Apply for a workshop card
Workshop cards are 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.
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.
Mechanics working for multiple workshops must have one workshop card for each workshop. A workshop card is valid for 1 year. 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. It will then be necessary to apply for a new card with a new code.
Application for a workshop card
You need to book an appointment at a Driver and Vehicle Licensing Office to apply for a workshop card there.
The application form for workshop cards must be printed, filled in, signed by both the card user and the accountable manager, and submitted in person by the card user at a Driver and Vehicle Licensing Office. When you apply, you will have to present valid proof of identity.
The Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NPRA) accepts proof of identity such as Norwegian passports, Norwegian driving licences, Norwegian bank cards, etc. More information about what is considered valid proof of identity can be found on our website.
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 accountable manager.
A workshop card issued on the basis of incorrect information will be revoked by the NPRA. The same applies in cases where someone else's workshop card is used, cases of forgery, or other cases of use in violation of the regulations on tachograph workshops. If the card user leaves the workshop before the workshop card expires, the accountable 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.
Payment
The workshop card must be paid when it is ordered. The card costs NOK 310 and must be paid for by the applicant. 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.
The same applies if the workshop card is defective for similar reasons, or there is something wrong with the PIN code. You will find more information on how to pay and what payment methods you can use on our website.
Sending a workshop card and PIN
The workshop card will be sent to the workshop. The PIN code is sent by registered mail one day later to the same address as the card, but with the card user's (mechanic's) name on the envelope. It may take 5-10 working days from when you hand in the application until the workshop receives the workshop card and a pick-up notice for the PIN code in the post.
Storing the card and PIN
The workshop card and PIN code must be stored separately and securely. The card user is responsible for ensuring that neither cards nor codes fall 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.
Renewing a workshop card
The workshop card may be renewed when it is about to expire (within 6 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 he or she has 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 must be used until its date of expiry, and the new card must NOT be inserted into the tachograph before its start date.
Replacing a workshop card
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 state that the card is lost/stolen/defective. The card user must also state 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 the workshop card is damaged or in other ways defective, it must be returned to the NPRA without undue delay.
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 must 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.
When a card is returned to the NPRA, it should be sent to the return address on the back of the card.
Changing a workshop card
If a card user changes name or similar after receiving the card, he or she may apply for a new workshop card with the correct details. If a card change is applied for because the card contains incorrect details, the old card must be handed in to the NPRA together with the application. Alternatively, the new workshop card can be picked up at a Driver and Vehicle Licensing Office and the existing workshop card handed in at the same time.