How to check accreditation and read a certificate

Why check

A certificate is only as useful as the body behind it. Checking takes a few minutes and can prevent problems with customers and tenders. This page is educational. We do not verify certificates for you, and nothing here is legal advice.

Read the certificate

Look for these items.

The certification body

Whose name is on the certificate? It should be a named legal entity, not a trade brand with no identifiable body behind it.

The standard and edition

For example ISO 9001, with the edition stated. Be wary of vague wording that names no standard at all.

The certified organization and sites

Check the legal name and the locations covered. A certificate for a head office may not cover a factory or branch.

The scope

The scope describes the activities, products or services certified. Compare it with what you are buying or what a tender requires. See ISO certification for tenders.

Dates and status

Check the issue date, expiry or recertification date, and any statement about surveillance. A certificate past its date, or suspended, should not be relied upon.

The accreditation mark

If an accreditation body's mark appears, note which body it is. A mark alone does not prove the accreditation. Verify it.

Validate the accreditation

1. Find the accreditation body named on the certificate, or ask the certification body to name it.
2. Check the accreditation body's own directory or register. Many accreditation bodies publish lists of the certification bodies they have accredited. Look up the certification body there.
3. Check the accredited scope. Confirm the standard and activity area on your certificate fall inside the accredited scope. Accreditation is scope-specific, as explained in accreditation explained.
4. Check validity. Make sure the accreditation is current, not suspended or withdrawn.
5. Check the certificate with the certification body. Ask it to confirm the certificate number, scope and status in writing.

International accreditation cooperation moved from the IAF and ILAC to Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated (Global ACI) on 1 January 2026. We could not confirm today how any international certificate search tool is run under the new arrangement, so we do not link to one. Use the accreditation body's own register and ask the certification body for the evidence.

Warning signs

• no accreditation body is named, or it cannot be found
• the scope on the certificate is far wider than the body's accredited scope
• promises of certification within days or without an audit
• a platform or consultant presents itself as the issuer of ISO certificates

Read how to spot misleading ISO certificate claims and how to choose a certification body.

If something looks wrong

Contact the certification body first. If you are not satisfied, contact the accreditation body that accredits it. For a tender, tell the buyer.