LoRaWAN certification: fees, test labs, TS001 and RP002
LoRaWAN certification is a LoRa Alliance programme, open only to members, that tests an end-device against the LoRaWAN L2 specification (TS001-1.0.4) and the Regional Parameters (RP002) for each channel plan it supports. Testing happens either at an Authorized Test Lab (ATL) or, for qualified members, in-house under the Self-Test program; the Alliance then issues a Certificate of Compliance valid five years. It is not radio approval: RED in the EU and FCC Part 15 in the US remain separate dossiers. This page reads the Alliance pages and the specification texts as published on October 7, 2026: tiers and fees, the two test paths, Certification by Similarity, the version history, the per-region parameters, and the claims those texts contradict.
TL;DR:
- Members only. All four tiers can certify: Adopter (USD 3,000 to 6,000 a year), Contributor (USD 20,000), Sponsor (USD 50,000), Institutional (free).
- Two paths. ATL (7layers, DEKRA, IMST and others listed by the Alliance) or Self-Test after an application and a knowledge assessment test. Each member gets one free LCTT license a year.
- Fees. One-time certification license fee: USD 1,200 for an end device tested at an ATL, USD 1,700 at a self-test lab; extra regions and similar devices are cheaper "child" certificates.
- Validity. Five years for devices certified after June 3, 2024.
- Texts. TS001-1.0.4 (October 2020) is marked "required for certification"; RP002-1.0.5 was posted on October 8, 2025.
- Radio is separate. EN 300 220-2 V3.3.1 has been cited under RED since December 11, 2025; V3.1.1 loses presumption of conformity on June 11, 2027.
What the programme certifies, and what it does not
Section titled “What the programme certifies, and what it does not”The LoRa Alliance describes itself as an open, non-profit association operational since 2015. It publishes the LoRaWAN specifications and runs the certification programme. Its certification page states that it "certifies LoRaWAN end-nodes" and that features above Layer 2 (SCHC, FUOTA and Relay) can also be certified, but only at an ATL.
Three regimes stack on a LoRaWAN product. Only the last one is the Alliance's business:
| Aspect | Radio law (RED / FCC) | Modulation (LoRa) | Protocol (LoRaWAN) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nature | Mandatory, public law | Component choice | Voluntary, private programme |
| Who decides | EU Member State authorities, FCC | Chip supplier | LoRa Alliance |
| Reference | EN 300 220-2 V3.3.1, 47 CFR 15.247 | Transceiver datasheet | TS001-1.0.4 and RP002 |
| Evidence | EU DoC and technical file, FCC ID grant | N/A | Certificate of Compliance, listing |
| If absent | Product cannot be placed on the market | N/A | No LoRaWAN Certified claim |
LoRa is the chirp spread-spectrum modulation at the physical layer (a Semtech technology). LoRaWAN is the MAC protocol defined in TS001 and parametrised per region by RP002. RP002 itself warns that regional radio rules prevail: its EU863-870 section "applies to any region where the radio spectrum use is defined by the ETSI [EN300.220-2] standard", and its US902-928 section summarises the FCC FHSS, DTS and hybrid modes.
For the European radio regime, see RED pillar and applicable RED standards. For the FCC regime, see FCC pillar. For a combined programme, see EU + US dual certification.
Membership tiers and what each one gets
Section titled “Membership tiers and what each one gets”The membership page lists four tiers. The figures below are the published annual subscriptions.
| Tier | Annual subscription | Certify end-devices | Board | Committees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adopter | USD 3,000 to 6,000 | Yes | No | Task forces and work groups only; one committee meeting as observer |
| Contributor | USD 20,000 | Yes | No | All committees, task forces and work groups |
| Sponsor | USD 50,000 | Yes | Eligible to nominate and vote | All committees, task forces and work groups |
| Institutional | Free | Yes | No | All committees, task forces and work groups; one task a year to renew |
The lower Adopter rate is the "Adopter Startup" rate, for companies whose total revenue (at top-level parent level) is under USD 1 million, verified by a CEO letter on joining and at each renewal. Institutional membership is only for government entities, cities or districts and universities developing LoRaWAN networks locally. Every tier gets a VendorID (needed for the standard device QR code) and a NetID address space whose size depends on the tier.
Two test paths: ATL or Self-Test
Section titled “Two test paths: ATL or Self-Test”Authorized Test Lab
Section titled “Authorized Test Lab”The Alliance lists the ATL route as follows: enter the device in the LoRaWAN Web Certification System (LWCS), pay the LoRa Alliance certification fee, select the ATL in LWCS, send samples. When the device passes, the ATL sends the test results and a request for a Certificate of Compliance to the Alliance, which reviews them and issues the certificate.
