ETL Recognized Component Certification

Safety-approved recognized components drive more confident product design and faster time-to-market

Every reliable electrical product begins with trusted parts. Intertek’s ETL Recognized Component certification helps manufacturers verify the safety and suitability of the electrical components and subassemblies used inside their end products, from power supplies and wiring to PCBs, plastics, and insulation systems.

Unlike certification for finished products, Recognized Component certification focuses on the building blocks that make equipment safe, functional, and compliant. These components are tested and evaluated to ensure they perform correctly within specified conditions (known as “conditions of acceptability”) and can be safely integrated into larger systems. These conditions of acceptability make clear how a component is to be used within an end product. If a component is deemed to be in-use outside the conditions of acceptability, a new evaluation may be required to determine the component’s safety.

For both component manufacturers and end-product manufacturers, ETL Recognized Component certification means greater choice, flexibility, and faster time to market to the United States and Canada. For manufacturers looking for European market access, Intertek's S Mark offers similar component certification in Europe.

What Are Recognized Components?

A Recognized Component is a part or sub-assembly tested for safety and performance before it is built into a final product. These components are not standalone consumer products or “end-products”. Instead, they are designed to be used by OEMs and product developers as part of a certified system.

Typical Recognized Components include:

• AC/DC and DC/DC power supplies, plugs, receptables and chargers
• Transformers, motors, switches, and relays
• Printed circuit boards and electrical modules
• Connectors, wire, cable, and harness systems
• Enclosures, plastics, adhesives, and insulation systems
• Battery components and charging assemblies

By starting with certified electrical components, engineering teams streamline compliance and ensure that each element of their design is pre-vetted for safety.

Why Recognized Components Matter

Recognized components serve a critical role in product development:

• Ensure safety from the inside out: Every internal part of a device is evaluated for safe use in the final application.
• Reduce certification burden later: Using verified components shortens the testing and documentation process for the finished product.
• Accelerate time-to-market: Pre-certified components eliminate unexpected redesigns and delays.
• Strengthen supply-chain credibility: OEMs and buyers prefer suppliers with certified, traceable components.

Whether you're designing industrial controls, medical devices, consumer electronics, or power systems, starting with ETL Recognized Components helps build safer, more competitive products.

Certifying Components Across Every Industry

Intertek certifies components used in:

• Industrial machinery and control systems
• Consumer electronics and appliances
• IT, networking, and telecom equipment
• Medical and laboratory equipment
• EV charging, battery systems, and energy storage
• Smart building and IoT devices

Wherever electrical safety matters, recognized component certification sets the foundation.

Why Intertek

Intertek brings a century of experience in electrical product testing, product certification, and global safety standards across electrical industries. We help manufacturers validate compliance, reduce risk, and launch products quicker and with confidence, all backed by the globally trusted ETL Listed mark and ETL Recognized Component mark.

Build with Confidence

Safer products start with safer components. Whether you are certifying a component or selecting recognized parts for your next design, Intertek’s ETL Recognized Component certification supports a faster, more flexible path to North American compliance.