Can a mine use its own Part 46 training record?

Yes, as long as it contains everything 30 CFR 46.9(b) requires: the miner's name, the type/duration/date of training, the competent person's name, the mine name and MSHA ID, the false-certification warning, and a signed certification.

How long must Part 46 training records be retained?

During the miner's employment plus at least 60 days after termination, under 30 CFR 46.9 — except annual refresher records, which need only be kept 2 years.

What happens to training records when a miner changes employers?

The operator must give the miner a copy of their training records and certificates upon request when the miner leaves.

MSHA Resource Center · Training Records

MSHA Form 5000-23 & Part 46 Training Record Requirements

Q: What is MSHA Form 5000-23?

MSHA's Certificate of Training form, used to record and certify training a miner received. It's mandatory for Part 48 (underground/coal) training under 30 CFR 48.9 and 48.29.

Q: Is Form 5000-23 required for Part 46?

No. 30 CFR 46.9(a) allows Form 5000-23 or any other form that contains the information listed in 46.9(b) — a Part 46 operation is not required to use 5000-23 specifically.

What Form 5000-23 actually is, whether Part 46 requires it, what a compliant training record must contain, and how long to keep it — plus a free downloadable training record template. No signup required.

1. What is MSHA Form 5000-23?

Form 5000-23, “Certificate of Training,” is MSHA’s standard form for recording and certifying that a miner received required training. Mine operators, and the competent persons who deliver training on their behalf, use it to document what training happened, when, and who provided it.

MSHA guidanceMSHA’s own Form 5000-23 page describes it as provided “to record and certify Part 48 mandatory training received by miners,” citing 30 CFR 48.9 and 48.29. It is mandatory documentation for Part 48 operations (underground and coal mines).

2. Is Form 5000-23 required for Part 46?

No. This is the most common point of confusion, and it’s worth being precise about it.

MSHA requirement30 CFR 46.9(a): “You must record and certify on MSHA Form 5000-23, or on a form that contains the information listed in paragraph (b)…”

Part 46’s own regulation names Form 5000-23 as one compliant option — not the only one. MSHA also publishes free sample Part 46 training record/certificate forms (linked in Official Sources below) specifically as an alternative to 5000-23 for Part 46 operations. A mine can use 5000-23, MSHA’s sample forms, or its own record format — as long as it contains everything 30 CFR 46.9(b) requires.

3. What must a compliant record contain?

Under 30 CFR 46.9(b), every Part 46 training record must include:

Printed full name of the person trained
Type of training, duration, and date received
Name of the competent person who provided the training
Mine or independent contractor name, MSHA identification number, and location of training
The false-certification warning statement, in bold letters
A certification statement signed by the person the training plan designates as responsible for health and safety training

4. Who signs the record, and when?

The certification is signed by the person named in the mine’s MSHA-approved training plan as responsible for health and safety training — not necessarily the instructor themselves, though it often is.

Recommended practiceComplete the record the same day as the training, while the details are fresh, rather than batching paperwork at the end of the week.

Timing for when the underlying training itself is due varies by category — see the Part 46 training requirements guide for new miner, newly hired experienced miner, task, refresher, and site-specific hazard awareness deadlines.

5. Retention, and where records must be kept

MSHA requirementRecords are kept during the miner’s employment, plus at least 60 calendar days after termination — except annual refresher records, which need only be kept 2 years. A copy of each miner’s training records must be made available at the mine for MSHA and for miners and their representatives to examine.

6. What happens when a miner changes employers?

MSHA requirement“When a miner leaves your employ, you must provide each miner with a copy of his or her training records and certificates upon request.”

The record follows the miner, on request — it’s not automatically transferred between employers. A newly hired experienced miner arriving without their old records doesn’t erase their experienced-miner status, but it’s worth asking for copies before someone leaves, not after.

7. Training record vs. training certificate

Recommended practicePart 46 doesn’t formally define two separate documents — a single completed record (like Form 5000-23 or an equivalent) typically serves as both the operator’s record and the miner’s personal certificate once they’re given a copy. Some sites still find it useful to think of “record” as what the mine keeps and “certificate” as the miner’s own copy — that’s a practical framing, not a regulatory distinction.

8. Part 46 vs. Part 48 — don’t mix them up

Part 46 covers the specific surface operations listed in 30 CFR 46.1 (shell dredging, sand, gravel, surface stone, surface clay, colloidal phosphate, surface limestone — described by MSHA as the aggregate industry). Part 48 covers underground mines and coal mines, and its training-record rules are different — Form 5000-23 use is mandatory there, not optional. If you’re not sure which Part governs your operation, confirm your MSHA ID’s classification before assuming Part 46’s recordkeeping flexibility applies to you.

9. Filling out Form 5000-23

MSHA publishes its own step-by-step instructions for the form (linked below) — we won’t duplicate a line-by-line walkthrough of someone else’s official document here. A few practical notes from MSHA’s own guidance:

It can be filled out on screen and printed, or printed and completed by hand
Keep the completed form at the mine — MSHA states plainly: do not file it with MSHA
Give the miner their copy

10. Free training record template

Two free options, depending on what you need:

The official MSHA Form 5000-23, direct from msha.gov — required if you’re Part 48, or if your Part 46 operation simply prefers to use it.
A DocuCircuit training record template, built around the exact 30 CFR 46.9(b) fields — a free alternative for Part 46 operations who’d rather not use 5000-23.

Not an official formThe DocuCircuit template is our own document, clearly labeled as such on the page — it is not MSHA Form 5000-23 and is not issued by MSHA.

↗ Official MSHA Form 5000-23 (PDF, msha.gov)↓ Free DocuCircuit training record template (PDF)

Fields marked required on the template are drawn directly from 30 CFR 46.9(b); the rest are optional detail, not federal requirements.

Keep your forms. Lose the paperwork.

Paper or PDF training records working fine for now?

Keep using them — the official form or the template above will do the job. If it becomes a paperwork problem — records scattered across sites, chasing signatures, digging through binders at inspection time — send us the training record you already use and we’ll convert it into a guided electronic record for DocuCircuit: completed on a phone, tablet, or computer, including offline, signed electronically, routed to the people who need it, and stored where you can find it again.

Send Us Your Existing Forms See How DocuCircuit Works

11. Official sources

30 CFR § 46.9 — Records of trainingRequirement
30 CFR § 46.1 — Scope (Part 46 coverage)Requirement
MSHA Form 5000-23 — Certificate of Training (official PDF)Official form
MSHA — Certificate of Training (Form 5000-23) pageMSHA guidance
MSHA — Instructions for Completing Form 5000-23MSHA guidance
MSHA — Sample Part 46 Training Records/Certificates (official alternative to 5000-23)MSHA guidance
MSHA — Part 46 Training Assistance: FormsMSHA guidance

Regulations and official forms change — check the linked sources for the current version before relying on a summary, including this one.

This page is a practical resource, not legal advice, and does not create or modify any MSHA requirement. DocuCircuit supports your inspection and recordkeeping processes; it does not determine or guarantee regulatory compliance and does not replace a competent person, your own procedures, training, or legal review. Confirm which Part (46 or 48) applies to your operation before relying on this page. Where this page states a specific requirement, that is drawn from the cited regulation above; where it offers a suggestion beyond that text, it is labeled as a recommended practice or MSHA guidance, not a requirement.

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