How to Avoid Failing FCC Certification (10 Steps to Passing)
Getting your product through FCC certification can feel overwhelming.
You’re not sure what tests you need, how much it’s going to cost, or even when to start thinking about it.
And worst of all, you don’t find out if you messed something up until you’re already at the lab, or worse, after you fail.
So in this video, I’ll walk you through ten clear steps that’ll help you avoid delays, prevent expensive retests, and get your product certified as smoothly as possible.
And if you’re certifying your product outside the U.S., this same process still applies. Most other countries have their own regulations, but the steps are pretty similar.
Alright, let’s get started.
Step 1 – Classify your product
The first thing you need to figure out is how the FCC classifies your product.
There are three main categories: intentional radiators, unintentional radiators, and non-radiators.
Anything that includes wireless communication like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LoRa, Zigbee, or cellular is considered an intentional radiator.
If it doesn’t have a radio but still has electronics like a microcontroller, USB, or anything with a clock above 9 kilohertz, it’s an unintentional radiator.
That’s basically every digital product out there.
Now, if your product doesn’t have anything oscillating above 9 kilohertz, not even a low-speed clock or switching regulator, then it’s considered a non-radiator. In that case, you don’t need any certification at all.
That almost never happens in real products. Pretty much anything with a processor or digital interface falls into one of the first two categories.
Step 2 – Choose your certification path
There are two main paths to FCC compliance: SDoC and full certification.
SDoC stands for Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity. It’s basically a self-declaration process.
You still have to test your product, but you don’t file anything with the FCC and you don’t get an FCC ID.
You just keep your test results and documentation on file and include a short compliance statement in your user manual.
That’s it. The FCC won’t even know your product exists unless someone files a complaint.
Full certification’s required if you’ve got a custom radio design. That means you’re not using a pre-certified wireless module.
You’re building your own RF section from a bare chip with a matching network and your own antenna.
In that case, you’ll need testing at an FCC-recognized lab, and the results get submitted to the FCC for approval.
Once you’re approved, you’ll get an FCC ID, and you’ll need to label your product with it.
If you’re using a pre-certified module and you follow the manufacturer’s layout and antenna guidelines, you can usually skip full certification.
You might still be an intentional radiator, but you don’t need to test the radio again, and you can often just go through SDoC for the overall product.
Step 3 – Find the applicable FCC rule
Once you know your product type and which path you’re on, the next step is figuring out which FCC rule applies.
Most products fall under Part 15, which covers both intentional and unintentional radiators.
If you’re building something like a wireless charger, induction heater, or a device for industrial or medical use, you might fall under Part 18 instead.
You’ll also need to know if your product’s Class A or Class B. Class A is for industrial and commercial gear, and Class B is for consumer products used in homes.
Class B limits are stricter, so if you’re selling to consumers, plan for that early.
Knowing your rule category and class affects everything that follows, including what limits apply, what tests you’ll need, and what documentation’s required.
Step 4 – Plan for pre-compliance testing
One of the smartest things you can do is run pre-compliance testing before heading to a formal lab.
You can use a low-cost lab or even set up some basic in-house testing with near-field probes and a spectrum analyzer.
The goal is to catch problems early while they’re still cheap to fix.
You might spot noisy power supplies, leaky enclosures, unshielded cables, or layout mistakes you didn’t even realize were there.
Pre-compliance testing helps you avoid getting blindsided at the lab and keeps you from wasting money on a failed test.
Step 5 – Design for compliance
This is where a lot of products either pass or crash and burn.
Good layout practices are everything. Keep high-speed traces short, use solid ground planes, add decoupling near noisy ICs, and filter your power lines.
Watch for long return paths that can radiate noise.
If you’re using a wireless module, follow the manufacturer’s antenna layout exactly.
If you’ve got a switching power supply, check for conducted noise on the input lines.
And think about your enclosure too. Plastic and metal behave very differently when it comes to shielding.
Don’t treat shielding as an afterthought. Design with it from day one.
Step 6 – Get an expert review
Even if you’ve been designing PCBs for years, it’s easy to miss something.
That’s why it’s worth getting an independent design review before you build a test-ready prototype.
A second set of eyes, especially someone who’s seen plenty of FCC failures, can catch layout issues, grounding mistakes, or antenna problems before they cost you time and money.
This one step alone can save you weeks and thousands of dollars.
And it’s way cheaper to fix those issues now than after you’ve built a full production board.
Step 7 – Choose a test lab
Next up, it’s time to pick your lab.
If you’re going through full certification, you’ll need an FCC-recognized lab.
If you’re doing SDoC, you still need a capable lab that can run the right tests and produce valid reports.
Ask about lead times, pricing, and what happens if something fails. Will they let you fix it on the spot? Do you have to pay for a full retest?
These are good questions to ask before you’re committed.
And look for a lab that’s tested similar products before. A team that’s familiar with your type of design can usually guide you through the process more efficiently.
Step 8 – Prepare everything for the lab
You’ll need two main things ready before testing: documentation and hardware samples.
For documentation, you’ll usually need a schematic, block diagram, bill of materials, product photos, and a user manual.
Full certification may also require forms and labeling details.
For hardware, send production-representative units that are fully assembled, debugged, and ready to run.
No dev boards, no hand-soldered prototypes, and definitely no half-finished firmware.
The lab needs to test your actual product, not your prototype.
Double-check that your documentation matches your hardware, and make sure the units are stable and reliable.
Remember, the lab’s job is to test emissions, not debug your code.
Step 9 – Complete the testing process
Once everything’s in, the lab starts the actual tests, usually radiated and conducted emissions, and sometimes ESD or surge depending on the product.
Full certification requires an accredited lab. SDoC doesn’t, as long as the testing’s valid and properly documented.
If you’ve done solid prep, with good layout, expert review, and pre-compliance testing, most products pass without major issues.
If something fails, don’t panic. Ask for the details.
Sometimes it’s just a noisy cable or poor shielding, and a quick fix like a ferrite bead or bypass capacitor gets you through.
Some labs even let you tweak it right there and re-test the same day.
If not, you might need another session, but that doesn’t mean starting over.
The goal is simple: walk into testing knowing you’ll pass.
And if you’ve followed these steps, you’ll be in good shape.
Step 10 – Certify and label your product
Once you pass testing, you’re almost done.
If you went through full certification, you’ll get your final report and your lab or certification body will submit it to the FCC.
Once approved, you’ll receive an FCC ID, which goes on your product label and in your user manual.
If you used SDoC, there’s no FCC filing and no ID. You just keep your test results and include the right compliance statement in your manual.
You still have to meet the rules, but you don’t submit anything unless the FCC asks for it later.
At that point, your product’s certified and ready for market.
And if you’d like help navigating that entire process, from your first design decisions all the way to final certification, we can help you inside the Hardware Academy.
If you found this video helpful, check out the next one where I share exactly how much you can expect to spend on certifications.
