Australia RCM Registration Service

The RCM (Regulatory Compliance Mark) is a registration mark indicating that the supplier declares the product complies with safety and other requirements stipulated in electrical safety laws/regulations across all states of Australia and New Zealand. It also confirms compliance with electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) requirements under the Australian Radiocommunications Act and the New Zealand Radiocommunications Act. The rcm mark may only be used if the product meets both electrical safety and EMC regulatory requirements.

Effective 1 March 2013, Australia enforced the new Electrical Equipment Safety System (EESS), for which RCM is the sole compliance mark. Registration may only be completed by an Australian-based importer or its authorised local agent. The RCM mark covers both electrical safety and EMC. SAA now provides emc certification and SDoC (Supplier Declaration of Conformity), offering customers the documentation required for Australia.

What is Specified Electrical Equipment?

Specified electrical equipment refers to low-voltage electrical equipment within the following voltage ratings:

• Greater than 50V AC RMS or 120V DC ripple-free (extra-low voltage);

• Less than 1000V AC RMS or 1500V DC ripple-free (high voltage);

• Electrical equipment designed or marketed for household, personal, or similar use.

Must all specified electrical equipment have a responsible supplier AND require RCM registration?

Under the current RCM system classification, electrical equipment is divided into three categories: Category 1, Category 2, and Category 3, where Category 3 is defined as high-risk equipment. Categories 2 and 3 can be referenced in the standard AS/NZS 4417.2, and this classification is subject to change with updates to Australian standards/regulations.

Currently, Category 3 products require mandatory RCM registration. Once an SAA certificate is issued by SAA Approvals, product certification data is automatically imported into the RCM system to facilitate RCM registration.

Common Australian Electrical Product Risk Classifications & Standards

Required Components of rcm certification

• Safety (Product Safety Certification): saa certification

• emc testing (Electromagnetic Compatibility): C-tick report

About the RCM Mark

The RCM mark is owned by the federal government. Both the electrical safety regulatory authorities and EMC regulatory authorities accept the RCM mark as a supplier’s declaration of conformity. Approval to use the RCM mark in any one state is recognised by regulatory authorities in all other states, enabling one approval valid nationwide.

Who Can Apply for RCM Certification?

RCM certification may only be applied for by an Australian local company, which must obtain an RCM number from the Australian government.

Chinese manufacturers and exporters may apply for IEC or AS/NZS test reports under their own name, but these reports must be submitted by the Australian importer to complete RCM registration.

Validity periods: 1 year / 3 years / 5 years. The desired validity period must be confirmed before submission.

Countries Where RCM Certification Is Accepted

• Australia

• Nauru

• Fiji

• Solomon Islands

• Kiribati

• Federated States of Micronesia

• Tuvalu

• New Zealand

• Tonga

• Marshall Islands

• Vanuatu

• Papua New Guinea

• Samoa

How to Obtain an SAA Certificate and Complete RCM Registration

1. JJR Laboratory evaluates the product and determines the applicable test standards.

2. If non-conformities are identified during testing, the laboratory will support product modification to meet Australian standards.

3. Upon successful testing, a test report is issued.

4. The test report is submitted to an Australian certification body for document review.

5. Following Australian approval, a safety certificate (SAA certificate) is issued.

6. The client may register via the official website independently, or authorise JJR Laboratory to complete Australian website registration.

RCM Certification Timeline

• After obtaining the SAA safety certificate and C-Tick / EMC report, plus details of a valid local responsible supplier, registration is completed in approximately 1–2 weeks, with a unique N‑prefixed identification number issued.

• Uploading each individual report takes approximately one week.

Australia RCM Registration Fees:

Level I RCM registration: 500 USD, valid for 1 year, processed within 5 working days

Level III RCM registration: requires SAA certification, 1000 USD, valid for 1 year, processed within 5 working days

Acceptable Test Reports

• Reports must bear the CNAS mark or an equivalent accreditation mark.

