Submission and Registration

Submitting your product for regulatory approval and registering it with authorities like the FCC’s Telecommunication Certification Body (TCB) or ISED is a pivotal step in bringing your innovation to market. It’s not just paperwork, it’s your ticket to proving compliance, securing market access, and earning trust worldwide.

FCC & ISED Certification Process

As an ISO/IEC 17025–accredited EMC/RF laboratory, Stancer Testing-Lab supports clients through the full certification pathway required to legally market RF devices in the United States (FCC) and Canada (ISED).
For equipment subject to certification, regulatory approval must be issued by a recognized Telecommunication Certification Body (TCB) for FCC or Certification Body (CB) for ISED. Below is the standard end-to-end process your product must go through.

1. Pre-Testing & Compliance Assessment

Before certification can begin, the device must undergo full EMC/RF testing according to the applicable FCC and/or ISED technical requirements.

     

Typical evaluations include:

• RF transmit power, modulation characteristics

• EMC emissions & immunity

• SAR or MPE evaluation (if applicable)

• DFS, UNII, or co-existence testing (if required)

• Product labeling and user manual review

      Only ISO/IEC 17025-accredited test data is accepted by a TCB/CB.   

Once all testing is complete, Stancer prepares the certification-ready report package.

2. Preparation of Certification Exhibits

FCC and ISED require a detailed set of documents (“exhibits”) for certification. A complete application must include (Additional documents might be needed case-dependent):

• Completed application forms (FCC Form 731 or ISED RSS-102 / RSP-100)

• ID label sample and label location explanation

• External & internal photos

• Operational description / theory of operation

• Block diagrams and schematics

• Test setup photos

• Full EMC/RF test report

• User manual

• SAR/MPE report (if required)

• Tuning, parts list, and RF exposure information (when applicable)

Each exhibit must be submitted as an individual, well-labeled PDF file, as recommended in the guide.

3. Submission to a TCB/CB for Administrative Review

The application package is uploaded to the certification body’s system.

The TCB/CB performs administrative validation, ensuring:

• Forms are properly completed

• Models and variants are clearly identified

• All required exhibits are included

• Label format complies with FCC §2.925 or ISED labeling rules

If something is missing, the TCB issues a Problem On Hold (POH) notice and requests additional information.

4. Technical Review by the Certification Body

Next, a TCB/CB engineer performs a deep technical analysis, checking:

• RF parameters vs. Part 15, Part 90, RSS-247, RSS-Gen, etc.

• SAR/MPE compliance

• Test methodology alignment with FCC/ISED test procedures

• Hardware consistency between test samples and production units

• Correct application of limits and measurement techniques

• Block diagrams, schematics, and theory of operation

If technical inconsistencies exist, the CB issues a POH request so the client can revise or clarify the exhibits.

5. Grant of Certification

Once the application passes technical and administrative review, the CB issues:

• FCC Grant of Authorization (FCC ID)

• ISED Technical Acceptance Certificate (IC Number)

Certificates are emailed to the client.

Access to FCC certificates.

Acces to ISED certificates. 

6. Post-Certification Responsibilities

    Manufacturers must:

• Use the FCC ID / IC ID exactly as provided
• Keep record of product modifications
• Notify the CB of any hardware or firmware changes that might affect compliance
• File Class II Permissive Changes (FCC) or Modifications (ISED) if equipment is updated
• Only advertise certified products truthfully (ISO/IEC 17065 requirement)