United States · Global Market Access
Entering the US Market: NRTL Listing
NRTL listing; effectively mandatory through OSHA and local electrical codes.
- Market
- United States
- Site
- North America
- Mark
- UL
01What is it?
For electrical products to be used in a workplace in the United States, they are expected to be approved by an NRTL (Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory). UL is one of these bodies; ETL and CSA are accepted as equivalent.
02Why Does This Scheme Exist?
In the United States there is NO federal mark or mandatory CE-like arrangement for electrical product safety. This is the most misunderstood aspect of the regime: legally, a safety mark is not mandatory. Yet in practice a product cannot be sold without that mark, and the reason is not legislation but the combination of four separate forces.
The first force is workplace safety legislation: electrical equipment used in a workplace is required to be listed by a recognised testing laboratory. The second is the national electrical code and local building inspection: equipment connected to an installation is required to be listed. The third is insurance companies: damage arising from unlisted equipment creates a coverage problem. The fourth is retail chains: large sales channels will not put a product without a listing certificate on their shelves.
When these four forces combine, a mark that is legally voluntary becomes commercially compulsory. The evidence is called LISTING: the laboratory tests the product to the relevant standard, audits the manufacturing facility and adds the product to its own list. The laboratory's mark is then affixed to the product.
The recognised testing laboratory arrangement is the institutional expression of this, and no single laboratory holds a monopoly: the workplace safety authority recognises several laboratories for particular standards. What matters is that the laboratory is recognised for that standard.
The distinguishing burden of listing is FOLLOW-UP INSPECTION: the laboratory audits the manufacturing facility periodically and verifies conformity by taking samples from the market. Listing is therefore not a certificate obtained once but a maintained relationship; a change of place of manufacture or of a critical component is notified to the laboratory.
03Whose Obligation?
There is no certification obligation at federal level; the obligation comes through OSHA rules, the national electrical code and local building inspection. An unlisted product may be rejected in a site inspection.
04Required Documents
- A test report to the relevant UL/ANSI standard
- The critical component list and component approvals
- Material flammability classifications
- Details of the place of manufacture (for follow-up inspection)
- Marking and label samples
05Process
- 01Scope DeterminationIt is determined which legislation and marking scope the product falls under in the target market. This step defines the entire process; getting it wrong wastes all subsequent work.
- 02Determining Applicable StandardsThe standards accepted by the market and any national deviations are identified. The same IEC standard may apply with different deviations in different markets.
- 03Establishing the Test PlanIt is assessed which part of existing test reports will be accepted; missing tests are planned. A CB Scheme report, if available, reduces retesting.
- 04Local Party and RegistrationIf the market requires an established representative, importer or applicant, this party is designated and the necessary registrations are made.
- 05Tests and Technical FileTests are conducted and the technical file is prepared. Some markets require testing to be performed within their own country.
- 06Certification or DeclarationDepending on the market's regime, a manufacturer's declaration is drawn up or a certificate is obtained from the authorised body; a factory audit is carried out if required.
- 07Marking and LabellingThe mark and label are applied according to the market's format and language rules. The language requirement is checked at customs in most markets.
- 08Shipment and CustomsIf a pre-shipment document is required, it is obtained; the document set to be presented at customs is completed.
06Points to Watch
- UL Listed is given to a finished product and UL Recognized to a component; the two are different
- Follow-Up Service is continuous
- The CE marking is not accepted in the United States; the standards and supply network conditions differ
- For Canadian coverage a mark with a 'c' prefix is required
07Neighbouring Schemes and the Difference
- 01Listing and component recognitionA component being recognised does not show that the finished product is listed; a recognised component has been assessed for use under limited conditions and the finished product is listed separately.
- 02Listing and communications authority approvalA safety listing does not satisfy radio requirements; a product carrying a radio goes separately through the communications authority's route.
- 03US listing and Canadian certificationThe standards are largely shared and certification for both markets can be obtained with a single test programme; but the standards of both countries must be written separately within the scope of the certificate.
- 04Listing and a CB Scheme reportA CB report is a strong input that reduces the testing burden but does not take the place of listing; national differences and facility inspection run separately.
08Scheme Detail
This page describes entry into the United States market. The scheme itself — its scope, process, validity period and required documents — is covered in detail on the certification page.
North American Product Safety (UL) Certification10Frequently Asked Questions
This section's content is being prepared. The roadmap specific to your product and target market at the quote stage in writing.
The certification timeline varies with the product, the required test workload, sample shipping time and the authority's workload; for this reason, no duration in days or weeks is given on these pages. The main factors determining the timeline are: whether testing must be performed in the target country, whether a factory audit is required, the time to appoint a local representative, and the current maturity of the technical file. A realistic timeline for your product is provided in writing at the quote stage.
Market access regimes change frequently: scope lists are updated, transition periods are extended, new requirements are added. These pages describe the structure of the regime and who bears the obligation; the applicable scope and dates for your product are confirmed from the current legislative text at the quote stage.
United States · UL roadmap for
Tell us about your product; we'll share the required steps, documents and timeline in writing.