Labs on the Alliance list on October 7, 2026:
| Region | Lab | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Asia-Pacific | DEKRA Certification Japan K.K. | Yokohama, Japan |
| Asia-Pacific | DEKRA Testing and Certification Co., Ltd. | Taiwan |
| Europe, Middle East, Africa | 7layers GmbH | Germany |
| Europe, Middle East, Africa | DEKRA Testing and Certification, S.A.U. | Málaga, Spain |
| Europe, Middle East, Africa | IMST GmbH | Germany |
| Americas | DEKRA Testing and Certification, Inc. | Sterling, Virginia, United States |
| Americas | DEKRA Testing and Certification | Brazil |
The same page also lists a TTA Certificate of Authorization (members only). A lab that wants to become an ATL must be a member and hold ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation from an ILAC-recognised body (since January 1, 2026 the Global ACI MRA covers the former ILAC MRA scope), then add LoRaWAN testing to its accredited scope; the Alliance may inspect on site.
Self-Test
Section titled “Self-Test”Members who qualify can test their own devices: submit the Self-Test application, have each test engineer pass the knowledge assessment test, then register a sample device in LWCS for each channel plan the self-test lab wants to certify, test it with the LCTT and upload the results. The Certification Team grants Self-Test Lab status when the procedure is followed. Relay, SCHC and FUOTA certification stays with ATLs.
The LCTT
Section titled “The LCTT”The LoRaWAN Certification Test Tool automates testing of end-devices against TS001 and RP002, through the certification protocol published as TS009 (latest listed: TS009-1.2.1). Each member company gets one free LCTT license a year; extra licenses cost USD 1,000 each. In the ATL path the LCTT is a pre-test tool; in the Self-Test path it produces the results submitted for certification.
Fees, validity and Certification by Similarity
Section titled “Fees, validity and Certification by Similarity”Certification license fees, paid once to the Alliance when the certificate is issued (ATL test fees are separate):
| Fee type | Amount |
|---|---|
| Module certified at ATL | USD 2,000 |
| Module certified at self-test lab | USD 2,800 |
| End device certified at ATL | USD 1,200 |
| End device certified at self-test lab | USD 1,700 |
| Child (CbS or region), 1 to 3 | USD 750 each |
| Child (CbS or region), 4 to 10 | USD 400 each |
| Child (CbS or region), more than 10 | USD 200 each |
| New certificate for permissive changes | USD 100 |
Rules printed with the table: a "region" is a channel plan; AS923-1, AS923-2, AS923-3 and AS923-4 count as one region if the same hardware supports them; modules cannot use Certification by Similarity but can use child pricing for extra regions; child devices need not be certified at the same time as the parent. The Alliance quotes an average of 3 days to 2 weeks for the process.
Validity. A certificate is valid five years for devices certified after June 3, 2024, unless revoked or unless the product is modified in a way that affects compliance. Devices certified before that date keep their certification as long as they meet the requirements in force when they were certified.
Certification by Similarity (CbS). Two cases: module integration (the product embeds a LoRaWAN certified module) and similar product (a variant of an already certified product). Preconditions listed by the Alliance: same LoRaWAN transceiver, same LoRaWAN protocol software version, submission within five years of the parent certificate, and LCTT used to confirm conformity to the same specification as the parent. The enclosure and the sensor may differ. CbS cannot be claimed if the OEM that certified the parent is no longer a member in good standing. Full rules are in the Program Management Document (members only).
Specification versions, from the revision history
Section titled “Specification versions, from the revision history”The revision chapter of TS001-1.0.4 lists what each 1.0.x release changed. The 1.1 specification is a separate branch.
| Version | Date | What the text says changed |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0.1 | Added frequency plans for China 470-510 MHz and Australia 915-928 MHz; removed the possibility to send unencrypted application payload at MAC level | |
| 1.0.2 | Physical layer moved to a separate regional parameters document; added DlChannelReq and TXParamSetupReq | |
| 1.0.3 | Imported the Class B chapter from LoRaWAN 1.1; added DeviceTimeReq/Ans, deprecated BeaconTimingReq/Ans | |
| 1.1 | October 11, 2017 | Two root keys (NwkKey, AppKey); network session keys split into FNwkSIntKey, SNwkSIntKey and NwkSEncKey |
| 1.0.4 (TS001-1.0.4) | October 2020 | AppEUI and AppNonce renamed JoinEUI and JoinNonce; Class B and C defined as additive to Class A; RP002 referenced as companion; frame counters always 32 bits and persisted by ABP devices; DevNonce a counter that never repeats |
On the Alliance resource hub, TS001-1.0.4 is the L2 document tagged "REQUIRED FOR CERTIFICATION". In November 2021 ITU-T approved Recommendation Y.4480, "Low power protocol for wide area wireless networks", which the LoRa Alliance announced as its LoRaWAN transposition.
