Forklift certification in Missouri

4 forklift programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

3 schools offer these forklift programs, and Missouri has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Forklift operators drive industrial trucks with a lifting mechanism and forks to move heavy and large loads around warehouses, storage yards and other worksites. No formal education is usually required, and a forklift may take only a few days to learn; training covers safety rules, many of them set by OSHA, and employers must certify that each operator has been properly trained.¹

In Missouri, all 4 programs take students without a high school diploma.

By kind, the 4 programs here are forklift and warehouse course (2 programs) and forklift certification course (2 programs).

See the 4 programs

How much does forklift certification cost in Missouri?

$150 to $4,850

is what the 4 programs with a price cost if you pay yourself

In the typical program

Finished the program: Not enough data; 2 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
Working 6 months later: Not enough data; 2 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
Earned a year, estimated: Not enough data; 2 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
Length: Not enough data; 4 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Missouri may also offer forklift training. How these figures are made

Is there free forklift training in Missouri?

Yes, if you qualify. WIOA (public workforce funding) can pay for any program on this page, in full or in part, depending on local limits.²³⁴In program year 2024 it paid toward the training of at least 13 people at 1 of the 4 programs here.
Ask an American Job Center whether you qualify, or call 1-877-872-5627.⁵ Before funding training, the center goes through an assessment and a career plan with you.⁴
Or pay yourself. These programs cost $150 to $4,850.

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: financial aid, grants and the GI Bill

All 4 forklift programs in Missouri approved for WIOA funding

4 programs

Forklift and warehouse courseIn personNo diploma needed
Warehouseman Training
Warehouseman Training, Inc.
Kansas City
No diploma needed
Warehouseman Training, Inc., Kansas CityForklift and warehouse courseIn person · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimated$34,300
Price if you pay yourself$3,850
Program website, Warehouseman Training at Warehouseman Training, Inc.
More details about Warehouseman Training at Warehouseman Training, Inc.
Finished
94%
Working at 6 months
63%
Earned in a quarter
$8,580
Length
2 weeks, 40 hours a week
Cost of supplies
None listed
Students counted
92
Earned a year, estimated
$34,300
Price if you pay yourself
$3,850
Program website, Warehouseman Training at Warehouseman Training, Inc.
Forklift and warehouse courseIn personNo diploma needed
Warehouseman Training (OUT OF DISTRICT COST)
Warehouseman Training, Inc.
Kansas City
No diploma needed
Warehouseman Training, Inc., Kansas CityForklift and warehouse courseIn person · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimated$22,300
Price if you pay yourself$4,850
13 students trained with WIOA funding
Program website, Warehouseman Training (OUT OF DISTRICT COST) at Warehouseman Training, Inc.
More details about Warehouseman Training (OUT OF DISTRICT COST) at Warehouseman Training, Inc.
Finished
100%
Working at 6 months
37%
Earned in a quarter
$5,567
Length
2 weeks, 40 hours a week
Cost of supplies
None listed
Students counted
44
Earned a year, estimated
$22,300
Price if you pay yourself
$4,850
students trained with WIOA funding
13
Program website, Warehouseman Training (OUT OF DISTRICT COST) at Warehouseman Training, Inc.
Forklift certification courseIn personNo diploma needed
Forklift
Carthage R9 Schools: Carthage Technical Center
Carthage
Accredited school
No diploma needed
Carthage R9 Schools: Carthage Technical Center, CarthageForklift certification course · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$150
Program website, Forklift at Carthage R9 Schools: Carthage Technical Center
More details about Forklift at Carthage R9 Schools: Carthage Technical Center
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
1 week, 18 hours a week
Cost of supplies
None listed
Students counted
Not reported
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$150
Program website, Forklift at Carthage R9 Schools: Carthage Technical Center
Forklift certification courseIn personNo diploma needed
Fork Lift Training
Ozarks Technical Community College
Springfield
Accredited school
No diploma needed
Ozarks Technical Community College, SpringfieldForklift certification course · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$250
Program website, Fork Lift Training at Ozarks Technical Community College
More details about Fork Lift Training at Ozarks Technical Community College
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
7 weeks, 40 hours a week
Cost of supplies
None listed
Students counted
Not reported
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$250
Program website, Fork Lift Training at Ozarks Technical Community College

How to pay for forklift training in Missouri

WIOA funding can pay for forklift training in Missouri

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Financial aid and grants for forklift training

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.⁶⁷

GI Bill for forklift training

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.⁸

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Forklift certification in Kansas City, Joplin, Springfield and other Missouri cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above.

Other training in Missouri

How forklift training compares with the rest of transportation and logistics: Transportation and logistics training in Missouri

Where the Missouri forklift program numbers come from

Which Missouri forklift programs are on this list?

These are the forklift programs Missouri approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).⁹ The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Missouri offers.

How the prices and results of Missouri forklift programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

Sources for the facts about forklift training in Missouri

Show the 9 sourcesHide the sources

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