Using the UKCA marking
Find out if you need to use the UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) marking on products you manufacture or handle.
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
The government intends to extend recognition of the CE marking for placing most goods on the market in Great Britain, indefinitely, beyond December 2024. These updates apply to the 18 regulations that fall under the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). These are:
- toys
- pyrotechnics
- recreational craft and personal watercraft
- simple pressure vessels
- electromagnetic compatibility
- non-automatic weighing instruments
- measuring instruments
- measuring container bottles
- lifts
- equipment for potentially explosive atmospheres (ATEX)
- radio equipment
- pressure equipment
- personal protective equipment (PPE)
- gas appliances
- machinery
- equipment for use outdoors
- aerosols
- low voltage electrical equipment
There are different rules for medical devices, construction products, cableways, transportable pressure equipment, unmanned aircraft systems, rail products, marine equipment and ecodesign. The relevant departments covering these sectors either have communicated, or will communicate, plans in due course.
This page will be updated to reflect the changes in due course.
This guidance explains how to use the UKCA marking. For information on placing products on the market, see the guidance on placing manufactured products on the market in Great Britain.
Product areas covered by the UKCA marking
You will need to use the UKCA marking if you manufacture or handle products in the following areas:
- toys
- pyrotechnics
- recreational craft and personal watercraft
- simple pressure vessels
- electromagnetic compatibility
- non-automatic weighing instruments
- measuring instruments
- measuring container bottles
- lifts
- equipment for potentially explosive atmospheres (UKEX)
- radio equipment
- pressure equipment
- personal protective equipment (PPE)
- gas appliances
- machinery
- equipment for use outdoors
- ecodesign
- aerosols
- low voltage electrical equipment
Please consult the sector specific legislation that applies to your products for more information. You can read more about which regulations apply to your products and how to comply with them.
Some products are covered by the UKCA marking but have some special rules. Please consult the sector specific guidance for more information. They are:
- Medical devices
- Rail interoperability
- Construction products
- Civil explosives
- Marine equipment
- Cableways
- Energy using products
- Transportable pressure equipment
- Hazardous substances (RoHS)
Using the UKCA marking in different markets
Selling products in GB
The UKCA marking is the product marking used for products being placed on the market in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales).
The UKCA marking applies to most products for which the CE marking could be used. It also applies to aerosol products that previously required the reversed epsilon marking. The technical requirements (sometimes referred to as ‘essential requirements’) you must meet for the UKCA marking will depend on the product specific legislation for your product.
Conformity with these requirements can also be achieved by using designated standards (which the UK introduced to replace EU harmonised standards). By following designated standards, manufacturers can claim ‘presumption of conformity’ with the corresponding essential requirements that apply to their product.
The UKCA marking can be used now. However, to provide businesses with flexibility, the government will bring forward legislation that would continue to allow recognition of the CE marking and the reversed epsilon marking for most goods that are being placed on the market, or put into service before 11pm on 31 December 2024. You should check the sector specific set of regulations that apply to your product.
Read the guidance on placing manufactured products on the market in Great Britain for further information.
Selling products in NI
The UKCA marking cannot be used for products placed on the Northern Ireland market.
Find out more about placing products on the Northern Ireland market.
You can also read guidance about the special rules around Northern Ireland Qualifying Products.
Selling products in the EU
The UKCA marking is not recognised on the EU market. Products need a CE marking for sale in the EU.
Find out how to use the CE marking.
Accepted markings on each market
The table below illustrates the accepted markings on each relevant market.
Placing goods on the market in Great Britain
| Type of product | Accepted markings or combination of markings |
|---|---|
| Manufactured products being placed on the GB market until 11pm on 31 December 2024 | UKCA or CE |
| Manufactured products placed on the GB market from 11pm on 31 December 2024 | UKCA |
Placing qualifying Northern Ireland goods on the market in Great Britain (unfettered access)
| Type of good (see list of product areas at the end of this guidance) | Accepted markings or combination of markings |
|---|---|
| Qualifying Northern Ireland products being placed on the GB market under unfettered access | CE or CE and UKNI |
When placing qualifying Northern Ireland products on the GB market under unfettered access whether or not the UKNI marking is required in addition to the CE marking will depend on the nature of the products in question and where the relevant conformity assessment body is based. Read more about when to use the UKNI mark.
When the UKCA marking comes into use
The UKCA regime has been operational since 1 January 2021 and from this date, where a product is covered by the UKCA marking, you are able to place the UKCA marking on your product.
The government intends to introduce legislation which sets out that, in most cases, if your product has been placed on the GB market with a CE mark before 11pm on 31 December 2024, it does not need to be remarked or recertified to UKCA requirements and can continue to circulate on the GB market until it reaches its end user. This also includes where the CE marked product was conformity assessed and certified under EU conformity assessment procedures before 11pm on 31 December 2024.
