Is USB-IF certification mandatory to sell a USB-C product in the European Union?

Not in a strict regulatory sense: placing on the EU market depends on CE marking and, for the categories covered by Directive (EU) 2022/2380, on meeting the technical USB-C and USB PD requirements introduced in article 3.4 of the RED Directive. USB-IF certification is, however, contractually required to use the USB logos, the certified USB4 or USB PD marks, and to obtain a VID. Both regimes coexist, and the EU directive points to specifications maintained by USB-IF, in particular through the EN 62680 series.

What is the difference between a VID and a PID?

The VID (Vendor ID) is a unique identifier assigned by USB-IF to a company on the basis of an administrative procedure and a one-time fee. The PID (Product ID) is a 16-bit identifier freely managed by the VID holder to differentiate products on the bus. The VID:PID pair lets the host identify the peripheral, load the correct driver and trace the product; it never replaces certification.

Does a USB-C cable need to be certified?

A USB-C cable using the USB brand or logos must be certified like any USB product. Beyond branding, the USB Type-C Specification requires an e-marker (electronic identification chip running USB PD) for any cable supporting more than 3 A (i.e. from 5 V / 60 W upward, and mandatory above) and for any USB4 or Thunderbolt cable. The e-marker carries the cable capabilities (maximum current, data rate, Extended Power Range support) and allows the charger to negotiate the right profile.

Does USB PD 3.1 EPR replace PD 3.0 profiles?

No. EPR (Extended Power Range), introduced in USB PD 3.1, adds fixed voltage steps above 20 V (28 V, 36 V, 48 V) reaching 240 W, but it preserves the full set of standard PD 3.0 profiles (5 V, 9 V, 15 V, 20 V), which remain the default for mainstream products. An EPR product must first be compliant with the standard PD baseline, then declare the supported EPR steps. EPR cables and connectors are specific and identified by their e-marker.

What does the Authorized Compliance Lab programme cover?

USB-IF accredits a network of laboratories (Authorized Compliance Labs, ITL) authorised to run Compliance Tests on products submitted for certification. Tests cover the electrical layer, the USB 2.0 / 3.x / 4 protocol layer, USB PD negotiation, Type-C compliance (orientation, polarity, CC pull-ups), and interoperability with a Gold Tree set of reference products. The laboratory report is filed at the USB Integrators Forum, followed by listing on the Integrators List after review.

Does Directive (EU) 2022/2380 require going through USB-IF certification?

The directive does not name USB-IF as a certifying body and does not require a certified logo. It imposes technical requirements (USB-C port, USB PD support above 15 W, unbundled sale of the charger) described in the technical annex amending RED Directive 2014/53/EU. These requirements refer to USB-IF specifications and to the EN 62680 series transposing them into European standards. In practice, a product compliant with USB-IF specifications meets the technical requirement, without the USB-IF certification process itself being a regulatory act.

What is USB Type-C Authentication?

USB Type-C Authentication is an optional cryptographic protocol described in the USB Type-C Authentication Specification. It allows a host or charger to verify, through PKI, the identity and declared capabilities of the connected peripheral or cable before engaging full USB PD negotiation. It is mainly aimed at high-power chargers and sensitive environments (corporate policies, charging infrastructure). Adoption remains partial and it is not required by Directive (EU) 2022/2380.

What is PPS and what is it used for?

PPS (Programmable Power Supply) is an optional mode of USB PD 3.0 and above that allows the peripheral to request a continuously variable voltage in 20 mV steps and a current in 50 mA steps, within a range declared by the charger. It is mainly used for fast charging of Li-ion batteries in closed loop (direct charging, with no step-down LDO on the device side), with gains in efficiency and thermals. PPS is required for some PD Certified Charger logos.

USB-IF: USB-C, USB4 and USB Power Delivery certification

Author Hugues Orgitello Last updated 27 May 2026 ~15 min read

Guide - USB-IF certification

The USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) is the consortium that maintains the USB specifications and operates the associated certification programme. Unlike a regulatory authority, USB-IF is a private not-for-profit association whose decisions take their force from a contractual trademark licensing regime and from an ecosystem of accredited laboratories. The programme covers the entire USB-connected peripheral: USB-C connectors, cables, USB Power Delivery chargers, USB4 controllers, USB 2.0 and USB 3.x peripherals. The European Directive (EU) 2022/2380 has recently established the USB-C port as the wired charging port for most portable devices sold in the Union, referring to specifications maintained by USB-IF through the EN 62680 series. This page describes the scope of the programme, the certification routes, VID and PID allocation, USB PD negotiation with EPR and PPS, alternate modes, and the relationship between private certification and EU regulatory requirements.

