FCC sDoC Responsible Party
iCertifi can serve as your FCC sDoC Responsible Party within the United States
Data of Responsible Party
In general, the party would be either the entity in charge of manufacture, assembly or import, or any representative of the United States.
The data on the Responsible Party must consist of the company’s name, the company’s address, the contact details, and the name of the person directly Responsible, along with their signature.
It is important that the location of the FCC sDoC Responsible party is within the United States. Companies based outside the United States must hire a representative, as will be discussed in further detail below.
Statement of Compliance
All manufacturing and importing companies must comply with product standards and regulations and indicate this in a statement of compliance in the Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity (SDoC), as in the following example:
This device is fully compliant with the conditions in the FCC Rules, Part 15, particularly in the following manner:
- This device does not result in damaging interference.
- This device shall accept any received interference, even those that may hinder operation.
Supporting Documents
All manufacturing and importing companies must submit supporting documents such as reports and all pertinent files that will support the statement of compliance.
Is it necessary to undergo product testing prior to the issuance of an SDoC?
Yes, product testing is mandatory in the procedure of SDoC authorization so that companies can demonstrate that they are complying with technical standards.
It is not required for manufacturing and importing companies to have the tests done by a laboratory that has an FCC accreditation but it is required that the laboratory is qualified to conduct the tests as dictated by the requirements in Part 15 of the FCC. Hence, using an accredited testing center might still be advisable.
What are the expenses involved in getting an SDoC?
You will issue your own SDoC, so there will be no costs at all, unless you hire a consultant to draft it for you. It is the testing required for getting an SDoC, that will involve a few expenses.
The total cost is dependent on the kind of tests that you need to get for your product. It can be as low as US$700 for the more basic devices, or as much as thousands of dollars for more complex devices.
Is it possible for a company based outside the US to issue an SDoC?
Only companies based in the US are allowed to issue an SDoC. Companies that are based in other countries must assign a representative in the US, or a telecommunication certification body (TCB) to function as the Responsible Party of your company within the US, such as iCertifi.
Is it possible to obtain an SDoC from a non-US-based manufacturer?
The Responsible Party must have a location in the United States. If you get an SDoC from a manufacturer that is not in the US, the manufacturer must have a Responsible Party that is in the US, such as a US representative or a TCB, and this must be indicated in the SDoC.
If you are getting your SDoC from a manufacturer outside the US, you must confirm with their US representative that they are indeed acting for the manufacturer, that the SDoC has been accurately drafted, and that the tests have yielded valid results.
Are the procedures for the SDoC and the Certification authorization the same?
No, they are not. Companies can issue the SDoC on their own. However, there are much stricter regulations for the certification authorization. The tests for the latter need to be performed by a lab testing center that has an FCC accreditation, and the certificate must be created by a TCB.
In the case of unintentional radiators, the manufacturing or importing company has a choice between the two procedures. But for certain types, like radar detectors, scanning receivers, and access broadband over power lines, only the stricter procedure for certification is acceptable.
Intentional radiators, on the other hand, must all pass through the procedure for certification. These are the devices that produce radio frequency energy through induction or radiation. Some of the more common intentional radiators are smartphones, Bluetooth speakers, wireless headphones, and wireless chargers.
In order to complete the procedure for certification, manufacturing and importing companies must assign a TCB that is recognized by the FCC to do the process. The TCB shall perform the following tasks: evaluating the radio devices for compliance, reviewing the documents, including test reports, technical files and product manuals, and finally issuing the certificate.
Products that include intentional radiators and unintentional radiators do not need a separate certification for the complete device.
For instance, a laptop contains a few intentional radiators like Bluetooth transmitters, as well as many other components that are unintentional radiators like cables, the monitor, and so on. The manufacturing and importing companies need only to have the intentional radiators certified. They can authorize the rest of the components through the simpler SDoC procedure.
Is the SDoC applicable to Part 18 of the FCC?
The SDoC procedure is needed for some equipment mentioned in Part 18 of the FCC, specifically the unintentional Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) components. This portion of the FCC pertains to the authorization requirements and procedures for importing and selling such products in the US.
As in Part 15, all the products covered must undergo either an SDoC or certification procedure if you want to sell them in the US market.