How to check a PSTI Statement of Compliance
Match the statement to the product type and batch, check the manufacturer’s declarations, support period and signature details, then inspect how the document reaches the buyer with the goods. Keep the signed version alongside your shipment records. Cambridge China Bridge can coordinate these checks with its staff in China.
Match the statement to the goods
Start with our PSTI scope guide to decide whether the product needs a statement. For document checking, put the statement beside the purchase specification, product label and packing records. Confirm the required product-identification fields with the relevant authority; ask the supplier to explain how the statement’s identifiers map to the goods you will receive. For school purchases, see our smart camera import checks.
As a practical check, record the sales model, factory model, brand, hardware revision, installed firmware and associated app. Ask for a written mapping where names differ. These are useful traceability details, rather than additional mandatory statement fields. Put the agreed configuration into your product specification.
Read the contents, not just the heading
Use the checklist below against the actual signed document. A heading saying “compliant” does not supply missing declarations. Read the declared compliance route carefully: where the deemed-compliance route relies on a specified standard, its identification number, version and issue date must be included where applicable.
| Required content | Buyer’s check |
|---|---|
| Product type and batch | Match them to labels and shipment records. |
| Name and address of each manufacturer and, where applicable, each authorised representative | Resolve missing entities or unexplained differences in company names. |
| Declaration that the statement is prepared by or on behalf of the manufacturer | Check whose declaration you are receiving. |
| Manufacturer’s declaration of compliance with applicable security requirements or deemed-compliance conditions | Identify the route actually declared. |
| Defined support period correct when the manufacturer first supplied the product | Ask the manufacturer to confirm which published support commitment applies. |
| Signature, signatory’s name and function | Check that the signature and named person are present. |
| Place and date of issue | Check that both are completed. |
| Standard identification number, version and issue date, where applicable | Check these where the declared deemed-compliance route refers to a specified standard. |
Check the signatory and support commitment
Confirm with the relevant authority which signatory and issue details the statement must contain. Ask the manufacturer to confirm that the person signed on its behalf. Treat a trading company’s stamp, an unsigned template or a salesperson’s email as a reason to request the completed manufacturer statement.
Compare the statement’s support period with the manufacturer’s published security-update information. Ask about any mismatch and retain the explanation. Keep security support separate from the commercial warranty: ask who provides updates for the shipped firmware and app, and what happens if those suppliers change.
Check how the statement accompanies the product
Official guidance says the document could be digital because the Act does not specify a physical document. The statement must still accompany the product. Each business must determine how its method meets that obligation for its own products; do not treat a file emailed only to your purchasing team as sufficient evidence of the delivery method.
For a paper method, inspect the statement in the finished retail pack. For a digital method, ask the supplier to demonstrate the buyer’s access route from the supplied packaging or instructions. Test it without a staff account, check that it opens the statement for the correct product and batch, and save photographs and the document reached. These are practical checks, not an officially prescribed format.
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Make the check part of shipment release
Ask for the signed statement and agreed accompaniment method before shipment release. Compare the packed goods with the approved document, record discrepancies and request corrections before accepting the paperwork. Keep the statement, product mapping, packaging photographs and supplier correspondence together; confirm the importer’s document-retention obligations with the relevant authority.
A statement does not replace checks on the product’s actual security behaviour or its other compliance documents. Use our CE and UKCA guide for the distinction between markings, declarations and test reports. Cambridge China Bridge’s staff in China can compare the factory’s documents with the goods and packing presented for inspection. For electrical equipment's restricted-substance documents, consult our RoHS compliance guide.
Frequently asked questions
Can a PSTI Statement of Compliance be digital?
Yes. Official guidance allows a digital document, but it must still accompany the product. Check the buyer’s access route and that it leads to the correct statement.
Can I use a statement for a similar model?
Ask the manufacturer to show how the statement’s product type and batch cover your goods. Resolve differences in model names, firmware or branding before accepting it.
Who signs a PSTI Statement of Compliance?
Confirm with the relevant authority who must prepare the statement and which signature and signatory details it must include. Ask the manufacturer to confirm the person signed on its behalf.
Does a CE declaration replace the PSTI statement?
Do not accept a CE declaration as a substitute merely because it says the product complies. Check that the document contains the required PSTI information and accompanies the goods.