Checklist
Kickstarter and crowdfunded hardware: a compliance checklist
Backers ship worldwide from day one. Here is how to plan compliance before you promise a delivery date.
- 01
Decide your category and your first-shipment markets
Crowdfunded hardware often ships to backers in the EU, UK and US in the same wave. Pick your product category and see the full requirements for each market you plan to fulfil to before you set a delivery date.
- 02
Budget certification lead time before you commit to a ship date
Connected and wireless products can require notified-body or Telecommunication Certification Body involvement rather than pure self-assessment, and that process takes real calendar time to complete, not just testing time.
- 03
Plan for radio and connected-product security rules if your product connects
A wireless link brings in radio equipment rules, and internet connectivity increasingly brings in its own security obligations, on top of whatever base regulations your product category already carries.
- 04
Prepare your Declaration of Conformity before the first unit ships, not after
The Declaration of Conformity should be signed and ready before you ship the first backer reward, since it is the record that the product you shipped actually matches what you tested. Our free generator can produce a first draft once your requirements list is settled.
- 05
Check every market you plan to fulfil to, not just your home country
The EU, UK and US each run separate marking and paperwork regimes with their own conformity routes. Confirm requirements for each market on your fulfilment list rather than assuming one market's compliance work covers the others.
Get the exact list for your product
Run the checker with your product's real attributes and markets.