There are different rules for:
- medical devices
- construction products
- cableways
- transportable pressure equipment
- unmanned aircraft systems
- rail products
- marine equipment
UKCA labelling easement
The government intends to introduce legislation enabling the UKCA marking to be placed on a label affixed to the product or on a document accompanying the product until 11pm on 31 December 2027. This measure will apply to the following regulations:
- Aerosol Dispensers Regulations 2009
- Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016
- Electromagnetic Compatibility Regulations 2016
- Explosives Regulations 2014
- Equipment and Protective Systems Intended for Use in Potentially Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2016
- Lifts Regulations 2016
- Measuring Container Bottles (EEC Requirements) Regulations 1977
- Measuring Instruments Regulations 2016
- Noise Emission in the Environment by Equipment for use Outdoors Regulations 2001
- Non-automatic Weighing Instruments Regulations 2016
- Pyrotechnic Articles (Safety) Regulations 2015
- Radio Equipment Regulations 2017
- Recreational Craft Regulations 2017
- Regulation (EU) 2016/425 and the Personal Protective Equipment (Enforcement) Regulations 2018
- Simple Pressure Vessels (Safety) Regulations 2016
- Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008
- The Pressure Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016
- The Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2012
- Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011
There are different rules for medical devices, construction products, cableways, transportable pressure equipment, unmanned aircraft systems, rail products and marine equipment.
How to use the UKCA marking
Where to place the UKCA marking
In most cases, you must apply the UKCA marking to the product itself or to the packaging.
The UKCA marking must be clearly visible, legible and indelible when you affix it to the product. It may sometimes be placed on the manuals or on other supporting literature, but this will depend on the specific regulations that apply to the product.
The rules on affixing the UKCA marking are currently the same as for affixing the CE marking, but we intend to introduce legislation to extend the period for which the UKCA marking can be affixed on a sticky label or accompanying document (see below).
UKCA markings must only be placed on a product by you as the manufacturer, your authorised representative (where permitted in the relevant legislation), or if you are marketing the products under your name or trademark.
When affixing the UKCA marking, you take full responsibility for conformity with the requirements of the relevant UK legislation.
You must not place any marking, sign or inscription which is likely to mislead any other person as to the meaning or form of the UKCA marking or affix any marking which would impair the visibility, legibility and meaning of the UKCA marking.
The UKCA marking cannot be placed on products unless there is a specific requirement to do so in the legislation.
A product may have additional markings and marks, like the CE marking, as long as they:
- fulfil a different function from that of the UKCA marking
- are not likely to cause confusion with the UKCA marking
- do not reduce the legibility and visibility of the UKCA marking
Both the CE and UKCA markings can be placed on a product so long as neither prevents the other being clearly seen and the requirements of both GB and EU legislation are met.
Accompanying documents
There are no specific rules about what form your accompanying document should take, or how long it needs to be kept for. It depends on the specific circumstances. For example, if a product is transferred in the course of a commercial activity (in a business-to-business or business-to-consumer transaction), the business supplying the product will be obliged to verify that the product is accompanied by the UKCA marking.
The accompanying document must reach its end user to indicate that the product is compliant. Each individual product will not necessarily need an accompanying document if moving through the supply chain as a batch. For example, when 1,000 units are moving from distributor A to distributor B, one accompanying document should be sufficient, if the information that must accompany the UKCA marking applies to all the units.
However, if distributor B were to then break the units up and supply them to separate distributors C, D, and E, each of these units would need to be accompanied by a document. This principle continues to apply as the units move through the supply chain towards the end user.
Rules for using the UKCA image
You must make sure that:
- if you reduce or enlarge the size of your marking, the letters forming the UKCA marking must be in proportion to the version set out below
- the UKCA marking is at least 5mm in height unless a different minimum dimension is specified in the relevant legislation
- the UKCA marking is easily visible, legible and indelible
The UKCA marking can take different forms (for example, the colour does not have to be solid), as long as it remains visible, legible and maintains the required proportions.
Webinars
We will continue to run webinars over the next few months on how to use the UKCA marking.
Last updated 1 August 2023 + show all updates
-
Updated the 'call to action' banner before the main body of text, to list the sectors the CE marking will continue to apply to. This is because the UK government intends to continue to recognise the CE marking across England, Wales and Scotland, indefinitely, beyond December 2024.
-
The deadline for when businesses need to use the UKCA mark has been extended. You can continue to use the CE marking and reversed epsilon marking on the GB market until 31 December 2024.
-
Guidance restructured for clarity.
-
The government will introduce legislation so that the UKCA marking can be placed on a label affixed to the product or on a document accompanying the product until 31 December 2025.
-
You can continue to use the CE marking for goods placed on the market in Great Britain until 1 January 2023. The UKCA marking must be used for placing goods on the market in Great Britain from 1 January 2023. The UKCA marking can be used now and we encourage businesses to start using the UKCA marking as soon as possible.
-
We have added more information on when you can self-declare. We have also updated the ‘Relevant UK and EU legislation’ section to remove inaccurate legislation.
-
Added additional instructions regarding the height of the UKCA marking.
-
First published.