Guidance

Using the UKCA marking

Find out if you need to use the UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) marking on products you manufacture or handle.

From:
Department for Business and Trade
Published
31 December 2020
Last updated
11 October 2023 — See all updates

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

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

The government intends to introduce legislation to extend recognition of goods that meet EU requirements, including the CE marking, indefinitely, beyond 31 December 2024 for many products. This will mean that certain goods that meet EU requirements can be placed on the GB market. These updates apply to the 18 regulations that fall under the Department for Business and Trade (DBT).

Manufacturers will have the choice to use either the CE marking or other recognised EU markings (where permitted), or the UKCA marking to supply products to Great Britain 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
  • aerosol dispensers
  • 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.

There are specific rules for:

Using the UKCA marking in different markets

Selling products in GB

The UKCA marking is the conformity marking used for products being placed on the market in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). The UKCA regime has been operational since 1 January 2021 and from this date, where a product is covered by the UKCA marking and meets the relevant requirements, you are able to place the UKCA marking on your product and then place the product on the GB market.

The UKCA marking applies to most products for which the CE marking can also be used. It also applies to aerosol dispensers and measuring container bottles for which the reversed epsilon marking can also be used. 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.

By following designated standards, which the UK introduced to replace EU harmonised standards, there is a statutory ‘presumption of conformity’ that the product meets the essential requirements that apply to that product covered by the standard.

This presumption is rebuttable and, in most cases, using designated standards is voluntary, it is just one way of showing the product meets the essential requirements.  In cases where an alternative technical solution is followed, you will have to provide more details in your technical documentation explaining how your products comply with the essential requirements.

Read the guidance on placing manufactured products on the market in Great Britain for further information.

Selling products in NI

Different rules apply in Northern Ireland.

For products that can use a UKCA marking in Great Britain, these must meet EU rules in Northern Ireland, including a CE marking. Find out more about placing products on the Northern Ireland market.

You can also read guidance about the special rules around Northern Ireland Qualifying Goods.

Selling products in the EU

The UKCA marking is not recognised on the EU market. Many products need a CE marking to show that they are in conformity with EU rules before they can be supplied on the EU market.

Find out how to use the CE marking.

Accepted markings on each market

You can check the table below to see which product markings can be used for goods sold on each relevant market under these rules. Please ensure you check the regulations that have specific rules outlined above.

Placing goods on the market in Great Britain or Europe

Type of product Accepted markings or combination of markings
Manufactured products being placed on the GB market UKCA or CE
Manufactured products being placed on EU market CE

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

Read more about unfettered access.

For the purposes of this table, references to the CE marking may mean that other EU conformity markings apply, if relevant to your product or sector. You can find further information on product markings.

For most manufactured goods, this is the CE marking, but there are some other markings for certain products. These include, but are not limited to, the following: 

Please consult the sector specific legislation that applies to your products for more information.

UKCA labelling easement

Legislation is now force which enables 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 applies 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 specific 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

Legislation is now in force which enables 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 means that as of 1 January 2028, in most cases, you must affix the UKCA marking to the product itself or to the packaging.

In some cases, for example, where the product is too small, the UKCA marking can be affixed to the dataplate, packaging, a label affixed to the product or accompanying documentation. Please consult the sector specific legislation that applies to your products for more information.

The UKCA marking must be clearly visible, legible and indelible when you affix it to the product (or permitted alternatives). There are also rules about the size and dimensions of the UKCA marking (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 (for example, where you will take the responsibilities of the manufacturer, including affixing the UKCA marking).

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, as long as they:

  • fulfil a different function from that of the UKCA marking or other recognised conformity markings (where permitted)
  • are not likely to cause confusion with the UKCA marking or other recognised conformity markings (where permitted)
  • do not reduce the legibility and visibility of the UKCA marking or other recognised conformity markings (where permitted)

Both the CE and UKCA markings can be placed on a product so long as the relevant (EU or GB respectively) rules are met, neither prevents the other being clearly seen and the requirements of both GB and EU legislation are met.

Accompanying documents

What form your accompanying document should take and how long it needs to be kept for depends on the product’s 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 bears the UKCA marking, in accordance with the relevant legislation.

It is the responsibility of the manufacturer to ensure that the technical documentation and other records relating to conformity assessment procedures are prepared in (or translated to) English regardless of if the product is UKCA or CE marked. They must also provide (in English) with the product itself or as a batch:

  • the UKCA marking (if legislation permits the marking to be on an accompanying document)
  • the UK Declaration of Conformity if UKCA marking the product
  • the EU Declaration of Conformity if CE marking the product
  • all relevant product instructions and safety information as the legislation requires

It is the responsibility of the importer to ensure the manufacturer has:

  • drawn up the relevant technical documentation and instructions for use in English
  • affixed the relevant conformity marking
  • fulfilled their identification obligations of including their name and address in line with relevant guidelines

Find out more about the roles and responsibilities of economic operators.

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 batches would need to be accompanied by the documents outlined above. This principle continues to apply as the units move through the supply chain towards the end user.

Before making a product available, to another distributor or to an end user, the distributor must ensure that:

  • each product is marked with the UKCA marking (or the UKCA marking is on a label or document accompanying the product, where that is permitted)
  • the manufacturer and importer have complied with their duties to label the product with their name and contact details
  • instructions and safety information accompanies the product - they must be in clear, legible and easily understandable English

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.

Published 31 December 2020
Last updated 11 October 2023 + show all updates

  1. Temporary banner on products covered by the UKCA marking made permanent and incorporated as part of official guidance, hyperlinks added to product areas covered by the UKCA marking and UKCA labelling easement.

  2. Webinars section removed.

  3. Links added for how to use the CE marking and unfettered access. Table updated to include placing goods on European market. Section removed on when the UKCA marking comes into use. Guidance on ‘accompanying documents’ has been updated to explain manufacturer's responsibilities.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. Guidance restructured for clarity.

  7. 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.

  8. 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.

  9. 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.

  10. Added additional instructions regarding the height of the UKCA marking.

  11. First published.

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