By jurisdiction
United States
National accreditation
- A2LA — American Association for Laboratory Accreditation
- AIHA LAP — AIHA Laboratory Accreditation Programs, LLC
- ANAB — ANSI National Accreditation Board
- IAS — International Accreditation Service, Inc
- NAC — NAC National Accreditation Center LLC
- NVLAP — National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NIST)
- PJLA — Perry Johnson Laboratory Accreditation, Inc
Mandatory and regulatory records
Verified from primary sources, grouped by how binding each one is. None of these is a certificate; each carries the instrument it comes from and the date it was last checked.
Legal permit
FDA food facility registration
Facilities that manufacture/process, pack or hold food for US consumption must register with the FDA. Registration, renewal and updates are free, with biennial renewal in the 1 October–31 December window of each even-numbered year. Exemptions (21 CFR 1.226) include farms, retail food establishments, restaurants and facilities regulated exclusively by USDA.
- Instrument
- FD&C Act §415; 21 CFR Part 1, Subpart H (21 CFR 1.225–1.245)
- Who it binds
- The owner, operator or agent in charge of a domestic or foreign facility that manufactures/processes, packs or holds food for consumption in the United States.
Official source ↗Last verified:
FCC equipment authorization
A radio-frequency device may not be marketed in the US unless authorised. Two procedures exist: Certification, through a Telecommunication Certification Body (TCB), and Supplier's Declaration of Conformity (SDoC). Which one applies depends on the device type.
- Instrument
- 47 CFR Part 2, Subpart J; marketing prohibition 47 CFR 2.803
- Who it binds
- Anyone marketing a radio-frequency device in the US. 'Marketing' includes sale, lease, offering for sale or lease, importation, shipment or distribution.
Official source ↗Last verified:
Mandatory scheme
USDA Organic certification (NOP)
Products sold or labeled as organic must be certified under the USDA National Organic Program by an accredited certifying agent. Operations with USD 5,000 or less in annual organic sales are exempt from certification but must still follow the production and labeling rules (7 CFR 205.101). The Strengthening Organic Enforcement final rule took effect 19 March 2024, bringing many intermediaries into certification.
- Instrument
- Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA); 7 CFR Part 205
- Who it binds
- Operations producing or handling products sold, labeled or represented as organic; certified by USDA-accredited certifying agents (ACAs).
Official source ↗Last verified:
Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC)
CMMC makes cybersecurity certification a condition of eligible DoD contracts. The phase-in comes from 32 CFR 170.3: Phase 1 began on the effective date of the 48 CFR Part 204 acquisition rule (10 November 2025); Phase 2 begins one calendar year later (10 November 2026). C3PAOs must meet ISO/IEC 17020:2012.
- Instrument
- 32 CFR Part 170 (program rule); 48 CFR DFARS 204/212/217/252 (acquisition rule)
- Who it binds
- Defense contractors and their supply chain. Level 2 is assessed by a C3PAO, Level 3 by the DCMA DIBCAC.
Official source ↗Last verified:
Conditional requirement
NRTL certification of equipment
Where an OSHA standard requires 'approved' or 'listed' equipment, it must be certified by one of OSHA's Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories (NRTLs). OSHA recognises the laboratory; it does not approve products itself. As of 8 August 2026 there are 21 recognised NRTLs — UL LLC is one of them, which corrects the common belief that 'UL is required' in the US.
- Instrument
- 29 CFR 1910.7; 29 CFR 1910.303(a) and 1910.399
- Who it binds
- Employers, where an OSHA standard requires equipment to be approved or listed. The certification is issued by an OSHA-recognised private laboratory, not by OSHA.
Official source ↗Last verified:
Food Traceability Rule (FSMA 204)
Three things are true at once and must be read together. The compliance date in the rule text is 20 January 2026 and has not changed in the rule. Congress (Pub. L. 119-37) directed the FDA not to enforce the rule before 20 July 2028, and the FDA has stated it intends to comply. A proposed rule to move the compliance date to 20 July 2028 remains proposed and is not finalised. Confirm the current position through the FDA's own channel before relying on a date.
- Instrument
- 21 CFR Part 1, Subpart S
- Who it binds
- Persons who manufacture, process, pack or hold foods on the Food Traceability List.
Official source ↗Last verified: