Why FCC Certification is Crucial for Your Electronic Devices

If you want to trade electronic devices in the US, you need to pass certain standards that are issued by the Federal Communications Commission. FCC certification is one of the most important documents you need to have when selling and marketing these products in the country.

As a beginner, you might first get confused working with FCC but don’t worry. In this blog post, we’re going to explain everything you need to know about FCC standards.

At the end, if you still have questions about the details of trading electronics in the US, contact our team at DDPCH to get your answers.

What Is FCC Certification?

Let’s first define what exactly FCC certification is.

FCC Certification is simply a certification issued by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). It’s a mandatory requirement for all electronic devices that you want to sell in the United States.

The purpose of this certification is to ensure that devices don’t have interference with other devices and that their electromagnetic radiation is below certain limits. In fact, your devices should comply with all regulations about radio frequency emissions in the US.

Here are the benefits of FCC Certification:

1. Compliance with Law: If you don’t have FCC certification, you can face penalties. For example, they might charge you with fines, product seizure, and even legal action.

2. Consumer Safety: FCC standards ensure that your product has no health problem in terms of RF radiation.

3. Reducing Interference: The frequency of FCC-certified products will not interfere together.

4. Brand Credibility: When your products have FCC certification in the US, your brand can gain the trust of global customers.

What Does An FCC Certification Include?

An FCC Certification shows that your products have passed serious tests to evaluate their compatibility with FCC regulations. These tests include:

• Radio frequency emissions
• Electrical safety
• Product labelling
• Documentation review
• And more

It’s good to know that it’s not mandatory to place the FCC logo directly on your products. However, manufacturers often use a label or marking to show that their products are FCC-certified.

Why Is FCC Certification Necessary?

FCC Certification is necessary for several reasons:

1. People’s Health: Of course, health is of paramount importance and is the most important reason why the FCC enforces this certification.

2. Legal Compliance: It’s a legal requirement in the US so if you don’t have it and sell electronic devices, you can face severe penalties such as fines.

3. Consumer Confidence: If you get FCC Certification, your consumers understand that your products meet regulatory standards. So they become confident about their safety and performance which leads to brand loyalty.

4. Preventing Interference: FCC tests ensure that your products don’t interfere with other electronic devices.

Why Is FCC Certification Necessary?

Almost all electronic products need FCC Certification. Generally, each device that uses electronic chips or electromagnetic parts and might emit radio frequency radiations needs to pass FCC tests.

List Of Electronic Products Needing FCC Certification

Here is a categorization of products that need FCC certification:

Product Category	Example of Products
Wireless devices	Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Mobiles
Electronic devices	Laptops, printers, mouses
Telecommunication devices	Phones, fax machines
Digital devices	Digital cameras, TV receivers
ISM Devices	Microwave ovens
ITE (Information Technology Equipment)	Servers, data storage equipment

In fact, FCC certification has several parts each of which focuses on one category. Here is a list of the most important parts of FCC standards:

• FCC Part 11: EAS (Emergency Alert System)
• FCC Part 15: RF Devices
• FCC Part 18: ISM
• FCC Part 22: Public Mobile Services
• FCC Part 68: Terminal Equipment & Telephone Network
• FCC Part 73: Broadcast Services
• FCC Part 76: Cable TV Service
• FCC Part 95: Personal Radio Services
• FCC Part 97: Amateur Radio Services
• FCC Part 101: Fixed Microwave Services

How Much Does It Cost To Get FCC Certification?

The cost of FCC Certification depends on several factors such as:

• Type of product
• Complexity of testing
• Chosen lab 

Overall, the cost of getting FCC certification can vary from 1000 USD to tens of thousands of dollars.

If you want to avoid delays and legal problems, you’d better budget for the cost before shipping to the US. DDPCH can help you optimize your costs and have smooth logistics.

Remember that this cost is nothing compared to what you achieve after getting this certification. As said earlier, obtaining FCC certification has several benefits for your product.

First, it brings peace of mind about the compliance of your products with the law. Also, FCC certification shows that your product is safe for customers and doesn’t interfere with other devices.

So this is actually an investment for your business that increases your brand loyalty in the US and also in other countries.

How Long Does It Take To Complete FCC?

The duration of getting an FCC Certification depends on various factors. For example, you need to know the tests that are required for your products. Also, you have to check the availability of testing facilities in the chosen testing lab.

On average, the process of taking an FCC certification can take from a few weeks to several months.

So you need early planning and coordination with testing labs to optimize the process and avoid further delays.

Here is a summary of the process:

1. Research: Find the specific FCC regulations that apply to your products.

2. Find a Testing Lab: Choose a qualified FCC-accredited lab.

3. Prepare Documentation: Prepare technical information about your products.

4. Testing & Reporting: The lab will perform tests and generate a detailed report.

5. Application & Review: Submit the test report to the FCC for review. 

Grant of Authorization: The FCC will grant official FCC certification.

Top Tips for Shipping Products with FCC Certification

Now that you know everything about FCC certification, it’s good to pay attention to some tips when shipping products with FCC certification:

• Know Your Destination: If you want to ship your products to other countries, you need to research their import regulations because they might not accept FCC certification.

• Clearly Mark Your Package: Use the FCC certification logo on your packaging so that everyone can easily identify the product’s compliance.

• Prepare Documentation: Include a copy of your FCC certification with your cargo. 

• Partner with a Reliable Shipper: A shipping company that is experienced in working with FCC-certified products can greatly help you during the procedure.
• Plan for Potential Delays: Remember that they check FCC compliance at customs. So this might cause delays and you have to be prepared for it.

Conclusion

FCC Certification is a necessary document that you need if you want to ship electronic products to the US market. We explained everything about the necessary tests that should be performed to make sure about the RF emission of your products. So you need to be prepared for the cost, legal procedure, and potential delays if you want to export any electronic device to America. Also, make sure that you’re working with a reliable shipping company like DDPCH that ships your FCC products with special care. If you need details about shipping FCC products to the US, don’t hesitate to call our experts.

FAQs

Here are some common questions people ask about FCC Certification: