To sell a Wi-Fi router, Bluetooth speaker, wireless camera, remote control, or any other device engineered to transmit radio frequency energy in the United States, you need FCC Part 15 certification for intentional radiators: a Grant of Equipment Authorization issued by a Telecommunication Certification Body (TCB) after your product passes testing at an accredited laboratory and your technical documentation is reviewed against 47 CFR Part 15. The grant produces an FCC ID that must appear on the device, and the device must carry a specific compliance statement. Skip any step and you face forfeitures, customs seizures, and stop-sale orders.
Is Your Device an Intentional Radiator?
Federal regulations define an intentional radiator as a device that intentionally generates and emits radio frequency energy by radiation or induction.1eCFR. 47 CFR 15.3 – Definitions Bluetooth headsets, Wi-Fi access points, garage door openers, wireless keyboards, Zigbee hubs, wireless security cameras, and remote-control toys all qualify. If the product’s core function depends on broadcasting a radio signal to reach another device, you are in Part 15 Subpart C territory.
Unintentional radiators, like digital clocks, switching power supplies, and laptop chargers, generate RF energy internally but do not broadcast. Those follow a lighter path called Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity, where the manufacturer self-declares compliance. That shortcut is not available to intentional radiators. Classifying the product correctly at the start decides the entire compliance path.
What Part 15 Requires Your Device to Do
Subpart C sets emission limits, permitted frequency bands, and power restrictions for unlicensed low-power transmitters.2eCFR. 47 CFR Part 15 Subpart C – Intentional Radiators Every Part 15 device operates under two conditions: it must not cause harmful interference to other radio users, and it must accept any interference it receives, including interference that causes undesired operation.3eCFR. 47 CFR 15.19 – Labeling Requirements Those two sentences later appear verbatim on the product’s label.
Antennas are also restricted. The device must be built so that no antenna other than the one supplied by the manufacturer can be used, which means a permanently attached antenna or a unique coupling mechanism. Standard antenna jacks and common electrical connectors are prohibited.4eCFR. 47 CFR 15.203 – Antenna Requirement Professionally installed systems are exempt, but the installer takes on responsibility for keeping emissions within limits.
Building the Technical File
Before any lab work, assemble the documentation package the TCB will review.5eCFR. 47 CFR 2.1033 – Application for Certification The application must contain:
- A block diagram showing every oscillator, the signal path at each block, tuning ranges, and intermediate frequencies. Intentional radiators also require a full schematic.
- A description of operation covering the ground system, antenna configuration, and, for devices using digital modulation, the modulation system including filter response and modulating waveform.
- Internal photographs at high enough resolution to show the exterior, construction, component placement, and chassis assembly.
- A statement confirming compliance with the applicable RF radiation exposure limits.
The rule does not explicitly require a bill of materials. Some TCBs or labs will ask for one to speed review, but the regulatory requirement is schematics, block diagrams, operational descriptions, and photographs. Having a BOM ready avoids delays; do not confuse lab preferences with legal mandates.
Testing at an Accredited Lab
All measurements must be performed at a laboratory accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 with a scope covering the applicable FCC test methods.6Federal Communications Commission. Testing Laboratory Qualifications The accreditation body itself must be recognized by the FCC. A TCB will reject a report from an unaccredited lab.
The lab measures peak output power, spurious emissions, occupied bandwidth, and other parameters that apply to the device’s frequency band under Subpart C. It issues a formal test report showing every measured value against its legal limit. If anything fails, the manufacturer redesigns and retests before moving on. Testing costs run from a few hundred dollars for simple low-power transmitters to several thousand for complex multi-band devices.
Filing With a TCB and Receiving the Grant
Once you have a passing test report, submit the full application (test data, schematics, block diagrams, operational description, photographs, exposure statement) to a TCB. The TCB is an independent organization recognized by the FCC to evaluate applications and issue grants of certification.7Federal Communications Commission. Equipment Authorization The FCC itself does not review individual product filings.
If the review passes, the TCB issues a Grant of Equipment Authorization and uploads the supporting record to the FCC Equipment Authorization Electronic System. The grant carries an FCC ID made up of a grantee code assigned by the FCC and a product code chosen by the manufacturer.8eCFR. 47 CFR 2.926 – FCC Identifier The product code can be up to 14 characters (letters, numbers, hyphens) and cannot repeat a code already used under the same grantee code. Registering a new grantee code costs $35.9Federal Register. Schedule of Application Fees
With clean documentation, the TCB portion often takes only a few business days. Lab testing and any redesign cycles drive the real timeline. Six to twelve weeks from the start of testing through grant issuance is reasonable for a straightforward product; complex multi-radio designs run longer.
Labeling the Finished Product
Every certified device must carry a permanent label showing the FCC ID preceded by “FCC ID” in capital letters, on a single line, in type large enough to read without magnification.10eCFR. 47 CFR 2.925 – Identification of Equipment “Permanently affixed” means etched, engraved, stamped, indelibly printed, or otherwise permanently marked on a permanently attached part of the enclosure. A peel-off sticker does not qualify.
The label must also carry the Part 15 compliance statement. For most intentional radiators, the required text is: “This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.”3eCFR. 47 CFR 15.19 – Labeling Requirements The statement may sit on a separate label from the FCC ID.
If the device is too small to fit the compliance statement in four-point type and has no display capable of electronic labeling, place the statement in the user manual and either on the packaging or on a removable label attached to the device. The same small-device exception applies to the FCC ID itself.
Electronic Labels
Devices with built-in screens can display the FCC ID and compliance statement electronically. The information must be accessible within three steps from the settings menu, without special codes, accessories, or permissions beyond a normal screen lock.11eCFR. 47 CFR 2.935 – Electronic Labeling of Radiofrequency Devices Text must be legible without magnification, and the responsible party must lock the information against third-party modification.
Even an e-labeled device needs a physical identifier on the product or its packaging so customs and retailers can identify it at import and point of sale. A removable label, printing on the box, or a label on a protective bag all work, provided they survive normal shipping. Access instructions for the on-screen label must appear in the operating instructions or packaging.
The User Manual Warning
The user manual (or its digital equivalent) must caution the user that changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.12eCFR. 47 CFR 15.21 – Information to User If the manual is delivered only through a website or app, the warning can appear there, so long as the user can reasonably access it. FCC enforcement can cite a missing manual warning as an independent violation, and TCBs flag its absence during review.
Using a Pre-Certified Radio Module
If you are integrating wireless into a host product rather than designing a radio from scratch, modular transmitter approval under § 15.212 is often the fastest path. A single modular transmitter must meet eight criteria: its own shielding on the radio elements; buffered modulation and data inputs; its own power supply regulation; compliance with the § 15.203 antenna rule; stand-alone testing as a module; its own FCC ID label (physical or electronic); compliance with all applicable operating rules; and RF exposure compliance.2eCFR. 47 CFR Part 15 Subpart C – Intentional Radiators
When the module’s FCC ID is not visible after installation in the host, the outside of the host must state something like “Contains Transmitter Module FCC ID: XYZABC123.” The host manufacturer avoids certifying the radio itself but still has to make sure the finished product complies with everything else, particularly Part 15B unintentional emissions from the host’s digital circuitry.
Modules that cannot meet all eight criteria can still qualify for limited modular approval if the manufacturer shows through alternative means that the module meets applicable Part 15 requirements under its intended operating conditions. That path takes more documentation and may require testing inside a representative host device. Split modular designs, which separate the radio front end from the transmitter control element, follow additional interface and pairing rules.
Changing the Product After Certification
Parts get discontinued, layouts get optimized, and features get added. Some changes force full recertification; others do not. The rule splits them into two categories.13eCFR. 47 CFR 2.1043 – Changes in Certificated Equipment
- A Class I permissive change does not degrade any performance characteristic reported in the original certification. No filing is required. Swapping a capacitor for an electrically identical part from a different supplier typically fits here.
- A Class II permissive change degrades a reported characteristic but still meets the applicable rule limits. The grantee must submit the change to a TCB with test data on the affected characteristics and a signed certification. The modified product cannot be marketed until the TCB acknowledges the change.
Only the original grant holder can file a permissive change. If you acquired a design without transferring the grant, you need a new FCC ID. Document every hardware change against the original test report. When you are unsure whether a change is Class I or Class II, treat it as Class II and file.
What Happens If You Sell Without Certification
Marketing an uncertified intentional radiator, using a counterfeit FCC ID, or selling a device that exceeds its certified emission levels can trigger enforcement under Section 503(b) of the Communications Act.
Penalty amounts depend on the party. A manufacturer or service provider faces forfeitures of up to $144,329 for each violation or each day of a continuing violation, capped at $1,443,275 for a single act or failure to act. Entities not in a specific statutory category face up to $25,132 per day, capped at $188,491 per act.14Federal Register. Annual Adjustment of Civil Monetary Penalties To Reflect Inflation Those 2025 inflation-adjusted figures remain in effect for 2026 because the scheduled adjustment was cancelled.15The White House. M-26-11 Cancellation of Penalty Inflation Adjustments for 2026
On top of fines, the FCC can issue stop-sale orders, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection can seize non-compliant equipment at the border. Labels are the front-line check for both customs and retailers, which is why improper labeling can halt an entire supply chain rather than just cost a fine.