Compliant Always
Get in touch

Selling electrical and electronic products in Canada

In Canada, radio equipment and digital apparatus are regulated by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) under the Radiocommunication Act: radio apparatus needs certification, a listing and an IC label, and digital apparatus meets ICES-003. Prescribed energy-using products carry a verification mark, and consumer products fall under the CCPSA.

Updated · Each section links to the official source it comes from

Radio equipment
ISED certification, listed in the Radio Equipment List
Radio label
"IC:" followed by the ISED certification number, plus the HVIN
Digital apparatus
ICES-003, with a CAN ICES-003 / NMB-003 compliance label
Energy-using products
A verification mark under the Energy Efficiency Regulations, 2016
User manual notices
In English and French
Product safety
Canada Consumer Product Safety Act, Health Canada

Before a product goes on sale

The questions to answer, in the order they usually come up.

  1. 1Does it transmit radio, and is it Category I or Category II equipment? Read more
  2. 2Is it certified and listed, and does each unit carry the IC label? Read more
  3. 3Does its digital circuitry meet ICES-003, with the compliance label? Read more
  4. 4Is it a prescribed energy-using product needing a verification mark and a report? Read more
  5. 5Is it a radiation emitting device, such as a microwave oven or laser product? Read more
  6. 6Are records kept and incidents reported under the CCPSA? Read more

The rules, by area

What each area covers, the texts that set it, and what the official pages say.

Radio equipment certification and labelling

Certifying, listing and labelling radio apparatus under the Radiocommunication Act and RSS-Gen.

  • No person shall manufacture, import, distribute, lease, offer for sale or sell radio apparatus that needs a technical acceptance certificate otherwise than in accordance with it, or equipment that does not comply with the applicable technical standards (subsections 4(2) and 4(3), Radiocommunication Act).
  • Category I equipment is certified by ISED's Certification and Engineering Bureau or a recognised certification body, under RSP-100, and listed in the Radio Equipment List (REL). Category II equipment is exempt from certification but must still comply.
  • Each unit carries a permanent or electronic label with "IC:" and the certification number (company number and unique product number) and the HVIN, matching the REL listing.
  • Very small devices of 2.5 cm or less may put the label in the user manual and on the packaging; QR code labels are allowed under conditions.
  • User manual notices required by the RSSs are given in English and French, and the manual stays available free of charge while the equipment is sold in Canada.

How we help: Compliant Always reads the certificate, REL listing and label for each model against each other, and flags a model number or IC number that does not match. Ask about this

Interference-causing equipment

Emissions limits for information technology equipment and digital apparatus.

  • ICES-003 sets limits and methods of measurement for radio frequency emissions, and administrative requirements, for information technology equipment, including digital apparatus.
  • An external power supply marketed with the equipment is tested together with it.
  • Each unit, or the user manual where allowed, carries a compliance label such as "CAN ICES-003(*) / NMB-003(*)", under ICES-Gen.
  • The test report states the measurement procedure used, CAN/CSA-CISPR 32:17 or ANSI C63.4.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the ICES-003 test report and label artwork with each model, so a retailer's question is answered from the record. Ask about this

Energy efficiency

Verification marks and reporting for prescribed energy-using products.

  • A prescribed energy-using product shipped between provinces or imported for sale or lease is labelled with a verification mark from a certification body accredited by the Standards Council of Canada, or from a province with an equivalent or stricter standard (section 4).
  • The mark is readily visible on the product, or for some products on the package.
  • The dealer who ships or imports the product provides prescribed information to the Minister, including its name, brand, model number and manufacturer (section 5).
  • Prescribed products include appliances such as clothes washers and dryers, each with efficiency standards by manufacturing period.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the verification mark certificate and the information filed for each model, and shows which models are missing them. Ask about this

Product safety and radiation emitting devices

The CCPSA duties, and the devices with their own radiation rules.

  • No manufacturer or importer may manufacture, import, advertise or sell a consumer product that is a danger to human health or safety (section 7, CCPSA).
  • Manufacturers, importers and sellers give Health Canada information on an incident within two days of becoming aware of it, and keep supplier and customer records for six years.
  • The Radiation Emitting Devices Regulations prescribe classes of devices, including television receivers, microwave ovens, laser products and tanning equipment, with their own requirements.
  • Prepackaged consumer products also show the identity, metric net quantity and dealer details under the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the safety test reports for each model and the supplier and customer records for each lot, ready for an incident report. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
ManufacturerCertification, the IC label, ICES-003 compliance and product safety.Certificates, test reports and label artwork kept with each model.
ImporterBringing in only certified, compliant equipment, the energy report and CCPSA duties.Suppliers' certificates read against the REL before goods arrive.
Retailer or online sellerOffering for sale only compliant equipment, records and incident reporting.Model documents ready when a marketplace or Health Canada asks.

Provinces and territories

The federal Acts and regulations in these guides apply across Canada. Provincial regulations may add labelling requirements for products sold within a province, and Quebec has additional requirements on the use of French on products marketed there.

Alcohol is largely provincial: provincial and territorial liquor boards set their own requirements, and liquor imported into a province is consigned to the provincial body authorised to sell it.

Questions businesses ask

Who certifies radio equipment for sale in Canada?
Category I radio apparatus is certified by ISED's Certification and Engineering Bureau or by a certification body recognised by ISED, and is then listed in ISED's Radio Equipment List.
What is an IC number?
The ISED certification number shown after "IC:" on a radio apparatus label. It combines the company number assigned by ISED and the unique product number chosen by the applicant, for example "IC: 20001-WILAN3".
Can the IC label be electronic?
Yes. The label can be permanently affixed or displayed electronically under Annex B of RSS-Gen. A QR code label is allowed if it contains the label itself, is on the product and the manual refers to it.
Do Bluetooth or Wi-Fi devices need ISED certification?
Radio apparatus that requires a technical acceptance certificate may only be manufactured, imported or sold in accordance with it. Category I equipment is certified and listed; Category II equipment is exempt from certification but must comply with the applicable standards.
What is ICES-003?
ISED's Interference-Causing Equipment Standard for information technology equipment, including digital apparatus. It sets emission limits, test methods and administrative requirements, including a compliance label such as "CAN ICES-003(*) / NMB-003(*)".
Do radio equipment manuals have to be in French?
Yes. RSS-Gen requires the notices and information to the user specified in the applicable RSSs to be in both English and French in the user manual.
Which products need an energy efficiency verification mark?
Energy-using products prescribed in the Energy Efficiency Regulations, 2016, when shipped between provinces or imported for sale or lease. The mark comes from an SCC-accredited certification body or an eligible province.
Are microwave ovens and lasers regulated separately?
Yes. Microwave ovens, laser products, television receivers and tanning equipment are prescribed classes under the Radiation Emitting Devices Regulations, with their own requirements.
Do electronics sellers report incidents in Canada?
Yes. Under section 14 of the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act, manufacturers, importers and sellers give Health Canada information on an incident within two days of becoming aware of it.
How does Compliant Always help with selling in Canada?
Our team reads the rules for the markets you sell in, including Canada's federal rules and the bilingual labelling they share. Compliant Always shows which apply to your product, keeps the documents behind each one ready, and watches the sources for changes. It shows what the requirements say and what your documents show; you decide.

Sources

Compliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.

Tell us what you make, and we will show you the rules for it.

Name the product and the markets you sell in. We will come back to you with what applies in Canada and what your paperwork needs to show.

Get in touch

No card, no account, and no call to book. Tell us what you make and where you sell it, and we will come back to you.

Get in touch