USB-IF, role and status

The USB Implementers Forum was founded in 1995 by a group of companies (Compaq, DEC, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, NEC, Nortel) to drive the evolution of the universal serial bus. It is today a non-profit corporation based in Beaverton, Oregon. USB-IF is neither a public authority nor a Notified Body in the European sense; it operates as a private consortium, on a model close to the Bluetooth SIG or PCI-SIG.

Its scope covers:

publishing and maintaining the USB specifications (USB 2.0, USB 3.2, USB4, USB Power Delivery, USB Type-C, USB Authentication);
allocating USB industrial identifiers, primarily the Vendor ID;
licensing the USB trademarks (words and logos) to member companies;
the compliance programme (Compliance Program), with accreditation of a network of laboratories (Authorized Compliance Labs);
the Integrators List, the public database of products that have passed compliance testing.

USB-IF imposes no regulatory placing-on-the-market obligation: commercialising a USB-equipped product in the EU or the US depends on national regimes (CE marking in the EU, FCC in the US). But without USB-IF certification, a product cannot use the USB brand or the official logos and cannot be listed on the Integrators List; these two constraints strongly restrict OEM channels and commercial perception, particularly for chargers and cables.

Membership and trademark licence

Use of the USB trademarks is strictly conditioned on an active licence with USB-IF. For a manufacturer, two routes coexist:

Joining as a Member Company, with access to working specifications, technical support and preferential pricing on certifications and conferences;
Accessing via the Non-Member Logo License Agreement, which lets a non-member company use the USB logos on certified products, against a fee and the signature of a licence agreement.

All manufacturers submitting a product for certification must obtain a VID beforehand, whether they are members or not. The exact amount of the administrative VID assignment fee is published by USB-IF and is reviewed periodically; the official site is the authoritative reference for the current figure.

VID, PID and peripheral identification

Identification of a USB peripheral on the bus relies on the (VID, PID, bcdDevice) triplet declared in the Device Descriptor during enumeration.

Vendor ID (VID)

The Vendor ID is a 16-bit integer uniquely assigned by USB-IF to a company. It identifies the manufacturer to the host system and, on certain operating systems, conditions automatic loading of signed drivers. Assignment goes through an administrative application on the USB-IF portal, with a one-time payment. USB-IF does not reallocate released VIDs: a VID is bound in perpetuity to the entity that obtained it.

A VID does not, in itself, grant the right to use the USB trademarks on a product. It identifies the manufacturer, nothing more. Commercial use of the logos additionally requires the trademark licence and certification of the product concerned.

Product ID (PID)

The Product ID is a 16-bit integer managed by the VID holder. The manufacturer freely allocates its 65,536 PIDs to product references. No registration with USB-IF is required; the manufacturer is, however, responsible for guaranteeing internal uniqueness and keeping a registry, which is indispensable for driver maintenance and software traceability.

The VID:PID pair is universal: two commercial references sharing the same pair risk driver conflicts on host systems. A non-backwards-compatible hardware update should normally trigger a new PID.

bcdDevice and serial number

A third field, bcdDevice, distinguishes revisions of the same product reference. It is BCD-encoded and is not allocated by USB-IF. The iSerialNumber, when present, provides a unit-unique identifier, useful for fleet management and failure analysis.

USB generations: data rates and naming

The evolution of USB data rates has produced a complex nomenclature that USB-IF has tried to rationalise several times. The table below gives the technical milestones and the currently recommended official marketing name.

Specification	Year published	Nominal rate	Current marketing name	Typical connector
USB 1.1	1998	12 Mbps (Full Speed)	Historical Hi-Speed	Type-A, Type-B
USB 2.0	2000	480 Mbps (High Speed)	USB 2.0	Type-A, Type-B, micro-B, Type-C
USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen 1 / 3.2 Gen 1	2008	5 Gbps (SuperSpeed)	USB 5Gbps	Blue Type-A, Type-C
USB 3.1 Gen 2 / 3.2 Gen 2	2013	10 Gbps (SuperSpeed+)	USB 10Gbps	Type-A, Type-C
USB 3.2 Gen 2x2	2017	20 Gbps	USB 20Gbps	Type-C only
USB4 1.0 (USB4 Gen 2x2 / Gen 3x2)	2019	20 Gbps / 40 Gbps	USB 20Gbps / USB 40Gbps	Type-C only
USB4 Version 2.0	2022	80 Gbps, asymmetric up to 120 Gbps	USB 80Gbps	Type-C only

USB4 is technically distinct from USB 3.x: it takes the Thunderbolt physical layer and introduces the concept of tunneling, in which a single cable carries encapsulated USB 3.x, DisplayPort and PCIe streams. Backwards compatibility with USB 3.x and USB 2.0 is preserved by initial negotiation.

