Certification certificate, now with a “national unified identification number.”

New regulations for nationally promoted voluntary certification have taken effect, bringing four key changes and a corporate self‑inspection checklist.

In late September, the State Administration for Market Regulation issued the “Administrative Measures for the Nationally Unified Implementation of the Voluntary Certification System (Trial).” Unified numbering, dynamic adjustment, and end-to-end management — For the first time, China’s voluntary certification system has a unified institutional framework.

According to data from the State Administration for Market Regulation, China’s current national‑mandated voluntary certification system comprises a total of… 37 Item, issuance of valid certificates approximately 241.6 Ten thousand certificates, accounting for nearly the national total of quality certification certificates. 56% It has achieved significant results in areas such as green and low-carbon development, equipment manufacturing, and public services.

The following four changes should be understood by both enterprises and certification bodies.

One system, one number.

The Measures are issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation. Announcement No. 33 of 2026 It has been promulgated, comprising 20 provisions, and shall take effect from the date of its publication. From project initiation and numbering to personnel, assessment, and revocation, a unified set of rules now governs the entire process of nationally promoted voluntary certification.

First, let’s clarify one boundary: “Voluntary certification” is not the same as “nationally promoted voluntary certification.” According to the definition in Article 2, the basic standards and rules governing the nationally promoted certification system are uniformly formulated, promulgated, and supervised by the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), either independently or jointly with relevant departments of the State Council. Accordingly, any rules that certification bodies file on their own without being uniformly issued by the state do not fall under this system. There is no inherent superiority or inferiority between the two; however, the “value” of the nationally promoted system is… The department’s adoption policy provides a safety net. 。

Article 9 provides the most straightforward benchmark— Unified Numbering : The code for the national voluntary certification system is CNCA-NVC , the classification code for management system certification is M , the product certification classification code is P , the service certification classification code is S 。

CNCA-NVC - Serial Number - M / P / S: Year Number

System Code | Publication Sequence Number | Classification Code (M: Management System / P: Product / S: Service) | Year of Publication

By referencing this set of institutional codes, it is readily verifiable whether a certification program falls under the national promotion system.

Four changes

Numbering is standardized. The national promotion system adopts a unified numbering scheme. As a result, the current voluntary certification schemes, which are numerous and prone to confusion, now feature traceable identifiers. (Article 9)

Similar rules are being streamlined, and a transition period is established for existing certificates. From the date of publication of the certification rules for the nationally‑promoted voluntary certification system, organizations shall not file any certification rules that bear the same name or are otherwise likely to cause public confusion, nor shall they develop certification marks that are identical or similar to those under the national promotion system. Effective from the date of implementation of these certification rules, previously filed similar rules shall be returned, new applications shall no longer be accepted, and existing certificates may continue to be used until… Next surveillance audit .(Article 17)

Personnel must hold valid registration qualifications to be employed. Certification personnel registration bodies conduct certification audits and register inspectors in accordance with the competency requirements stipulated in the relevant regulations. Personnel who have not obtained registration qualifications shall not engage in… Certification audits, certification inspections, and other related activities in the relevant field. (Article 13)

The system does not adopt a “lifelong tenure” policy. The General Administration (CNCA) conducts regular assessments of the implementation effectiveness of the system, typically on a periodic basis. No more than 5 years , to be promptly refined or repealed as appropriate based on the assessment; where new technologies, new industries, new business forms, or new models are involved and no widely recognized standards or mature certification practices yet exist, pilot verification activities should be organized in advance, with a typical duration of… No more than 3 years , upon passing the evaluation, it shall be officially promulgated and implemented; if it fails to pass, it shall be promptly terminated. (Articles 11, 15, and 16)

Three criteria for judgment

To assess the credibility of a certificate, check three things.

Check the number. Verify whether the certification rules on which this certificate is based fall under the national promotion system—refer to the official directory of systems and the CNCA‑NVC numbers, which can be cross-checked against publicly available information from the State Administration for Market Regulation and the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People’s Republic of China.

See the acceptance. Article 6 stipulates that project proposals shall include “proposed policies for adoption and implementation”; Article 14 requires the relevant departments to formulate… Acceptance of certification results and supporting policies, while encouraging relevant departments of people’s governments at the provincial level and below to introduce complementary incentives tailored to regional industrial characteristics. For systems genuinely promoted by the state, the adoption policy should be clearly specified at the project‑approval stage—this can be verified by checking whether corresponding departmental or local adoption documents already exist.

Check the node. Certificates issued under similar regulations may be used until Next surveillance audit — This is the critical milestone for determining the certificate’s validity period.

Check the certification number, verify the accreditation, and assess the key milestones—these are more reliable than marketing slogans.

Regulation does not stop at the “licensing” stage.

At the same time, several other measures echoed the provisions of the Measures: on September 24, the General Rules for the Examination and Approval of Certification Body Qualifications were promulgated and came into effect (Announcement No. 32 of 2026 issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation), establishing requirements for institutions that have already obtained qualifications… 6-month transition period ; On September 30, the “Announcement on Strengthening the Submission of Certification Information and the Management of Certification Certificate Information Inquiry” (General Administration for Market Regulation Announcement No. 28 of 2026) came into effect; prior to this, the CNCA’s Announcement No. 20 of 2026 was revoked. 2 companies Certificate of Approval for the Certification Body.

From institutional qualifications and regulatory filings to certificate information, The regulatory chain is tightening across the board. 。

The institution’s expertise stands up to scrutiny,
Only certificates held by the enterprise can stand up to scrutiny.

Four Things Businesses Can Do First

Number verification. Existing certificates are categorized under “Nationally Recommended / Institution‑Self‑Registered,” and the certificate numbers along with the month of the next surveillance audit are recorded.

Acceptance of the search. Assess whether the relevant system has already been adopted by any department or local authority, and determine the certificate’s validity in tendering and supply-chain access.

Ledger establishment. Establish a certificate ledger to track expiration dates, oversee audit milestones, and manage transitional arrangements for the cleanup of similar regulations.

Transition and connection. For certification bodies, the General Rules for the Review of Certification Body Qualification Licenses provide a six-month transition period for qualification compliance; for enterprises, certificates issued under similar provisions may remain valid until the next surveillance audit. Accordingly, institutional documents should be updated and certificate validity maintained to prevent any gaps in the transition process.

Beijing United Intelligence Industry Certification Co., Ltd. (UICC) It is a third-party certification body approved by the CNCA, with business covering management system certification, product certification, and service certification, and accredited by CNAS and… UKAS Dual accreditation, holding multiple MIIT‑related qualifications in the fields of green and low‑carbon technologies and intelligent manufacturing.

The new regulations for nationally promoted voluntary certification have taken effect, clarifying the system’s identity and boundaries. We recommend that companies promptly implement the following four key tasks: verifying certification numbers, conducting credible searches, establishing robust record‑keeping systems, and ensuring a smooth transition. If you have any questions, please feel free to send us a private message or leave a comment.