# Declaration of Conformity Explained: What It Is and What Happens If It's Wrong

The Declaration of Conformity is the document that gives your CE mark legal standing. It's not a certificate — no regulator issues it. You write it, you sign it, and you take legal responsibility for its accuracy. A DoC with the wrong directives, missing standards, or an incorrect signatory is not a technicality — it renders your CE mark legally invalid and exposes you to market surveillance enforcement.


## Transcript

### You write it. You sign it. You own the consequences.

The Declaration of Conformity isn't a certificate a lab hands you — it's a legal declaration your company writes, signs, and owns. It states which EU laws apply and that you meet them. Get the wrong directive or signatory, and your CE mark is void.

### What a valid DoC must contain

Annex III of Decision 768/2008/EC sets the content: your name and address, a product description, every applicable directive by number and title, each harmonised standard with its edition year, any Notified Body reference, and the signatory's name and signature.

### The most common DoC mistakes to avoid

Review your DoC whenever you update the product, add a market, or a standard is revised. The three most common mistakes: missing the EMC Directive on non-radio products, a standard without its edition year, and an unauthorised signatory. Fix these before regulators ask.

Tags: Declaration of Conformity, DoC, CE marking, compliance documentation, market surveillance