1.0 and 1.1 interoperability. The 1.1 text states that, to stay compatible with 1.0 network servers, a 1.1 end-device "MUST default back to the single root key scheme" when the Join-Accept OptNeg bit is zero, derive AppSKey and FNwkSIntKey from NwkKey, and set SNwkSIntKey and NwkSEncKey equal to FNwkSIntKey.
Device classes. TS001-1.0.4: "All LoRaWAN end-devices SHALL implement at least Class A functionality"; Class B (beacon-synchronised receive slots) and Class C (continuous listening) are optional. Class A opens two receive windows after each uplink; RP002 recommends RECEIVE_DELAY1 of 1 s and RECEIVE_DELAY2 of 2 s.
Regional parameters, plan by plan
Section titled “Regional parameters, plan by plan”RP002 is published separately from TS001 and serves both the 1.0.x and 1.1 branches. The latest edition on the hub is RP002-1.0.5 (posted October 8, 2025); its full text is behind a viewer, so the table below is read from the summary tables of RP002-1.0.3 (2021), the last edition published as a plain PDF. Check the current edition before freezing a design.
| Plan (ID) | Band | Default join channels (MHz) | Duty cycle / access | Default max EIRP | Default RX2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EU868 (1) | 863 to 870 MHz | 868.10, 868.30, 868.50 | < 1 % | +16 dBm | 869.525 MHz, DR0 |
| US915 (2) | 902 to 928 MHz | 64 + 8 uplink, 8 downlink | No limit (400 ms dwell on 125 kHz channels) | +30 dBm | 923.3 MHz, DR8 |
| CN779 (3) | 779 to 787 MHz | 779.5, 779.7, 779.9 | < 1 % | +12 dBm | 786.0 MHz, DR0 |
| EU433 (4) | 433 to 434 MHz | 433.175, 433.375, 433.575 | < 10 % | +12 dBm | 434.665 MHz, DR0 |
| AU915 (5) | 915 to 928 MHz | 64 + 8 uplink, 8 downlink | No limit | +30 dBm | 923.3 MHz, DR8 |
| CN470 (6) | 470 to 510 MHz | See section 2.9 | |||
| AS923-1 (7) | 915 to 928 MHz | 923.20, 923.40 | < 1 %, 400 ms dwell | +16 dBm | 923.2 MHz, DR2 |
| AS923-2 (8) | 915 to 928 MHz | 921.4, 921.6 | < 1 %, 400 ms dwell | +16 dBm | 921.4 MHz, DR2 |
| AS923-3 (9) | 915 to 928 MHz | 916.6, 916.8 | < 1 %, 400 ms dwell | +16 dBm | 916.6 MHz, DR2 |
| KR920 (10) | 920.9 to 923.3 MHz | 922.10, 922.30, 922.50 | LBT | +14 dBm | 921.90 MHz, DR0 |
| IN865 (11) | 865 to 867 MHz | 865.0625, 865.4025, 865.985 | +30 dBm | 866.550 MHz, DR2 | |
| RU864 (12) | 864 to 870 MHz | 868.9, 869.1 | < 1 % | +16 dBm | 869.1 MHz, DR0 |
| AS923-4 (13) | 917 to 920 MHz | 917.3, 917.5 | < 1 %, 400 ms dwell | +16 dBm | 917.3 MHz, DR2 |
Two details matter for the radio dossier. In EU868, RP002 notes that ETSI rules allow either duty-cycle limitation or Listen Before Talk with Adaptive Frequency Agility, and that LoRaWAN "exclusively uses duty-cycle limited transmissions". In US915, the 64 uplink channels at 125 kHz run from 902.3 to 914.9 MHz, the 8 uplink channels at 500 kHz from 903.0 to 914.2 MHz, and the 8 downlink channels from 923.3 to 927.5 MHz.
RP002-1.0.3 also maps channel plans to countries. A few entries that are often misquoted: Indonesia 920-923 MHz is AS923-2; the Philippines 915-918 MHz is AS923-3; Israel 917-920 MHz is AS923-4; Brazil 915-928 MHz is AU915-928; Singapore 920-925 MHz and Thailand 920-925 MHz are AS923-1; Japan 920.6-928.0 MHz is AS923-1; Korea 917-923.5 MHz is KR920-923; India 865-867 MHz is IN865-867.
