What is FCC certification?

FCC certification is the US regime for placing on the market electronic equipment that may emit radio waves. It is imposed by the Federal Communications Commission per the Code of Federal Regulations Title 47 (47 CFR).

What's the difference between Part 15 and other Parts?

47 CFR Part 15 covers "unlicensed" radio-emitting equipment: Wi-Fi, BLE, remote controls, computing equipment. Parts 22, 24, 27 cover licensed cellular bands (2G, 3G/4G, specific blocks). Most IoT products fall under Part 15.

Can my CE-certified product be sold in the US?

No, CE marking is not recognised in the US. Separate FCC certification is required, with distinct tests (different limits from the EU) and a FCC ID issued by a TCB or directly by the FCC.

A Telecommunication Certification Body is a body accredited by the FCC to issue certifications. TCBs issue FCC IDs and conformity certificates. They have replaced direct FCC instruction for most products.

What is the typical cost of FCC certification?

$5,000 to $25,000 for a standard IoT product on first certification, depending on radio bands used and number of configurations. Cellular products add $20,000 to $80,000 for 3GPP tests in accredited labs.

FCC certification, overview

Author Hugues Orgitello Last updated 25 May 2026

Pillar: United States

FCC certification is the US regime for placing electronic equipment emitting radio waves on the market. Imposed by the Federal Communications Commission since 1934, it is defined by the Code of Federal Regulations Title 47 (47 CFR). For modern IoT products, Part 15 applies most often, and serves as the reference for the majority of modern FCC certifications.

FCC scope

The FCC regulates three main families of equipment:

Intentional radio emitters: Wi-Fi, BLE, cellular, remote controls, etc.
Unintentional radio emitters, any electronic equipment that may generate electromagnetic disturbances (computers, switching power supplies, industrial equipment).
Radio receivers, devices that receive radio waves under certain conditions.

Any equipment falling under one of these categories and placed on the US market is subject to FCC jurisdiction. Geographic scope includes the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, Guam and other US territories.

The three FCC conformity regimes

47 CFR Part 2 Subpart J defines three assessment procedures, based on interference risk and product complexity:

Regime	Description	Third party required?
SDoC (Supplier's Declaration of Conformity)	Self-declaration	No
Certification	TCB certification	Yes (TCB)
Verification	Internal verification (legacy, being phased out)	No

SDoC: Self-declaration

The SDoC regime applies to unintentional equipment and some low-power intentional emitters (e.g. unintentional emissions from IT products). The manufacturer:

Performs tests (in ISO/IEC 17025 accredited lab)
Assembles an internal file with test report
Affixes required markings (Part 15.105 warning)
Maintains documentation available to FCC for 10 years

No FCC ID assigned. The declaration is internal.

Certification: With TCB

The Certification regime applies to intentional radio emitters (Wi-Fi, BLE, cellular, etc.). The manufacturer must:

Have tests performed in an FCC-accredited lab
Submit the file to a TCB
Obtain a unique FCC ID
Affix the FCC ID on the product and packaging

The TCB validates the file, assigns the FCC ID, and publishes the authorisation in the EAS database (Equipment Authorization System) accessible publicly.

Verification: Phased out

The Verification regime, legacy, has been largely replaced by SDoC since 2017. It persists for a few specific categories but is no longer the standard route for new products.

The 47 CFR Parts

The Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations is organised into several Parts. For IoT and electronic products:

Part	Coverage
Part 2	Definitions and authorisation procedures
Part 15	Unlicensed radio-emitting equipment (Wi-Fi, BLE, ISM, digital equipment)
Part 18	ISM equipment (Industrial, Scientific, Medical)
Part 22	Public Mobile Services (historical 850 MHz cellular)
Part 24	Personal Communications Services (PCS 1900 MHz)
Part 27	Miscellaneous Wireless Communications (700, 1700, 2100 cellular bands, etc.)
Part 90	Private Land Mobile (professional PMR)
Part 95	Personal Radio Services
Part 96	Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS 3550-3700 MHz)

For a typical IoT product with Wi-Fi/BLE 2.4 GHz, Part 15.247 (spread spectrum equipment) is the reference sub-part. For an LTE/5G cellular product in North American bands, several Parts may apply in parallel (22, 24, 27).

