How to Get Forklift Certified in Texas: Rules and Cost

At a glance

To get forklift certified in Texas, complete training that includes formal instruction, hands-on practice and an evaluation, then have your employer certify it. Texas has no state OSHA plan, so federal OSHA’s forklift standard, 29 CFR 1910.178, applies to most private employers. Forklift Academy runs hands-on training centers in Dallas and Houston and trains onsite across the Austin metro.

• Texas is not an OSHA State Plan state, so federal OSHA covers most private sector workers there, according to OSHA’s State Plans page.
• Federal OSHA requires a forklift operator’s performance to be evaluated at least once every three years.
• Forklift Academy’s hands-on sit-down forklift classes in Dallas and Houston each cost $350 and take under four hours.
• Forklift Academy’s Dallas training center is at 10420 Plano Rd, Suite 114, and its Houston center is at 6205 Brookhill #2.
• Forklift Academy trains onsite at employers’ facilities in Austin, Round Rock, Pflugerville, Cedar Park, Georgetown, Buda, Kyle and San Marcos.

Which forklift rules apply in Texas?

Some states run their own workplace safety programs, called State Plans, which OSHA approves and monitors. Texas is not one of them. OSHA’s State Plans page lists the states with approved plans, and Texas is not on it, which means federal OSHA covers most private sector workers in the state.

For forklift operators, that makes the rules simple. Texas employers follow the federal powered industrial truck standard, 29 CFR 1910.178, and its operator training section, paragraph (l). Under the federal rule, forklift certification is not a government-issued license. “Forklift certification” in Texas means what it means under federal OSHA: training plus an evaluation, documented by the employer.

What federal OSHA requires for forklift certification

OSHA’s forklift training eTool summarizes the operator training rules in 1910.178(l). Training must combine three parts:

• Formal instruction. Lecture, video, written material or interactive computer learning.
• Practical training. Demonstrations by the trainer and practical exercises by the trainee.
• Evaluation. An assessment of the operator’s performance in the workplace.

The training has to cover truck-related topics, such as controls, steering, visibility, stability, capacity and operating limits, and workplace-related topics, such as surface conditions, load handling, pedestrian traffic, ramps and narrow aisles. Trainees may only operate a forklift under the direct supervision of someone with the knowledge, training and experience to train operators.

Once training is complete, the employer must certify that each operator was trained and evaluated. OSHA requires that certification to include the operator’s name, the date of training, the date of evaluation, and the name of the person who performed the training or evaluation.

How to get forklift certified in Texas, step by step

1. Choose the equipment you need. A sit-down counterbalanced forklift is the most common, but warehouse jobs in Texas often call for stand-up reach trucks, order pickers or electric pallet jacks too. OSHA training is specific to the type of truck, so match the class to the job.
2. Pick a route. New operators should take a hands-on class. Experienced operators can take online knowledge training and complete the practical evaluation with their employer. Employers training a crew can book onsite training.
3. Complete the training and evaluation. A hands-on class at Forklift Academy covers classroom instruction, practice on real equipment and an evaluation in one visit.
4. Get your card and certificate. Forklift Academy’s hands-on students in Dallas and Houston leave with a picture ID card and a certificate of achievement the same day.
5. Give the record to your employer. Your employer certifies your training and evaluation, and completes a site-specific evaluation on its own equipment when its conditions differ.

Forklift training in Dallas

Forklift Academy’s Dallas training center is at 10420 Plano Rd, Suite 114, Dallas, TX 75238, and runs by appointment. The center offers classes in English and Spanish, with Saturday classes in Spanish.

Dallas classes include:

• Sit-down forklift training: $350, about three to four hours.
• Stand-up forklift training: $375.
• Sit-down forklift and electric pallet jack: $675.
• Sit-down, stand-up and electric pallet jack: $750, a three-equipment session for warehouse operators.
• Train the Trainer, Dallas: $900, for companies qualifying an in-house trainer.

Forklift training in Houston

Forklift Academy’s Houston training center is at 6205 Brookhill #2, Houston, TX 77087. It is open Monday to Friday from 8 am to 3 pm, with Saturday by appointment, and classes run in English and Spanish.

Houston classes include:

• Sit-down forklift training: $350, done in under four hours, with a certificate the same day valid for three years.
• Order picker training: $380.
• Forklift, order picker and scissor lift: $750, a three-equipment session.
• Standard scissor lift training: $250.
• Train the Trainer, Houston: $900.

Dallas or Houston: which center fits your job?

Both centers teach the sit-down forklift for $350. The difference is in the other equipment each one trains on, so pick the center that matches the machines on your job posting.

• Choose Dallas for stand-up and pallet jack work. Dallas runs stand-up forklift classes and two combinations that add the electric pallet jack, which suits warehouse and distribution roles that move between a counterbalanced truck, a stand-up reach truck and a walkie.
• Choose Houston for order pickers and scissor lifts. Houston runs order picker classes, standard scissor lift classes and a three-equipment session covering the forklift, order picker and scissor lift, which suits facilities with high racking and maintenance work at height.
• Training a trainer? Both centers offer hands-on Train the Trainer sessions for $900.

