“We are selling our part 15 unlicensed transmitter products successfully in the US.   Our certification testing, reports, declarations, and labels are all consistent with FCC requirements, and we have an interest in selling our products in Canada. What do we need to do?”

Canadian electronic product compliance law is fairly consistent with US law, which makes selling electronic products into Canada relatively straight forward. While in the US unlicensed transmitters need to be certified with the FCC, in Canada unlicensed transmitters need to be certified through “Industry Canada” authorities.

While in the US, product certification requires using independent “Telecommunication Certified Body” (TCB) contractors, engineers on staff within Industry Canada validate and certify product documentation directly. This means that certified test labs in the US who are registered with Canada can file certification data and documentation directly.

While US and Canadian emissions data and reporting requirements are similar, they are not exactly the same. For example, Canadian law requires that signal bandwidth be measured and reported in a slightly different manner. Canadian laws are also more specific with regard to instrument settings when measuring emissions.   Additionally, documentation filed with Canada generally needs to cite applicable Canadian laws and standards. The bottom line is that reports written for FCC compliance usually require some “tweaking” to meet Canadian requirements.

With regard to product certification, Canadian law requires that a “Canadian Contact” be included with the registration. A Canadian Contact is a company that is willing to assume direct contact responsibilities within Canada for any questions or complaints initiated after the product is certified.

Also, Canadian labeling requirements apply in addition to FCC, and user manual documentation needs to include compliance information in both French and English languages.

At SEI, we can help guide you through the certification process in the US, Canada, Europe, and beyond. One of the services we provide is product test planning, to help bring your product to market as quickly and as cost efficiently as possible. Give us a call to request a quote for product prescreen and debug, test and certification planning, and certification testing and report services through AHD or a certified test lab of your choice.