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Product Certification
for the United States
of America

Products marketed within
the United States of America
must comply with federal law and,
in some cases, additional state specific
local regulations.

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Global market access to the United States of America

 

Axia Cert International specializes in conducting & guiding complete conformity assessment procedures for a range of product (groups) intended to be placed within the market of the United States of America (USA). Below you can find all essential information for your product certification needs. Feel free to contact one of our specialists to submit your inquiry or if you require any further assistance in your USA product certification.

 

Except for specific product groups (regulated products), it is – contrary to popular belief – not mandatory by law to certify products intended to be placed on the US market. On the other hand, in most cases, you will be required by your customers to comply with some kind of (voluntary) product certification (unregulated products) enabling you to place your product(s) on the US market.

Regulated products

ADVICE! Would you like to know more about the regulatory compliance requirements that cover your toys or consumer products? Please check out the Regulatory Robot.

Certification Routes Regulated Products

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Electrical (Industrial) Products / Work equipment / HazLoc (ATEX)

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In accordance with Part 1910, Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations (29 CFR Part 1910), a total of 37 different product groups are required to be approved by a NRTL. This includes a wide range of products, such as industrial and electrical products.

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The certification procedure can be initiated in three manners:

  1. Listing Type Approval. A type approval consists of two phases: a complete test in accordance with a relevant product standard based on which a license is obtained to affix an NRTL marking, as well as a follow-up inspection (4 or 2 times a year) in order to maintain the license.

  2. Limited Production Certification (LPC). Aimed at affixing a conformity marking to a limited number of products or to a batch of products.

  3. Field Evaluation (FE). Primarily aimed at the on-site affixing of a conformity marking to one singular product (e.g. a unique machinery/installation).
     

EMC & Radio equipment (FCC)

Electrical equipment that, intentionally or unintentionally, generates an electromagnetic interference, must bear an FCC marking. The FCC considers the following categories:

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  • Incidental Radiators;

  • Unintentional Radiators

  • Intentional Radiators

  • Industrial, Scientific & Medical Equipment

  • Equipment Operating in Licensed Radio Services

An FCC certification procedure can be initiated in two    manners:

  • Certification (47 CFR Section 2.907); this procedure is aimed at products that intentionally send & receive signals.

  • Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity (47 CFR Section 2.906); this procedure is aimed at products that unintentionally send & receive signals.

When product compliance with the respective regulatory product requirements has been confirmed, the FCC marking may be affixed to the product.

Unregulated products

For remaining products, in most cases voluntary product standards have been published by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) or the Underwriters Laboratories (UL). It is optional (not mandatory!) to have a National Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) affix an NRTL marking (e.g. UL) to an unregulated product, based on a Listing Type Approval, Limited Production Certification (LPC) or a Field Evaluation.

Is UL Certification Mandatory in the United States of America?

 

The UL mark is often considered to be the equivalent of the marking that is known in the European Union as the CE marking. The UL mark, however, is not a legally mandatory marking, but a voluntary certification. This information is clearly mentioned on the UL website:

Bearing a UL mark is therefore not mandatory in the United States. Besides the UL, there are several other NRTL’s that are authorized to affix a listing mark to an unregulated product. Here are some examples:

How can we assist you?

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Axia Cert International is specialized in performing product conformity assessment procedures in order to determine whether a product complies with all of the requirements within the United States. Our services include:

  • Classification of the product to determine the applicable federal legislation;

  • Determine the applicable (voluntary or mandatory) national (UL/ANSI) and international standards (IEC);

  • Carry out complete OSHA conformity assessment procedures:

    • Listing Type Approvals,

    • Limited Product Certifications en

    • Field Certification

  • Carry out complete FCC conformity assessment procedures:

    • Certification procedure

    • Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity

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