• Reports must be prepared within the scope of the laboratory’s accreditation.

• Signatories must be those listed in the laboratory’s accreditation documents.

• If a CB report is submitted, a valid cb certificate must also be provided. All CB reports referenced in the certificate must be submitted.

Note: cb test reports to CTF Stage 4 are not accepted.

• GS reports have not been accepted since November 2018.

• All testing submitted to SAA must comply with laboratory accreditation requirements.

Authorised Bodies for RCM (SAA) Certification

Testing is performed by CB member laboratories, with test reports submitted to state-level certification bodies for certificate application. There are 7 authorised bodies (including New Zealand):

1. Department of Fair Trading, New South Wales (NSW)

2. Department of Mines and Energy, Queensland

3. The Office of the Chief Electrical Inspector, Victoria

4. Office of Energy Policy, South Australia

5. Office of Energy, Western Australia

6. Office of Electricity, Standards and Safety, Tasmania

7. Ministry of Commerce, New Zealand

RCM Registration for Specific Products

LED Driver RCM Registration

Unless the LED driver uses Type Z connections at all terminals and is permanently fixed to a luminaire, it is classified as a mandatory / Category 3 product and requires separate certification.

Portable LED Luminaire RCM Registration

Classified as a mandatory / Category 3 product, tested to AS/NZS 60598.1 and AS/NZS 60598.2.4.

If the driver is separate from the luminaire, the driver must be certified independently.

Appendix ZA applies only to simple lighting fixtures.

Electric Power Tools RCM Registration

Portable hand-held electric power tools are mandatory / Category 3 products in Australia.

• Many standards under IEC 60745 have been replaced by IEC 62841.

• Mobile power tools must be tested to AS/NZS 62841; IEC 61029 is no longer applicable.

• Testing must comply with published standards.

• Battery-powered power tools must comply with AS/NZS 62841. Batteries as complete assemblies must comply with IEC 62133.

• Independently sold battery packs are mandatory certified products in New Zealand and require certification.

Power Supply RCM Registration

• Testing must use the correct standard corresponding to the product.

• A/V, IT, and communication equipment may be tested to AS/NZS 62368.1:2018.

• AS/NZS 60950.1 and AS/NZS 60065 remain valid for testing and certification as no obsolescence date has been set.

• ERAC has issued a new notice requiring two housing retention methods for plug-in power supplies, applicable only to units complying with AS/NZS 61558 and AS/NZS 60335.2.29.

EPODs & Controllers/Regulators RCM Registration

EPODs are portable power boards.

Applicable standards: AS/NZS 3105, AS/NZS 3122, and AS/NZS 3100.

Controllers/regulators are portable devices; fixed units fall under other standards.

AS/NZS 3105 applies to any EPOD with control/regulation functions.

Travel adaptors must have only two sets of contacts and comply with AS/NZS 3122.

All tests required by AS/NZS 3100 series standards (3105, 3112, 3133, 3122, etc.) and AS/NZS 3100 must be completed and documented in test reports.

All switches must be double-pole breaking and tested per AS/NZS 3133 or AS/NZS 60669.2.1 plus M test clauses of AS/NZS 3133.

Solar Inverters / DC Isolators RCM Registration

• Such products must be registered with CEC in Australia.

• SAA certifies these products to IEC 62109-1, IEC 62109-2, and AS/NZS 4777.2.

• If the product includes a battery, the battery must comply with relevant IEC standards, and the inverter must also comply with AS 62040.1.1.

• DC isolators used in PV systems are now Category 3 products and will soon become mandatory. They must comply with AS/NZS 60947.3:2018, including all Australian deviations.

• AS/NZS 5033 is an installation standard and is not used for product certification.

• AS/NZS 5039 is a planned battery energy storage installation standard, still under development and not yet enforceable. A new guidance document for battery energy storage systems is available.

• CEC will soon introduce registration for battery energy storage systems and DC isolators used in PV installations.