WHMIS training has no single national expiry date, but most employers treat it as good for one year. Provinces such as British Columbia and Ontario require employers to review WHMIS training at least once a year, and again whenever products, work or hazards change. That is why most WHMIS certificates, including ours, show a one-year date. Here is how WHMIS renewal works and when you need to retake it.
Does WHMIS expire?
Not in the way a driver’s licence does. No federal law puts an expiry date on a WHMIS certificate. What the law requires is that your employer makes sure your WHMIS training is current, and several provinces set a yearly review. In practice:
- Most employers, contractors and job sites ask for a WHMIS certificate dated within the last 12 months.
- You also need retraining when new hazardous products arrive, work processes change, or new hazard information comes out.
- A WHMIS certificate from a past job is a good start, but your new employer must still give you site-specific training on their products.
WHMIS renewal by province
| Province | Rule | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | OHS Regulation Part 5: employers must review WHMIS education and training at least annually, and when conditions change | Renew yearly |
| Ontario | Regulation 860 (WHMIS): employers must review worker education at least annually, with the joint health and safety committee or representative | Renew yearly |
| Alberta | OHS Code Part 29: employers must train workers and keep training current | Most employers renew yearly or every few years |
| Other provinces | Provincial OHS rules require training to stay current | Check your employer’s policy; yearly is common |
Working in a province with its own page? See WHMIS rules for British Columbia, Ontario and Alberta.
When you need WHMIS training again
- Every year, if your province or employer requires an annual review (B.C. and Ontario do).
- New products with hazards you have not been trained on arrive at work.
- New hazard information appears on an updated label or Safety Data Sheet.
- You change jobs: general WHMIS may carry over, but site-specific training never does.
- The rules change, as they did with the 2022 update to the Hazardous Products Regulations (transition ended December 2025).
Get your WHMIS certificate today
100% online · unlimited free retakes · instant certificate + free wallet card
Is my old WHMIS 1988 certificate still valid?
No. The move from WHMIS 1988 to WHMIS 2015 ended for most workplaces on December 1, 2018. Training today must cover WHMIS 2015 / GHS: the red-diamond pictograms, the new label rules and the 16-section Safety Data Sheet. If your certificate is older than that, take the current course.
How to renew your WHMIS online
- Enrol in the online WHMIS course and start right away on any device.
- Complete the course in about 90 minutes. Your progress saves, so you can stop and continue.
- Pass the final exam with 80% or better. Retakes are unlimited and free.
- Download your certificate as soon as you pass. A wallet card is mailed free.
Renewing a whole crew? Group pricing starts at 2 seats, and the admin dashboard shows who is due. Prefer a classroom? We also run WHMIS in person in Burnaby.
Frequently asked questions
How long is a WHMIS certificate good for?
There is no national expiry date, but most employers treat WHMIS as good for one year, because provinces such as B.C. and Ontario require employers to review WHMIS training at least annually.
Does WHMIS expire in BC?
B.C.’s OHS Regulation requires employers to review WHMIS education and training at least once a year, and whenever conditions change. In practice most B.C. employers ask for a WHMIS certificate from the last 12 months.
Does WHMIS expire in Ontario?
Ontario’s WHMIS regulation (Regulation 860) requires employers to review worker WHMIS education at least once a year, so most Ontario employers renew it yearly.
Do I need to retake WHMIS when I change jobs?
Your general WHMIS training can carry over, but your new employer must still train you on the hazardous products at their workplace, and many will ask for a recent certificate.
Is WHMIS 1988 training still valid?
No. Training must cover WHMIS 2015 / GHS. The transition from WHMIS 1988 ended for most workplaces on December 1, 2018.
How long does WHMIS renewal take online?
About 90 minutes with Gama Safety’s online course, and you can download your certificate as soon as you pass.
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