The radio side in the EU and the US
Section titled “The radio side in the EU and the US”EU. EN 300 220 part 2 (EN 300 220-2) is the harmonised standard for access to spectrum for non-specific short range devices from 25 MHz to 1 000 MHz. Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/2499 of December 9, 2025 (published and in force on December 11, 2025) added EN 300 220-2 V3.3.1 to the RED list and deleted V3.1.1, the deletion applying from June 11, 2027. The same decision added EN 303 659 V1.1.1, for SRD in data networks at 865-868 MHz and 915-919.4 MHz. LoRaWAN certification does not replace any of the RED essential requirements (Article 3(1)(a) safety, 3(1)(b) EMC, 3(2) spectrum) nor, for devices in their scope, the Article 3(3)(d)(e)(f) cybersecurity requirements that apply since August 1, 2025.
US. 47 CFR 15.247 covers frequency hopping and digital modulation in 902-928 MHz. RP002 summarises the FCC options for US915 devices as FHSS (at least 50 channels, 400 ms, up to +30 dBm conducted), DTS (channels of at least 500 kHz, +8 dBm per 3 kHz) and a hybrid mode. Whichever applies, the device needs its own FCC authorization.
Claims the texts contradict
Section titled “Claims the texts contradict”| Claim | What the text says |
|---|---|
| "Certification takes 9 steps and needs an ATL." | The Alliance offers two paths: ATL or Self-Test. The ATL path is device entry in LWCS, fee payment, lab selection, samples, ATL submission, Alliance review and certificate. |
| "There are 7 regional packs." | RP002-1.0.3 lists 13 channel plan IDs, including KR920, EU433, CN779 and four AS923 variants. |
| "AS923-2 covers Brazil." | The RP002-1.0.3 country table maps Brazil 915-928 MHz to AU915-928; AS923-2 is Indonesia. |
| "US915 has 64 uplink channels." | 64 uplink channels at 125 kHz plus 8 uplink channels at 500 kHz, and 8 downlink channels. |
| "Institutional members certify per agreement." | The membership table ticks end-device certification for all four tiers, Institutional included. |
| "A pre-certified module still needs a full submission of the end product." | Certification by Similarity exists for module integration, at child-certificate prices, if the transceiver and protocol software are unchanged and the parent is under five years old. |
| "The LoRaWAN specification is available to Adopter members." | TS001-1.0.4, LoRaWAN 1.1 and RP002-1.0.3 are downloadable from lora-alliance.org without logging in. |
| "LoRaWAN 1.0.1 introduced regional parameters; 1.0.4 is mainly backwards compatibility." | 1.0.1 added the CN470 and AU915 plans; 1.0.2 moved the physical layer out to a regional parameters document; 1.0.4 is a normative clean-up with counter and key-naming changes. |
| "A 1.1 device and a 1.0 network cannot work together without a rekey." | The 1.1 text defines a fallback to the 1.0 single root key scheme, signalled by the OptNeg bit. |
| "LoRaWAN certificates do not expire." | Five-year validity for devices certified after June 3, 2024. |
| "EN 300 220-2 V3.1.1 is the cited version." | V3.3.1 is cited since December 11, 2025; V3.1.1 is withdrawn from June 11, 2027 (Decision (EU) 2025/2499). |
Practical checklist
Section titled “Practical checklist”- Join the Alliance at the tier you need; certification is open at every tier.
- Pick the channel plans from RP002 for each target market, and check the country mapping against the current edition.
- Pre-test with the free LCTT license.
- Decide ATL or Self-Test. Relay, SCHC or FUOTA features need an ATL.
- If the product reuses a certified module or a certified parent, check the CbS preconditions before booking a full test.
- Run the RED and FCC dossiers in parallel: they share no test report with the LoRaWAN certificate. See RED tests and FCC pillar.
- Track the five-year expiry and any change that affects compliance (a permissive change certificate is USD 100).
Cross-references and support
Section titled “Cross-references and support”See also glossary for OTAA, ABP, class A/B/C and ADR definitions, and the guides RED standards, FCC pillar, and EU + US dual certification for a dual programme.