Certification is granted by specification: a product declared compliant with USB 80Gbps must pass USB4 v2 testing; it does not automatically inherit the USB 40Gbps label, even if the silicon technically supports it.

USB-C connector and cable certification

The USB Type-C connector, published in 2014, introduces reversibility (insertion in either orientation), electrical symmetry and a Configuration Channel (CC) signalling bus that drives role negotiation (DFP / UFP, source / sink, host / device) and power.

Configuration Channel and roles

The CC1 / CC2 pair carries several functions:

mechanical detection of insertion orientation;
identification of the partner via pull-ups / pull-downs;
transport of the USB PD protocol at BMC (Biphase Mark Coding) layer;
optional transport of Vconn to power the cable e-marker.

The source-side pull-up resistors (Rp) determine the default current advertised before PD negotiation (USB Default 500 mA / 900 mA, 1.5 A, 3 A). Any non-conformity of the Rp / Rd values, common in rushed designs, leads to enumeration problems and certification failures.

Cable e-markers

Any USB Type-C cable carrying more than 3 A must embed an e-marker, a microcontroller running USB PD that responds to Discover Identity requests and declares the cable capabilities:

maximum supported current (3 A, 5 A, EPR up to 5 A at 48 V);
maximum physical-layer rate (USB 2.0 only, USB 3.2 Gen 1 / 2, USB4 Gen 2 / 3);
EPR support;
alternate-mode support (DisplayPort, Thunderbolt);
VID:PID of the cable manufacturer.

A cable with no e-marker, or with an invalid e-marker, is limited by the charger to 3 A (60 W at 20 V) at best, or refused for EPR profiles. The absence of an e-marker on a cable advertised at 100 W or more is one of the most frequent reasons for marketplace removal and compliance failure.

USB Power Delivery, profiles and EPR

USB Power Delivery (USB PD) is the protocol layer that manages power negotiation over the USB-C bus. It has evolved across several major revisions, with the following key additions.

PD profiles and EPR

Revision	Year	Main addition	Max power	Fixed voltages
PD 1.0	2012	Type-A / Type-B connector, BFSK on Vbus	100 W (5 A / 20 V)	5, 12, 20 V
PD 2.0	2014	Type-C, BMC on CC, alternate modes	100 W	5, 9, 15, 20 V
PD 3.0	2017	Authentication, PPS, Fast Role Swap	100 W	5, 9, 15, 20 V
PD 3.1	2021	EPR (Extended Power Range), AVS	240 W	SPR: 5, 9, 15, 20 V; EPR: 28, 36, 48 V
PD 3.2	2024	EPR clarifications, USB4 v2 alignment	240 W	Same as 3.1

The Extended Power Range introduces three fixed voltage steps above 20 V: 28 V (up to 140 W), 36 V (up to 180 W) and 48 V (up to 240 W), all at 5 A. An EPR product must first respect the Standard Power Range baseline (SPR, up to 100 W), then declare the supported EPR steps. EPR cables must be identified as EPR-capable through their e-marker.

PPS, Programmable Power Supply

PPS is an optional mode introduced in PD 3.0 that allows a continuously adjustable voltage in 20 mV steps and a current in 50 mA steps, within a range declared by the charger. An APDO (Augmented Power Data Object) declares the range (for example 3.3 V - 11 V, 0 - 5 A), and the peripheral requests an operating point through a Request Data Object. PPS is used for fast battery charging in closed loop, where the peripheral reports SoC and temperature to adjust the voltage in real time.

PPS is required for some USB-IF certified charger logos (Certified USB Charger, Certified USB Fast Charger).

PD negotiation and source / sink policy

PD negotiation follows a strict sequence: CC detection, attachment, Source_Capabilities exchange (PDO table), Request, Accept or Reject, PS_RDY. A Power Role Swap is possible after negotiation, turning a sink into a source (typical case of a USB-C dock that draws power then supplies peripherals).

Any non-conformity to the sequence or to the timings, common in partial implementations, leads to compliance failures. Strict respect of the state machines described in the USB PD Specification is one of the most delicate aspects of the programme.

