How to Become an ANAB-Accredited Certification Body

Thank you for your interest in ANAB and accredited certification.

ANAB assesses and accredits certification bodies (CBs) that demonstrate competence to audit and certify organizations conforming to management systems standards. Accreditation by a recognized and respected body such as ANAB ensures the impartiality and competence of the CB and fosters confidence and acceptance of the CB's certifications by end users in the public and private sectors.

If your organization is based outside the United States, ANAB asks that you first look into accreditation by your national accreditation body. The International Accreditation Forum (IAF) multilateral recognition arrangement (MLA) has been signed by accreditation bodies around the world. IAF MLA signatories undergo a peer evaluation to determine that their accreditation systems meet international requirements and are equivalent to those of other signatories.

Requirements for CBs

The first step in becoming an ANAB-accredited certification body is to become familiar with requirements and the accreditation process.

The ANAB fee schedule identifies base and subordinate standard programs. Accreditation (or formal application for accreditation) to a base standard is a prerequisite for accreditation for subordinate standards. There may also be a time requirement. For example, a CB must be accredited for ISO 9001 for at least a year before the CB can be accredited to audit and issue certificates to aerospace standards.

You can view applications in .pdf format to understand specific requirements. When you're ready to apply, the application process must be completed online via ANAB's EQM database; first-time EQM users must register to create an account.

All new applicants must conform with ISO/IEC 17021:2011. You can view the ISO/IEC 17021:2011 Requirement Matrix, which must be completed by applicants, in PDF format for informational purposes.

Accreditation Process

The initial accreditation process is illustrated below:

The accreditation period is typically four years. During that period, there is ongoing surveillance, which includes an annual office assessment and an annual witnessed audit. A complete reassessment is required every four years. Increased surveillance may required if the CB wishes to extend the scope of accreditation (for ISO 9001) to cover additional industry sectors or to participate in certain specialty fields. If a CB becomes accredited for additional standards, the re-accreditation cycle may be aligned for all standards and the accreditation period for the added standard(s) may be less than four years.

Application Process

The ANAB application process has multiple steps:
Step 1 - Base Requirements Information
Step 2 - Access to Purchase ANAB Applications
Step 3 - Access to Download ANAB Applications
Step 4 - Application Submittal (Upload)

Step 1. Base Requirements

To be able to apply for accreditation, a CB must first provide ANAB evidence that it meets base requirements outlined in ISO/IEC 17021 (available from ANSI) and IAF mandatory documents (available from IAF). The CB is required to provide payment via credit card, wire transfer, or check; if making payment by credit card, contact ANAB with credit card information.

After the CB submits information to ANAB, a coordinator reviews the CB's information with ANAB management. If the information is found acceptable, the CB is provided further access in EQM to the application process. If the CB's information is not acceptable, the CB is given additional opportunities to re-submit the information.

ANAB reserves the right to stop the application process at any time if ANAB feels the CB will not be able to meet the base requirements for accreditation.

Step 2. Access to Purchase Applications

After ANAB approves the CB's base information, ANAB notifies the CB via e-mail and gives the CB access to purchase ANAB applications, for which the CB must provide payment via credit card, wire transfer, or check; if making payment by credit card, contact ANAB with credit card information.

Step 3. Access to Applications

After ANAB receives payment for the application, ANAB notifies the CB via e-mail and gives the CB access in EQM to download the specific application purchased.

Step 4. Application Information

The CB will have access in EQM to upload the completed application at any time after completing step 3. The application can be uploaded in stages and saved in EQM until the CB is ready to apply. There are no fees associated with this stage.

Optional Information Visit

It may be beneficial to have an ANAB assessor make an informational visit before submitting an application. During this visit, the assessor can review the criteria and provide answers to questions about the accreditation process and criteria. (The assessor cannot tell a CB how to meet a requirement.) The fee for an information visit is shown on the fee schedule for Evaluation Personnel. Contact ANAB to arrange an informational visit.