See also
Section titled “See also”Sources & references
- LoRaWAN Certification: paths, fees, validity, CbS, LCTT (read October 7, 2026), LoRa Alliance lora-alliance.org/lorawan-certification/
- Membership tiers, benefits and annual pricing (read October 7, 2026), LoRa Alliance lora-alliance.org/membership/
- Authorized Test Labs by region (read October 7, 2026), LoRa Alliance lora-alliance.org/lorawan-certification-test-labs/
- TS001-1.0.4 LoRaWAN L2 1.0.4 Specification (October 2020), LoRa Alliance lora-alliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/LoRaWAN-Link-Layer-Specification-v1.0.4.pdf
- LoRaWAN 1.1 Specification (October 11, 2017), LoRa Alliance lora-alliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/lorawantm_specification_-v1.1.pdf
- RP002-1.0.3 LoRaWAN Regional Parameters (2021), channel plan and country tables, LoRa Alliance lora-alliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/RP002-1.0.3-FINAL-1.pdf
- RP002-1.0.5 LoRaWAN Regional Parameters (posted October 8, 2025), LoRa Alliance resources.lora-alliance.org/technical-specifications/rp002-1-0-5-lorawan-regional-parameters
- TS009-1.2.1 Certification Protocol, LoRa Alliance resources.lora-alliance.org/technical-specifications/ts009-1-2-1-certification-protocol
- Recommendation ITU-T Y.4480 (11/2021), Low power protocol for wide area wireless networks, ITU-T www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-Y.4480
- Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/2499, EN 300 220-2 V3.3.1 cited, V3.1.1 withdrawn from June 11, 2027, European Commission eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2025/2499/oj
- ETSI EN 300 220-2, short range devices 25 MHz to 1 000 MHz, harmonised standard, ETSI www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_en/300200_300299/30022002/
- 47 CFR 15.247, operation in 902-928 MHz, 2400-2483.5 MHz and 5725-5850 MHz, eCFR (FCC rules) www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-15/subpart-C/section-15.247
- Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated launch (January 1, 2026), IAF iaf.nu/en/news/global-accreditation-cooperation-incorporated-launch-unifies-international-accreditation-organisations-and-strengthens-worldwide-trust/
Frequently asked questions
- Does LoRaWAN certification replace RED or FCC radio certification?
- No. LoRaWAN Certification is a LoRa Alliance programme that checks an end-device against the LoRaWAN L2 specification (TS001) and the Regional Parameters (RP002). Radio law is separate: in the EU the device needs RED conformity, usually through EN 300 220-2 (V3.3.1 cited since December 11, 2025, V3.1.1 withdrawn from June 11, 2027); in the US it needs FCC authorization under 47 CFR Part 15.
- Do you have to be a LoRa Alliance member to certify?
- Yes. The Alliance states that only members can certify devices. Its membership table ticks end-device certification for all four tiers: Adopter (USD 3,000 to 6,000 a year, the lower rate for companies under USD 1 million revenue), Contributor (USD 20,000), Sponsor (USD 50,000) and Institutional (free, for government bodies and universities).
- How much does LoRaWAN certification cost?
- On top of membership, the Alliance charges a one-time certification license fee per certificate: USD 1,200 for an end device tested at an ATL, USD 1,700 at a self-test lab, USD 2,000 and USD 2,800 for a module. Each extra region or similar device (child) costs USD 750, 400 or 200 depending on the count. ATL test fees are separate and set by each lab.
- How long is a LoRaWAN certificate valid?
- Five years from issuance for devices certified after June 3, 2024, unless the Alliance revokes it or the device is modified in a way that affects compliance. Devices certified before that date keep their certification while they meet the rules in force when certified.
- Does a product built on a certified module need its own certificate?
- To be LoRaWAN Certified, yes, but it can use Certification by Similarity (CbS), module integration case: same LoRaWAN transceiver, same LoRaWAN protocol software version, submitted within five years of the parent certificate and checked with the LCTT. Modules themselves cannot be certified by similarity.
- Is a LoRaWAN 1.1 device compatible with a 1.0 network server?
- The 1.1 specification builds in a fallback: when the Join-Accept OptNeg bit is zero, the 1.1 end-device uses the single root key scheme of LoRaWAN 1.0 and sets SNwkSIntKey and NwkSEncKey equal to FNwkSIntKey. The certification document the Alliance marks as required is TS001-1.0.4 (October 2020).
- Are AS923-1, AS923-2, AS923-3 and AS923-4 the same channel plan?
- No. RP002 gives them distinct channel plan IDs (7, 8, 9 and 13) and distinct default join channels. The RP002-1.0.3 country table maps Indonesia to AS923-2, the Philippines to AS923-3 and Israel to AS923-4, while Brazil 915-928 MHz maps to AU915-928. For certification fees only, the four AS923 variants count as one region when the same hardware supports them.