You can also renew your workshop card on Your Page. When you have a workshop card from before, you can select "Renew" - you should not apply for a new workshop card. Remember to check that the workshop name is correct.
The employee must be registered as the responsible manager or deputy in the Workshop Register (Verkstedregisteret). Read more about how the MD/CEO can update the Workshop Register (Norwegian only).
In addition, the responsible manager or deputy needs to have the individual right "Review application for a workshop card" in Altinn on behalf of the enterprise to use this facility.
If you do not have the rights in Altinn, you need to contact the person registered in Altinn as responsible for the enterprise. It is usually the Managing Director/CEO, the Chairman of the Board or other individuals with the role of “Access Manager” in Altinn who can assign to employees or others the right to act on behalf of the enterprise.
Confirm and pay
The responsible manager must complete the application for the workshop card by confirming the applicant's information and paying for the card. A workshop card costs NOK 360 when you apply on Your Page.
After the responsible manager has completed the application, the application is processed and the card is normally produced within 48 hours (on business days). Both the mechanic and the responsible manager can check the status of the application on Your Page. The workshop receives the workshop card and PIN code letter within two weeks after the order is placed.
The MD/CEO assigns access to the responsible manager or deputy
The Managing Director / CEO should check that the correct employee is registered as the responsible manager or deputy in the Workshop Register. To have access to view and apply to change the responsible manager, the MD/CEO must have the individual right "Verksted og kontrollorgan - søke om ny eller endre godkjenning" in Altinn on behalf of the enterprise.
The responsible manager or deputy needs to have the individual right "Review application for a workshop card" in Altinn on behalf of the enterprise in order to complete the application for a workshop card on Your Page. Read more about granting employees or others the rights to act on behalf of the enterprise in Altinn.
How to apply for a workshop card at a Driver and Vehicle Licensing Office
You need to apply at a Driver and Vehicle Licensing Office (trafikkstasjon) if
the workshop card needs to be replaced due to administrative changes
you have a workshop card that is lost or defective and need a replacement card
The application form for workshop cards must be printed, filled in, signed by both the card user and the responsible manager, and submitted in person by the card user at a Driver and Vehicle Licensing Office. You need to book an appointment before you go to a Driver and Vehicle Licensing Office, and you must bring valid proof of identity. It costs NOK 390 to apply for a workshop card at a Driver and Vehicle Licensing Office.
When you have applied for the workshop card at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Office, the card and a letter with the PIN code will be sent to the workshop. The card user's (mechanic's) name will appear on the envelope. The workshop will receive the workshop card and PIN code within two weeks after the order is placed.
Conditions for obtaining a workshop card
The NPRA will check whether the necessary criteria for obtaining a workshop card are met. This includes ensuring that the work on smart tachographs is carried out by a workshop approved for this purpose. If it is not clear from the Central Coordinating Register for Legal Entities whether the workshop meets the requirements, the NPRA may request more information from the responsible manager.
A workshop card issued on the basis of incorrect information will be revoked by the NPRA. The same applies in cases of using someone else's workshop card, forgery or other use in violation of the Regulations relating to tachograph workshops. If the card user leaves their job at the workshop before the workshop card expires, the responsible manager must submit the card (without the PIN code) to the NPRA (by personal attendance at a Driver and Vehicle Licensing Office, or by post to the return address). This is to ensure that no one else will be using the card.
If it is documented that the workshop card contains wrong information and the error is caused by the NPRA or the card manufacturer, a replacement card will be issued without charge. This also applies if the workshop card is defective for similar reasons, or if the PIN code has not been received.
The card has a personal PIN. For every new workshop card, there is a new code. An incorrect code may be entered 4 times. The 5th time, the workshop card will become defective. You will then need to apply and pay for a replacement card.
The workshop card and PIN code must be stored separately and securely. The card user is responsible for ensuring that neither the card nor code falls into the wrong hands. Workshop cards must not be used by anyone other than the person registered as the card user, and the PIN code must not be disclosed to others. The workshop card must be stored in a locked security cabinet or similar in connection with the workshop when it is not being used. The workshop card must not be lent to others. These rules are set out in Section 17 of the Regulations relating to tachograph workshops.
The workshop card may be renewed when it is about to expire (within 3 months) or has expired less than 1 year ago. It is the card user’s responsibility to apply for renewal well in advance of the expiry date of the existing workshop card, to ensure that they have a valid card. The start date for the new card will be the day after the end date for the existing card. A valid card should be used until its date of expiry, and the new card must NOT be inserted into the tachograph before its start date.
A replacement card may be issued if the card is stolen, lost or defective. In such cases, the mechanic must submit an application for a replacement card and explain that the card is lost/stolen/defective. The card user must also say when the card stopped working or was lost/stolen, and explain the problem in writing. If the workshop card is lost/stolen, this must be reported to the NPRA without undue delay. The loss notification must be handed in at a Driver and Vehicle Licensing Office. If the card is recovered after the card user has received a replacement card, the old workshop card must be immediately sent to the NPRA (return address on the back of the card) or handed in at a Driver and Vehicle Licensing Office.
If a replacement card is applied for because the previous card is defective, the defective card must be handed in at a Driver and Vehicle Licensing Office together with the application. It is also possible to apply for a replacement card if the workshop card has incorrect information, such as an incorrect name, address or similar. If a replacement card is applied for because the card contains incorrect details, the old card should be handed in to the NPRA together with the application. Alternatively, you can pick up the new workshop card at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Office and then hand in the old workshop card at the same time. Card users must report to the workshop if they suspect that the card has been misused.
You need to book an appointment before you go to a Driver and Vehicle Licensing Office.
If a card user changes name or similar after receiving the card, they may apply for a new workshop card with the correct details. If a replacement card is applied for because the card contains incorrect details, the old card should be handed in to the NPRA together with the application. Alternatively, you can pick up the new workshop card at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Office and then hand in the existing workshop card at the same time. You need to book an appointment before you go to a Driver and Vehicle Licensing Office.
The rules on workshop cards for digital and smart tachographs can be found in Regulation (EEC) No 3821/85 for first-generation digital tachographs, Regulation (EU) No 165/2014 and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/799 for digital and smart tachographs, and the Norwegian Regulations of 26 September 2018 No 1467 relating to tachograph workshops.
