FCC Limits Foreign Testing of Electronic Devices

The Federal Communications Commission has adopted final rules that alter its approach to the regulatory regime that governs the testing of all electronic devices that consumers in the U.S. use.

Electronic devices must be tested at an FCC-recognized lab before they can be used or marketed in the U.S.

Starting Dec. 1, 2028, the new rules will limit the FCC’s recognition of test labs to those located in the U.S. or in countries that grant U.S. labs reciprocal recognition. Currently such countries include the following: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Oman, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, United Kingdom, and Vietnam.

The rules also adopt similar restrictions for telecommunications certification bodies and laboratory accreditation bodies, which codifies existing practice.