What happens in a hands-on class

Forklift Academy’s Houston forklift class description lays out the format most students can expect:

• Classroom instruction. Interactive presentations, slides, models and discussion.
• A written test. A check of understanding, followed by a group review of the answers.
• An on-the-equipment evaluation. Driving the forklift, practicing safety checks and maintenance, and working through controls, visibility, stability and load handling, including rough terrain operation.
• Your credentials. A custom-printed operator ID card with your photo and a certificate of achievement.

Forklift Academy also adds graduates who want work to a job placement database shared with partner companies and temp agencies looking for trained operators.

Forklift training in Austin

Forklift Academy does not run a public training center in Austin. Instead, Forklift Academy trains on the employer’s own equipment at warehouses, distribution centers and manufacturing sites across the Austin metro, including Round Rock, Pflugerville, Cedar Park, Georgetown, Buda, Kyle and San Marcos. Austin training is priced by custom quote. Request a session on the Austin onsite training page.

Training on your own equipment has a practical advantage. OSHA expects the evaluation to reflect the operator’s actual workplace, so onsite training puts that evaluation on the forklifts, floors and aisles your team uses every day. Employers outside Austin can book the same service through Forklift Academy onsite training.

How much does forklift certification cost in Texas?

Costs depend on the route and the number of machines.

• Hands-on sit-down forklift class: $350 in Dallas or Houston.
• Multi-equipment hands-on class: $675 to $750, depending on the combination.
• Online knowledge training: $59.95 for Forklift Academy’s individual online forklift certification, which needs prior operating experience and a practical evaluation by the employer.
• Onsite training for a group: priced by quote, based on location and number of trainees.

Some employers pay for training as part of hiring. If you are already employed, ask whether your company has an in-house trainer or an onsite program before you book.

Options for Texas employers

Texas employers have more choices than sending each hire to a public class.

• Onsite training. Forklift Academy brings a trainer to your facility and trains on your equipment, in the Austin metro and elsewhere through onsite training.
• An in-house trainer. Federal OSHA allows employers to train their own operators, provided the trainer has the knowledge, training and experience to train and evaluate them. Forklift Academy’s Forklift Train the Trainer Online costs $198 and includes a three-year trainer certification. The trainer runs classes for employees, then completes the hands-on evaluation on the company’s own equipment and site.
• A business training portal. Forklift Academy’s business portal lets employers assign online knowledge training to employees and track their progress, with the practical evaluation completed on site.

Can you get forklift certified online in Texas?

Partly. Online training can cover the formal instruction and written test. OSHA also requires practical training and an evaluation of the operator’s performance, so an online course alone does not complete certification.

Forklift Academy’s online course page states that the employer still completes the practical evaluation on its own equipment, and that the course is for operators with forklift experience. If you have never driven a forklift, take a hands-on class in Dallas or Houston, where the practice and the evaluation happen in the same session.

How long does forklift certification last in Texas?

Texas follows federal OSHA, which requires an evaluation of each operator’s performance at least once every three years. Forklift Academy’s Houston forklift certification is valid for three years.

OSHA requires refresher training and a new evaluation sooner when an operator is seen operating unsafely, is involved in an accident or near miss, receives an evaluation showing unsafe operation, is assigned to a different type of truck, or faces a change in workplace conditions that could affect safe operation.

Getting started

Forklift Academy has trained forklift operators for more than 20 years and serves Texas from its Dallas and Houston centers and its Austin onsite service. Book a seat on the Dallas or Houston pages, request Austin onsite training, or see every location on the training locations page.

Frequently asked questions

Does Texas have its own forklift certification rules?

No. Texas is not an OSHA State Plan state, so federal OSHA covers most private sector workers in Texas. Texas employers follow the federal forklift standard, 29 CFR 1910.178, and its operator training rules in paragraph (l). Under federal OSHA, the employer certifies each operator, so certification is not a government-issued license.

How long does it take to get forklift certified in Texas?

Forklift Academy’s hands-on sit-down forklift classes in Dallas and Houston take under four hours, and students receive a picture ID card and a certificate of achievement the same day. Experienced operators can complete Forklift Academy’s online knowledge course in under an hour, with the employer completing the practical evaluation.

How much does forklift certification cost in Dallas or Houston?

Forklift Academy’s hands-on sit-down forklift class costs $350 in both Dallas and Houston. Multi-equipment classes cost $675 to $750. Forklift Academy’s individual online forklift course costs $59.95 and requires prior experience, with the practical evaluation completed by the employer.

Is there forklift training in Austin, Texas?

Forklift Academy trains onsite in the Austin metro, on the employer’s own equipment, at warehouses, distribution centers and manufacturing sites in Austin, Round Rock, Pflugerville, Cedar Park, Georgetown, Buda, Kyle and San Marcos. Austin training is priced by custom quote rather than sold as public class seats.

Can I take a forklift class in Spanish in Texas?

Yes. Forklift Academy’s Dallas and Houston training centers both offer classes in English and Spanish, and the Dallas sit-down forklift class runs Saturday sessions in Spanish. Forklift Academy also sells its online forklift knowledge course in Spanish for operators who already have experience.

Do I need forklift experience before taking a class?

Not for a hands-on class. Forklift Academy’s hands-on classes in Dallas and Houston are built for beginners and include instructor-led practice and an evaluation. Forklift Academy’s online course is different. It covers safety rules and regulations and requires prior forklift experience.