How to Fill Out and Submit FAA Form 8130-9: Statement of Conformity

FAA Form 8130-9, the Statement of Conformity, is a one-page signed declaration that an aircraft, engine, or propeller conforms to its approved type design. You complete it by identifying the product in Sections I through III, selecting the single certification statement in Section IV that matches your filing scenario, listing any deviations from the design data, and signing it as the applicant or an authorized representative. You then present it, along with the product and its supporting records, to an FAA Manufacturing Inspector or a Designated Airworthiness Representative. The current fillable PDF is available from the FAA’s forms library.¹

When You Need to File It

The form instructions list three situations that require a submission:

A type certificate or supplemental type certificate applicant presenting an aircraft or any part of it to the FAA for tests.
A type certificate or supplemental type certificate applicant presenting an engine or propeller for type certification. Each engine or propeller submitted gets its own statement.
A type certificate holder or licensee manufacturing under a type certificate only (no production certificate), at the first transfer of ownership or when applying for the original airworthiness certificate or an Airworthiness Approval Tag (Form 8130-3).

The authority for collecting the information is 49 U.S.C. § 44103, implemented through 14 CFR Part 21.² The specific requirement is 14 CFR 21.53, which calls for a conformity statement for each aircraft or part presented for tests and for each engine or propeller presented for type certification.³

Filling Out Sections I Through III: Product Identification

Complete only the sections that apply to what you are presenting.

Section I (Aircraft): Make, Model, Serial Number, and Registration Number.
Section II (Engine): Make, Model, and Serial Number.
Section III (Propeller): Make, Hub Model, Blade Model, Hub Serial Number, and Blade Serial Number.

If you are submitting a standalone engine, complete Section II only. If the aircraft you are presenting includes an engine or propeller that is also part of the conformity presentation, complete all relevant sections. Serial numbers and registration numbers must match the physical data plates on the product exactly. A transposed digit is one of the fastest ways to trigger a rejection during inspection.⁴

Choosing the Right Certification Statement in Section IV

Section IV has four pre-printed certification statements. You complete only the one that fits your situation:

Statement A is a general declaration of compliance with 14 CFR 21.33(a). That regulation requires you to allow FAA inspections and, before presenting a product for testing, to verify through your own inspections that materials match the type design specifications, parts match the drawings, and manufacturing processes match those specified in the design.⁵
Statement B is for aircraft produced under a type certificate only (14 CFR Part 21 Subpart F, without a production certificate). You certify the aircraft conforms to its type certificate, is in a condition for safe operation, and was flight checked on a specific date you fill in.
Statement C is for an engine or propeller being presented for type certification. You certify the product conforms to the type design.
Statement D is for an engine or propeller produced under a type certificate only. You certify it conforms to its type certificate and is in a condition for safe operation. For engines and variable-pitch propellers, you also fill in the date of the manufacturer’s final operational check.

Statements B and D both require a specific date on the form: the flight check date for aircraft, and the operational check date for engines and variable-pitch propellers. Confirm those dates before you sit down with the form.⁴

Listing Deviations From the Design Data

Directly below the certification statements, the form provides a “Deviations” field with the instruction to list any deviations from the design data.⁴ If the product matches the approved type design exactly, you can leave the field blank or write “None.” If any differences exist, list each one clearly enough that an inspector reading only the form can understand what does not match the drawings or specifications. Failing to disclose known deviations undermines the purpose of the statement and can result in the FAA rejecting the presentation.

Who Signs the Form

The form must be signed by the applicant or by an authorized individual who holds a responsible position in the manufacturing organization. This is not a clerical task. The signer is personally certifying that the product conforms to the type design.⁴ The signature block also captures title, organization, and date.

When the conformity inspection takes place away from your manufacturing facility, the form instructions describe two procedures:

Procedure 1: You send an authorized representative from your organization to the manufacturer’s or supplier’s facility to personally inspect the article and sign the statement of conformity on site.
Procedure 2: You delegate a representative at the supplier’s location, in writing, to complete and sign the form on your behalf. That person acts as your agent, and a copy of the authorization letter must be submitted along with the completed Form 8130-9.

Either way, the person who signs takes on legal responsibility for the accuracy of the conformity statement. Misrepresentation can lead to enforcement action, including civil penalties or loss of manufacturing authority.

Submitting the Form to the FAA

You present the completed Form 8130-9 directly to an FAA representative when the product is physically available for inspection. That representative is typically an FAA Manufacturing Inspector or a Designated Airworthiness Representative (DAR).² The handoff usually happens at the manufacturing facility or wherever the aircraft or part is located.

Under FAA Order 8130.2L, the inspector reviews the form to verify proper completion and to confirm that you have certified the product is airworthy and, for aircraft, that it was flight tested. The inspector then compares the physical product against the written descriptions and the approved type design.⁶ Conformity inspections of individual articles are conducted when, in the FAA’s judgment, conformity cannot be confirmed by any other means.

Documents to Have Ready for the Inspection

The form is a single page, but the inspection it triggers is not a paperwork-only event. Before you present Form 8130-9, have immediate access to the records that back up your conformity claims: production test results, inspection records, the quality control manual, and the approved type design data (drawings, specifications, and process documents). For aircraft, have the flight test log with the date that matches what you entered on the form. If you used Procedure 2 for the signature, include the written authorization letter with the form package.

The inspector cross-references the form against these supporting documents and the physical product. Having everything organized and in one place shortens the inspection and avoids the back-and-forth that turns a one-day visit into a multi-week process.

Form 8130-9 Versus Form 8130-3

Form 8130-9 and Form 8130-3 come up at different points in a product’s life and should not be confused. Form 8130-9, the Statement of Conformity, is filed during the certification process to declare that the product as built matches the approved type design. Form 8130-3, the Authorized Release Certificate or Airworthiness Approval Tag, travels with individual parts and articles to confirm they were manufactured, inspected, or repaired in accordance with airworthiness requirements.⁷ A type certificate holder manufacturing under a type certificate only can encounter both forms at the same trigger point: under the third filing scenario, submitting Form 8130-9 can coincide with the issuance of a Form 8130-3 Airworthiness Approval Tag.²

Keeping Your Copy

Once accepted, the completed Form 8130-9 becomes part of the aircraft’s permanent certification records. Production certificate holders must retain their certificates and make delegation-of-authority information available to the FAA upon request under 14 CFR 21.146.⁸ As a practical matter, keep your copy of every Form 8130-9 for the operational life of the product. The FAA can request conformity documentation during audits or safety investigations at any time, and digital copies are acceptable as long as they remain legible and easy to retrieve.

1
Federal Aviation Administration. FAA Form 8130-9, Statement of Conformity
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Federal Aviation Administration. FAA Form 8130-9 – Statement of Conformity
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eCFR. 14 CFR 21.53 – Statement of Conformity
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Federal Aviation Administration. Statement of Conformity (FAA Form 8130-9)
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eCFR. 14 CFR 21.33 – Inspection and Tests
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Federal Aviation Administration. Order 8130.2L – Airworthiness Certification of Aircraft
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Federal Aviation Administration. Export Airworthiness Approval Regulations and Policy
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GovInfo. 14 CFR 21.146 – Responsibility of Holder