Alternate modes: DisplayPort, Thunderbolt

The USB-C connector carries not only USB data and PD power, but also, in alternate mode, other native protocols encapsulated over the SuperSpeed pairs. Negotiation is carried by USB PD through VDM (Vendor Defined Messages) Discover Modes / Enter Mode.

Alternate mode	Specification	Rate / capability	Notes
DisplayPort Alt Mode	VESA DisplayPort Alt Mode 1.0 / 2.0 / 2.1	DP 1.4 / 2.0 / 2.1 (up to UHBR20, 80 Gbps)	Shares the SS pairs, 2 or 4 lanes
Thunderbolt 3 / 4 / 5	Intel Thunderbolt Specification	40 / 40 / 80 Gbps (TB5 up to 120 Gbps asymmetric)	Additional Intel TB certification
HDMI Alt Mode	HDMI Forum (deprecated)	HDMI 1.4b	Nearly extinct in favour of DisplayPort Alt Mode
MHL Alt Mode	MHL Consortium (deprecated)	MHL 3.x	Nearly extinct
USB4 (not alt mode)	USB4 v1 / v2	20 / 40 / 80 Gbps	Native tunneling of DP, PCIe, USB 3.x

With USB4, tunneling makes alternate modes partly redundant: a USB4 cable natively carries DisplayPort and USB 3.x without mode switching. But non-USB4 USB-C peripherals, particularly displays in DisplayPort Alt Mode, remain widely deployed. USB4 certification of a product does not cover use of a DisplayPort alternate mode on another port; each mode is evaluated separately.

The compliance programme

USB-IF operates a compliance programme structured around accredited laboratories and integration events.

Authorized Compliance Labs

Around twenty laboratories worldwide are accredited by USB-IF to run the Compliance Tests. The list is public on the USB-IF site. Accreditation is specific to covered specifications (a laboratory may be authorised for USB 2.0, USB 3.2 and USB PD but not for USB4, for example).

Testing covers:

the electrical layer (eye diagrams on SuperSpeed, RX mask, jitter, return loss, CC pull-ups, Vbus regulation, inrush current);
the protocol layer (enumeration, descriptors, conformance to USB and PD state machines);
PD negotiation (Source / Sink Capabilities, SPR and EPR steps, PPS if declared, Fast Role Swap if declared);
Type-C conformance (orientation, polarity, attach / detach, debounce timings);
interoperability with a Gold Tree (set of reference host / peripheral / charger products).

The Gold Tree is a key point: a product passing electrical tests but failing an interoperability test against a reference product is rejected, even when its behaviour matches the letter of the specified states.

USB Compliance Workshops

USB-IF organises several USB Compliance Workshops per year, semi-private events where manufacturers can present their products to the official labs on site, benefit from preferential pricing and correct gaps between sessions. It is a preferred route for products in development, complementary to testing at an external laboratory.

Integrators List

Products that have passed the tests are published on the Integrators List, the USB-IF public database, with their TID (Test ID), VID, list of certified specifications and certification date. It is this list, rather than a paper certificate, that is authoritative for use of the trademarks.

USB-IF and Directive (EU) 2022/2380

Directive (EU) 2022/2380 on the common charger, in force since 28 December 2024 and extended to laptops on 28 April 2026, inserts in RED Directive 2014/53/EU an article 3.4 that imposes technical requirements on the wired charging port of most portable devices.

Legal architecture

Article 3.4 does not name USB-IF and does not require a certified logo. It imposes, in substance:

the presence of a USB Type-C port on portable wired-charging devices;
USB Power Delivery compatibility above 15 W input power, without a restrictive proprietary handshake;
unbundled sale of the charger (with or without, at the consumer's choice);
a harmonised label indicating whether a charger is included in the box and the minimum / maximum supported power.

The technical reference goes through the EN 62680 series, the CENELEC transposition of USB-IF specifications:

EN IEC 62680-1-3: Common components, USB Type-C cable and connector;
EN IEC 62680-1-2: USB Power Delivery;
EN IEC 62680-1: Universal Serial Bus interfaces, general.

A product compliant with the corresponding USB-IF specifications meets the technical requirement of article 3.4 without it being a regulatory requirement to hold a USB-IF certificate. In practice, however, without going through Compliance Testing, demonstrating compliance with PD negotiation and the USB-C baseline is extremely difficult to document in a RED file.

