UKCA Deadline – What do Businesses need to know?

by | Dec 10, 2022 | Authorised Representative, UKCA

UKCA Deadline – What do Businesses need to know?

Updated on 21/08/2023

On Tuesday 1st August 2023, the UK Government announced that they intend to continue the recognition and use of the CE mark indefinitely. This latest update ensures that the CE mark is still a valid form of certification for Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Read more about the legislation updates here.

Since the UK government announced that it would be bringing in a new UKCA conformity mark, there has been a flurry of activity by businesses to prepare for the deadline, but this was proving to be a massive hill to climb.

Due to the size of the task at hand, an extension has been granted as of November 2022 in order to give companies more time to understand the new legislation and put it into practice on their products.

There are inevitably a lot of questions surrounding the UKCA regime and how it will work, so in this blog we have taken a look at what the mark is, how long you have left to become UKCA compliant and what requirements you need to meet in order to display it on your product.

What is the UKCA mark?

The UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) mark was brought in as a result of the United Kingdom deciding to leave the European Union. It is intended to replace the CE mark, that we are probably all familiar with, as part of the UK’s own new product regulatory framework. Whilst it will follow very similar lines to the CE mark, the UK government will have the ability to change the products that it covers or the specifications that need to be met as they see fit.

The mark itself shows that the manufacturer has checked that the product meets the relevant UK safety, health, or environmental requirements. It is an indicator of the compliance of the product with UK law and so should be used with great care.

Only the manufacturer is entitled to place the UKCA marking onto a product, and when done, takes prime responsibility for conformity. The technical documentation relating to the UKCA marking for a product must be carefully recorded and kept for a minimum of 10 years after the product has been sold. This is to allow for any inspections that may be necessary.

The documents themselves will need to show how the product is manufactured and demonstrate that it conforms with the relevant legislation. A UK Declaration of Conformity will also need to be put together and signed.

When is the deadline for the UKCA mark?

The original deadline set by the UK government was 31st December 2021. This was the date that all businesses placing items for sale on the UK market would need to have UKCA compliance.

However, this deadline has now been changed, giving businesses until 31st December 2024. Businesses can continue to use the CE mark until the deadline.

As of Tuesday 1st August 2023, the UK Government announced they will continue to recognise the CE mark indefinitely. This update means that the CE mark will be accepted in the UK past the original deadline of 31st December 2024. The UKCA mark is now optional and not mandatory for manufacturers.

Why was the deadline pushed back?

The main reason that the deadline was pushed back was in order to give businesses more time to prepare for such a substantial change. The combination of Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic and the current political climate has meant that many businesses have faced economic challenges over the last few years where they have needed to concentrate their energies on growth. By allowing extra time for the UKCA deadline, those businesses can ensure greater levels of compliance.

As businesses need time to understand the new regulations as well as implementing them, it was felt that the deadline extension was a necessary form of support.

Is the CE mark still valid?

The CE mark has been widely used by many businesses across Europe for a long time, and so the government was careful to make sure that it was not simply made obsolete overnight. Originally, the CE mark would of been valid until 31st December 2024, however this was reversed and the CE mark is now accepted indefinitely within the UK.

CE marking will be required for any products traded on the single market in the European Economic Area. Any product that conforms to the EU directives and regulations can carry the CE mark and be legally placed for sale on the EU market.

What are the requirements for UKCA?

There are a wide range of products which will require the UKCA mark, although in the most part it will apply to the same products as the CE mark. As previously mentioned, the UKCA mark has not replaced the CE mark and both are accepted within the UK.

The list includes:

There will be special rules in place for medical devices, rail interoperability, construction products, civil explosives, marine equipment, cableways, energy using products, transportable pressure equipment and hazardous substances (RoHS).

The government has promised that it will enable the UKCA mark to be placed on a label which is affixed to the product or on a document accompanying it until 31st December 2027. This means that during that time, the mark does not necessarily need to be placed on the product if it is not viable to do so. This is particularly useful for those already carrying large amounts of stock which do not currently include the UKCA mark and has eased concerns over expensive redesign. In most cases, the mark will need to appear on the item itself or the packaging and should be clearly visible and legible, and it must be at least 5mm high.

Contact our team

If you have any questions about our service, don’t hesitate to get in touch. Our experts are on hand to guide you through the process, so have a chat with them about your needs.