How to write and sign a declaration of conformity
Confirm whether your product rules require a declaration, complete the applicable GB assessment, and draft it for your exact branded model and responsible business. Have an authorised person sign against the supporting file, then link the signed version to supplied batches. Factory evidence can be gathered by Cambridge China Bridge.
Establish whether a declaration is required
Start with the product’s intended use, users, functions and selling territory. Check the product-specific official guidance for whether a declaration is required and which document it calls for. This guide concerns Great Britain; review Northern Ireland separately. Do not choose a template simply because the factory supplied something similar.
For electrical equipment, confirm with the relevant authority which GB safety rules apply and what technical documentation, assessment and declaration are needed before placing it on the market. If you have equipment made and market it under your name or trade mark, confirm whether this brings manufacturer duties. Use our own-brand responsibility guide to establish your business’s role.
Record the GB conformity route
The applicable product regulations determine the assessment route. Confirm with the relevant authority whether self-assessment is available or an assessment body is needed, and whether CE, UKCA or both are accepted under the GB product regimes applying to your product. Our CE and UKCA guide explains the marking choices. Confirm the position for every regime applying to your product before drafting.
Record the chosen marking, assessment procedure and supporting evidence against each applicable requirement. An optional accelerated UKCA route also exists; check its official guidance if considering it. Agree the declaration heading and legislative references with your compliance reviewer. Changing a factory document’s heading alone does not establish that your chosen route was completed.
Freeze the product and supporting evidence
Create an identity sheet naming your business and address, brand, sales model, factory model, intended use and supplied configuration. Explain any different model codes in a written cross-reference. Include accessories, power supply, materials and relevant software. Link the sheet to the approved product specification, label artwork and sample photographs.
Build an evidence index linking each proposed declaration entry to reports, risk assessments, drawings and component records. Copy standard references, editions and amendments from the assessed evidence, then investigate discrepancies. Ask a competent reviewer whether the evidence covers the finished branded configuration. Keep unsupported entries open rather than signing on the expectation that the factory will provide evidence later.
Draft the wording from the applicable model
Use the official model for the applicable product regime and route. For example, the GB hazardous-substances guidance model includes the words “issued under the sole responsibility of the manufacturer”. That wording identifies who accepts responsibility. Treat this as a product-specific example, and check the complete model applicable to your own product.
Populate the manufacturer and any applicable representative details, traceable product identity, conformity statement, relevant legislation, dated standards or technical specifications, any applicable assessment-body details, and signature fields. Reconcile every entry with your evidence index. Do not leave template prompts or unrelated regulations in the final draft. Use our declaration checking guide for the final document review.
Authorise the person who signs
The signer should be authorised to act for the named manufacturer or its authorised representative. Record their printed name, role, signature, issue date and the business represented. Check the applicable model for the place of issue and signature method. If a representative signs, check the written appointment covers the task and product.
Give the signer the draft, evidence index and resolved review comments together. Keep a record of their authority and approval. A job title or a salesperson’s forwarded document does not establish authority. Cambridge China Bridge’s staff in China can collect factory records and follow up discrepancies; assign approval of your declaration to a named person in your business.
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Control signed versions and production changes
Give each released declaration an internal reference and revision, and retain the signed original with its supporting evidence. Record which specification, artwork and batches it covers. Store drafts separately, identify superseded versions and prevent an old document from being sent with a revised product. These are practical document controls, not a substitute for checking the applicable legal format.
Require the factory to flag component, material, software and artwork changes before production. Review whether the assessment and declaration still cover the changed configuration, then issue a newly approved signed version where needed. Keep earlier versions connected to earlier batches. For electrical equipment, confirm with the relevant authority the applicable retention requirements for the declaration and technical documentation, using our own-brand responsibility guide to help prepare your questions.
Frequently asked questions
Does every own-brand product need a declaration?
Check the product-specific official guidance before drafting. For electrical equipment, confirm with the relevant authority whether the applicable GB safety rules require the manufacturer to draw up a declaration before placing it on the market.
Can I put my company name on the factory’s declaration?
Prepare your own controlled draft against the evidence for your branded configuration. Resolve model differences, identify the responsible manufacturer and have an authorised person approve and sign it.
Who should sign my declaration of conformity?
Confirm with the relevant authority who may sign for the named manufacturer and whether an authorised representative may sign under the applicable rules. Record the signer’s authority, name and role, and check the applicable model’s signature and issue details.
Do I need a new declaration when a component changes?
Review whether the existing assessment and declaration still cover the changed product. Obtain additional evidence and issue a revised signed version where needed; keep the earlier version linked to its batches.