USB-IF certification versus regulatory compliance

The table below summarises the difference in nature.

Aspect	USB-IF certification	Directive (EU) 2022/2380 / RED art. 3.4 compliance
Nature	Private consortium programme	European regulatory framework
Legal act	Trademark licence + listing	CE marking + RED DoC
Object	Trademark, product identity, interoperability	Single market access
Sanction	Licence withdrawal, listing removal, trademark infringement action	Prohibition of placing on the market, recall, fines
Documents	TID, Integrators List entry, lab reports	RED DoC, technical file, harmonised label
Reference	USB Type-C, USB PD, USB4 (USB-IF specs)	RED 2014/53/EU + EN 62680 series
Assessment bodies	Authorized Compliance Labs (USB-IF)	Self-assessment module A or Notified Body

In practice, a manufacturer wishing to place a USB-C product on the EU market while covering both regulatory compliance and use of the USB trademarks engages both programmes in parallel, ensuring that the laboratory reports cover the tests useful to both. See CE marking and RED pillar for the European regimes, and universal USB-C charger, 2024 application for the entry-into-force schedule.

Common pitfalls

Using USB logos without certification

The most direct and most heavily sanctioned mistake. The USB word, the official trident, the SuperSpeed logo, the USB4 and USB PD trademarks are protected. Any mention on a product, on packaging or on an online listing requires an active licence and a product listed on the Integrators List. Marketplaces (Amazon, AliExpress, eBay) regularly remove listings following USB-IF notifications.

Cable with no e-marker above 60 W

A USB-C cable advertised above 60 W (typically 100 W via 20 V / 5 A) without a valid e-marker is not compliant with the USB Type-C Specification. It will be capped by PD chargers at 3 A and refused for EPR profiles. This is one of the most common defects on cables of dubious origin.

PD non-conformance to the state machines

Many partial implementations work in interoperability with one known charger but fail against another. The cause is almost always an approximation in the PD state machines (PS_RDY timings, Hard Reset / Cable Reset transitions, ordering of Source_Capabilities). The Gold Tree exposes these gaps. PD is best treated as a communication protocol in its own right, with unit tests and an interop bench, rather than as a simple power-supply routine.

USB 3.x / USB4 confusion based on the connector

A Type-C connector says nothing about the data rate. A Type-C product may be USB 2.0 only (480 Mbps), USB 5Gbps, USB 10Gbps, USB 20Gbps or USB 40Gbps / 80Gbps USB4. The official USB-IF marketing nomenclature (USB 5Gbps, USB 10Gbps, etc.) must be used on documentation and packaging, and aligned with the specification actually certified.

Alternate mode not declared to PD

A DisplayPort or Thunderbolt alternate mode activated without prior declaration through Discover Modes / Enter Mode VDMs is non-compliant. The mode may work in interop with one known product but will fail compliance or another host. The order of PD VDM messages is strictly specified.

Neglecting USB PD 3.0 / 3.1 in favour of a proprietary Quick Charge

Several chargers and phones implement proprietary protocols (QC, VOOC, SuperVOOC) on top of the standard PD. Directive (EU) 2022/2380 explicitly prohibits subordinating fast charging to a restrictive proprietary handshake above 15 W. Full USB PD charging must be available with any compliant PD charger, without artificial performance degradation in the absence of the proprietary protocol.

Reusing a shared VID

Some open-hardware platforms (Arduino, FTDI, MCS Electronics, OpenMoko) have historically shared their VID with their users. This practice is not compliant with USB-IF terms of use: a VID is bound to an entity, and it cannot be reused by products commercialised by third parties. A commercial product must always have its own VID.

Announcing USB4 without effective certification

USB4 v1 and v2 impose specific testing, distinct from USB 3.2. A product announced as USB4 without explicit USB4 certification, even if the silicon technically supports it, cannot carry the USB4 mark or the USB 40Gbps / USB 80Gbps logo. The presence of a capable controller is never sufficient for certification.

Relationship to other regimes

USB-IF certification coexists with several other regimes:

CE marking and the RED Directive for placing on the EU market;
FCC Part 15 for unintentional emissions in the US;
CB Scheme for electrical safety (IEC 62368-1 testing on chargers);
Thunderbolt Certification by Intel for TB3 / TB4 / TB5 products, in addition to USB-IF;
Bluetooth SIG, Matter and other consortia for application layers.

For a product commercialised on both sides of the Atlantic, see EU + US dual certification; for issues specific to the EU common charger, see universal USB-C charger, 2024 application.