FCC ID and marking

The FCC ID is the unique identifier assigned to each certified product. It consists of:

a Grantee Code of 5 characters (prefix assigned to the manufacturer or certificate holder);
a Product Code of 1-14 characters (defined by the holder).

Format: <5 characters><1-14 characters>, for example 2AB4Z-SP-CT-100 where 2AB4Z is the Grantee Code and SP-CT-100 the Product Code.

The FCC ID must appear on the product, its packaging and instructions indelibly and legibly. For very small products, the electronic e-label has been admitted since 2014 under certain conditions (dynamic display from the screen).

Beyond the FCC ID, mandatory warnings must appear in the user manual:

Conformity declaration Part 15.19 or 15.105 depending on regime
Warning against unauthorised modifications
Use restrictions (e.g. no use in aircraft except authorisation)

Key differences with the European RED directive

Aspect	FCC	RED
Legal framework	47 CFR	Directive 2014/53/EU
Regulator	FCC	European Commission + Member States
Standard procedure	SDoC or Certification (TCB)	Module A or B+C (Notified Body)
Unique identifier	FCC ID mandatory for Certification	No unique ID (referenced DoC)
Marking	FCC ID + warning text	CE + NB number where applicable
Emission limits	Different (limits in dBm or µV/m)	Different (limits in EIRP and dBm)
Cybersecurity	No RED 3.3 equivalent (in 2026)	RED 3.3 since August 2025

A same product sold in EU and US therefore requires two separate certifications, with two distinct files and two test campaigns (although some tests may be shared via MRA agreements).

TCB and KDB

TCB: Telecommunication Certification Body

A TCB is a body accredited by the FCC to issue certifications instead of the FCC. TCBs are published in the TCB List on the FCC website. The most used:

TCB	Specialties
Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services	All types, IoT experience
TÜV Rheinland of North America	All radio types
SGS-CSTC	Multiprotocol
Element Materials Technology	SDR, cellular, cybersecurity
Telefication BV	All types
CETECOM	Cellular specialist
UL Verification Services	All types
SIEMIC Inc.	Cellular, Wi-Fi

KDB: Knowledge Database

The FCC KDB (Knowledge Database) is the official archive of interpretation publications. When a rule is ambiguous or a new case arises, the FCC publishes a KDB publication that serves as reference for TCBs. Frequent examples:

KDB 558074: Wi-Fi 5/6 GHz measurements and requirements
KDB 484596, modular approval
KDB 942474, variable frequency equipment (chirp)
KDB 996369: SAR and human exposure

Consulting the KDB is essential for non-standard products.

Typical FCC certification timeline

For an IoT Wi-Fi/BLE product:

Week 1-2  : TCB selection + scope definition
Week 3-4  : Internal pre-tests
Week 5-7  : Tests at FCC-accredited lab
Week 8    : File assembly
Week 9-10 : TCB submission
Week 11-13: TCB review and corrections
Week 14   : FCC ID assignment
Week 15   : Marking application, market placement

Total: 3 to 4 months for a standard product. Faster than RED in general because the TCB issues directly without parallel Notified Body procedure (except complex cases).

Indicative costs

Item	Range
Part 15 emissions tests	$4,000 – $12,000
Wi-Fi/BLE intentional radio tests	$5,000 – $15,000
LTE/5G cellular tests	$20,000 – $80,000
SAR tests (if applicable)	$4,000 – $10,000
TCB fees	$3,000 – $8,000
Grantee Code (initial)	$60

Typical total for a Wi-Fi/BLE IoT product first certification: $10,000 to $30,000. For a complete cellular product: $50,000 to $150,000.