[Home](/)/[Resources](/resources)/ISED Canada Certification CanadaISEDwireless compliance # ISED Canada Certification: Wireless Approval for the Canadian Market Canada is the United States' largest trading partner in electronics — and yet its wireless certification requirement is consistently overlooked by hardware companies that assume FCC approval extends across the border. It does not. Here is what ISED Canada certification involves, how to run it efficiently alongside FCC, and what labelling you need on products sold in both markets. Copy Link[Share on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/?text=https%3A%2F%2Fkrono-labs.com%2Fguides%2Fised-canada-certification) [Map my North America compliance](/platform/new) Regulatory background ## ISED Canada: who they are and what they regulate Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada — ISED — is the federal department responsible for spectrum management, radio policy, and equipment standards in Canada. Their predecessor organization was Industry Canada, which is why certification numbers are still referred to as IC IDs and why you will encounter the abbreviation “IC” in regulatory documents, product labelling, and test reports. Under the _Radiocommunication Act_ and the _Radio Equipment Regulations_, any device that emits radio waves — including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Zigbee, LoRa, cellular, and NFC — must be certified before it can be imported, distributed, or used in Canada. The requirement applies to the complete device, not just the radio module inside it. A certified module inside an uncertified host product does not satisfy Canadian requirements for the host. Canada and the United States have a long-standing Mutual Recognition Agreement for telecommunications equipment. Under this agreement, a Canadian Certification Body (CCB) can accept test data generated by an FCC-recognized Telecommunications Certification Body or accredited laboratory and use it as the primary evidence for ISED certification — without requiring the device to be retested in Canada. This makes running FCC and ISED certification as a combined campaign the most cost-effective approach for most hardware companies. Certification process ## How ISED certification works step by step 01 ### Identify applicable RSS standards Determine which Radio Standards Specifications apply to your product. RSS-Gen applies to all radio equipment. RSS-210 covers licence-exempt radio apparatus (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi at 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, Zigbee). RSS-247 covers digital transmission systems and frequency hopping systems. RSS-102 covers RF exposure. Where equivalent FCC rules exist, technical requirements are usually harmonized, so FCC test data is directly applicable. 02 ### Confirm your FCC test reports are acceptable Ask your Canadian Certification Body to confirm that your FCC test reports — including the test setup details, measurement data, and accreditation scope — are sufficient to support the Canadian application. In most cases for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and 2.4 GHz ISM band devices, FCC reports are accepted without additional testing. Edge cases include products with Canadian-specific frequency restrictions or RF exposure limits that differ from US rules. 03 ### Submit to a Canadian Certification Body ISED certifies equipment through accredited CCBs rather than directly. Submit your application — including FCC test reports, device description, block diagram, labelling samples, and user documentation — to a CCB accredited by ISED. The CCB reviews the submission and, if satisfied, issues the certification and registers the IC ID in the ISED certification database. 04 ### Apply the IC ID to the product The IC ID must appear on the physical product alongside the FCC ID if the product is being sold in both markets. IC IDs take the format: CERTIFICATION-NUMBER/CERTIFICATION-ID. The labelling statement must reference both the FCC and ISED requirements. For small devices using electronic labelling, the physical device must direct users to the location of the electronic label. 05 ### Include Canadian statements in user documentation User documentation must include both English and French versions of the required ISED compliance statements, since Canada has two official languages. The bilingual requirement applies to all product documentation and packaging for products sold in the Canadian market. Labelling ## Canada-specific labelling requirements 01 IC ID must appear on the device in format: IC: NNNN-XXXXX (where NNNN is the certification number and XXXXX is the certification ID) 02 ISED compliance statement required in both English and French in user documentation 03 For devices subject to RF exposure limits, SAR compliance statement required in bilingual format 04 Products with 5 GHz Wi-Fi must include a notice that devices are restricted to indoor use in the 5150–5250 MHz band 05 Electronic labelling is permitted where physical labelling is impractical, with a direction to the electronic label location on the outer packaging 06 Both FCC ID and IC ID must appear on the device if marketed in both the US and Canada — placement requirements are the same for both identifiers ## Learn this properly, not just for one product In-depth courses and books that teach the process — not a one-off answer you'll need to look up again next time. [Start the course — $149](/courses/47-canada-ised-ic-certification-radio-equipment)See your free roadmap [Prefer to read? Get the book — $24.99](/books/47-canada-ised-ic-certification-radio-equipment) ## Frequently asked questions ### Does FCC certification cover Canada? No. FCC certification is a US-only authorization. To legally import, sell, or operate a radio device in Canada you need separate ISED (formerly Industry Canada) certification. Under the Canada-US Mutual Recognition Agreement, the same test reports used for FCC certification can often be submitted to a Canadian Certification Body (CCB) to obtain ISED certification, but a separate application and IC ID are always required. ### What is the difference between an FCC ID and an IC ID? An FCC ID uses the format GRANTEE-CODE followed by a hyphen and a PRODUCT-CODE (e.g., XYZAB-MODEL1). An IC ID uses the format CERTIFICATION-NUMBER followed by a forward slash and a CERTIFICATION-ID (e.g., 1234A-MODEL1). Both must appear on the device if it is being sold in both markets. They are separate identifiers assigned by separate bodies. ### What are RSS standards and how do they relate to CE/FCC standards? RSS (Radio Standards Specifications) are Canada's equivalent of FCC Part 15 rules or ETSI standards. RSS-Gen covers general requirements, RSS-102 covers RF exposure (equivalent to FCC OET 65), RSS-210 covers licence-exempt radio apparatus. Most RSS technical limits are harmonized with FCC limits so the same test data often supports both authorizations, but the Canadian Certification Body must formally confirm applicability on a case-by-case basis. ### How long does ISED Canada certification take? When submitting existing FCC test reports to a Canadian Certification Body with a complete application, ISED certification typically takes 2–4 weeks from submission. A new test campaign to RSS standards (if FCC reports are not accepted) adds the lab lead time — typically 4–8 weeks at a lab accredited for Canadian certification — plus 2–4 weeks of CCB review. 🇨🇦 Canada roadmap for your product Every standard, document, and test that applies — free, no account required. See your free roadmap[ Want an expert to take your product through 🇨🇦 Canada compliance for you? One consultant from Krono's compliance team takes your product from requirements to legal sale, with a fixed quote before any work starts. See compliance services](/services) Learn this properly In-depth course that teaches the full process, not just this one answer. [Start the course — $149](/courses/47-canada-ised-ic-certification-radio-equipment)[Prefer to read? Get the book — $24.99](/books/47-canada-ised-ic-certification-radio-equipment) Related guides * [FCC Part 15 Class A vs Class BFCC Part 15 Class A vs Class B explained: how to classify your digital device, emission limits, residential vs commercial use, …](/guides/fcc-part-15-class-a-vs-b) * [FCC SDoC Supplier's DeclarationFCC SDoC explained: which devices qualify, required content, responsible party obligations, record-keeping, and when Certificat…](/guides/fcc-sdoc-supplier-declaration) * [FCC TCB Certification ProcessFCC Certification through an accredited Telecommunications Certification Body (TCB) is mandatory for all intentional radiators.](/guides/fcc-tcb-process) * [ETSI Standards for Wireless ProductsETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) publishes the radio standards used for CE marking under the Radio Equipm…](/guides/etsi-standards-wireless) Educational resource only. RSS standards and ISED requirements are subject to revision. Verify current applicable standards with a Canadian Certification Body before submitting.