Is UKCA marking still required in 2026?

For most hardware makers selling into Great Britain, the short answer is: you don't need a separate UKCA mark. The UK government has repeatedly delayed mandatory UKCA marking and, since 2024, has confirmed that CE marking is accepted in Great Britain indefinitely across roughly 21 key product regulations — including electrical equipment, radio equipment, EMC, toys and PPE, which cover the large majority of consumer hardware.

What "indefinite recognition" actually means

If your product already carries a valid CE mark under EU rules — Low Voltage, EMC, Radio Equipment Directive, or the other harmonised regulations UKCA mirrors — that CE mark is currently sufficient to place the product on the market in Great Britain. You are not required to also affix UKCA, run a separate UK conformity assessment, or maintain a second technical file solely for the UK. In practice, most hardware startups building for CE compliance get UK market access as a byproduct, with no extra work.

The 2027 transitional detail

There is one legacy transitional rule worth knowing even though it rarely bites: where a UKCA mark is used, legislation currently in force lets it appear on a label or accompanying document (rather than printed directly on the product) until 31 December 2027, and CE-based conformity assessment work done by the end of 2024 can be used as the basis for a UKCA declaration until that same date. Neither of these applies to you if you're simply relying on CE marking under the indefinite-recognition policy — they only matter if you've chosen to pursue UKCA specifically.

Where the exceptions are

Two categories sit outside the general waiver and run their own timelines:

• Construction products — not covered by the general CE-recognition policy; check the specific UK construction products regime separately.
• Medical devices and IVDs — the MHRA runs its own timeline, and it's currently in motion: a consultation open from 16 February to 10 April 2026 proposed extending the current MDD transitional window from 30 June 2028 to 31 December 2028, and — separately — recognising CE-marked devices under the EU MDR and IVDR indefinitely rather than on a fixed deadline. Manufacturers relying on CE marking for medical devices should treat the 2028–2030 range as provisional until the MHRA confirms which proposal it adopts, not as a settled cutoff.

Northern Ireland is different again

The indefinite-recognition policy applies to Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales) only. Northern Ireland operates under the Windsor Framework, where EU product rules continue to apply directly — selling into Northern Ireland means you need a CE mark regardless of this policy, in the same way you would for any other EU market.

The practical takeaway

If you already have your CE marking documentation in order for the EU, you generally don't need to duplicate that work for a separate UKCA mark to sell into Great Britain — check the construction-products and medical-device exceptions specifically, and treat Northern Ireland as its own EU-rules market rather than assuming GB policy covers it.