What do you need to know about the Certificate of Compliance (CoC)?

What is a Manufacturing Certificate of Compliance?

Certificate of Compliance is created when the manufacturing process has been completed and the products are ready to be shipped. A Certificate of Compliance in manufacturing is also known as CoC, and occasionally called a letter of compliance in some industries.

What you need to know about the Certificate of Compliance (CoC) boils down to how regulated is your sector. The content of Certificate of Compliance depends on regulatory standards and contractual agreements between you and your customers.

A product certificate of compliance states that the product has been repaired or maintained according to the design and technical requirements.

CoC states that the parts used or the product repaired at a manufacturing facility is in compliance with all customers’ requirements as stated in the purchase order or technical drawings, etc. The Certificate of Conformance is explained in detail in a separate article.

Note: A Certificate of Compliance and a Certificate of conformity are not the same thing. If you are interested to learn more about their difference and definition check this article on ​Conformance VS. Compliance.

certificate of compliance example in manufacturing

What is a Certificate of Conformity?

Certificate of Conformity is a license or a letter issued to you by an external authority indicating your compliance to a regulation or a standard. An industrial example is the ISO certification, which certifies your operation is in compliance with a specific regulation or standard number. A general example is your driving license. Which certifies you are in compliance with ministry of transportation regulations.

You are a holder of a Certificate of Compliance and you show it to others as proof of what you are. You do not give or issue your Certificate of Compliance to others. For example, you show your driving license to your employer or to rent a car, you do not give your driver license to them. They may make a copy for their record or as an evidence, but you do not issue them a CoC, you show them your CoC.

How to get a Certificate of Compliance?

By having a certificate you advertise and operate for the subject license. In the industrial example, when you certified for Aerospace industry by ISO, customers let you to offer your services. In the generic example, a driver license lets you to drive a car or get a job as a driver. Hence, employer trusts your driving skill as you hold a driver license and will not ask you to perform a driving test.

  • So, what credential or license are you trying to get?
  • Do you intend to show the world out there that you are ISO certified?
  • Do you want to show you are a certified electrician?
  • Do you want to enter the aerospace market?

So, you need to contact the respective authority to test and verify your compliance with the regulation. Upon their satisfaction, they will issue you a Certificate of Compliance. It will indicate your name and the regulation name or number which you are complying. For example, a driver license with your name and the type of license. A CoC may be called or titled differently in different industries, but the concept is the same.

Of course, like anything else a CoC comes with a price tag and terms and conditions. For example, a driver license has an initial cost and process to get it and five years renewal term.

Simplifying Quality Inspection.

Measure, monitor, and manage quality data throughout the production cycle or repair and overhaul process. We offer production workforce management and document management solutions.