ERR5029: Unrecognised or blank smartcard inserted

When you are trying to service a user's smartcard in Care Identity Management, you enter the smartcard into a second smartcard reader and continue, but see a 'Problem reading smartcard' error, with an error code ERR5029.

This can happen because the smartcard:

• is blank
• has been inserted the wrong way round or upside down in the reader
• is damaged

Other causes:

• it is a series 9 smartcard and the PIV minidriver is not installed on the workstation
• the smartcard reader drivers need to be updated
• the smartcard was issued for a path-to-live (PTL) environment and is not normally used to access live patient data

First make sure that the smartcard is inserted the right way round in the reader.

Next, check that the smartcard is not blank or damaged. Try it in another reader attached to a different workstation if you can.

If you are certain that the smartcard is working and inserted correctly, you will need to contact your local IT team to fix the issue. The steps they should follow are listed below.

Check the PIV mini driver is installed

The PIV mini driver is essential for users with series 9 smartcards. It should already be present if automatic Windows updates are enabled.

If it's not present, download the PIV mini driver and follow the installation instructions.

Check smartcard reader setup

It's important that a supported smartcard reader is used and that its drivers are up to date. Read our guidance on smartcard reader setup.

If the error persists

You should raise a case to the National Service Desk on the NHS Digital Customer Portal or email [email protected]

To get the best service, include this in your support request:

ERR5029: Unrecognised or blank smartcard inserted

When servicing a smartcard, the user gets the following error in Care Identity Management:

ERR5029: Unrecognised or blank smartcard inserted

• I have followed the troubleshooting steps, but now need to raise a request for help as described in https://digital.nhs.uk/services/care-identity-service/setting-up-and-troubleshooting/common-issues/err5029-unrecognised-or-blank-smartcard-inserted
• I attach a copy of the diagnostic log for the workstation(s)
• I confirm that the workstation conforms to the Warrantied Environment Specification

Troubleshooting guidance

IT teams should read our troubleshooting guidance. It is regularly updated as new issues are found and solved, and new software is made available.

Latest news

For information about the Care Identity Service, new software, communications and support, see our news page.