- Home
- /
- Choosing a registrar
Choosing a registrar
How to choose an ISO certification body
ISO certification is an open market, and quality between registrars varies more than most buyers realise. Here is what separates a credential from a logo.
- 17021-1The impartiality standard
- IAF MLAWhat makes it recognised
- 7Questions to ask
- 0Preferred registrars
An ISO certification body is the independent organization that audits your management system and issues your certificate. Unlike R2, where SERI authorises a defined list of registrars, ISO certification is an open market. Hundreds of certification bodies operate worldwide, and the quality between them varies more than most buyers realise.
Which makes one question more important than any other: who accredits them, and does that accreditation actually mean anything.
Accredited, or just certified?
Anyone can print a certificate. The value comes from the chain behind it: an accreditation body assesses the certification body against ISO/IEC 17021-1, and that accreditation body is itself recognised through the IAF Multilateral Recognition Arrangement.
If your certification body isn't accredited by an IAF MLA signatory, your certificate may not be recognised by customers, regulators, or anyone auditing your supply chain. It's the difference between a credential and a logo.
Ask for the accreditation body and the scope of accreditation, then check that body appears on the IAF MLA signatory list. In the United States that's usually ANAB. In the UK, UKAS. If they can't answer plainly, that is your answer.
Some bodies operate legitimately without accreditation and charge less. The certificate simply carries less weight. If a customer asked you to get certified, assume they meant accredited.
Due diligence
Seven questions before you sign
Registrars differ more than their websites suggest. These surface the differences that affect your project rather than their marketing.
01
Who accredits you, and for which standards?
Accreditation is scope-specific. A body accredited for ISO 9001 is not automatically accredited for ISO 45001 or 27001. Confirm the scope covers what you need.
02
Is that accreditation body an IAF MLA signatory?
This determines whether your certificate is recognised internationally, and it's a requirement for the management systems sitting under R2v3.
03
What is the auditor's experience in our industry?
An auditor who knows the standard but not your sector spends your audit learning your business. Ask about the specific auditor, not the firm's brochure.
04
Can you audit all our standards together?
If you hold or plan several, a combined audit reduces total audit days considerably. Not every body does all standards, and that alone can decide your choice.
05
What are your lead times?
Auditor availability, not your readiness, frequently determines your certification date. Ask before you build a timeline around it.
06
What does the three-year cycle cost?
Stage 1, Stage 2, two surveillance audits and recertification. Plus travel, and the cost of a follow-up audit if you pick up majors. Get the whole picture, not year one.
07
How do you handle remote auditing?
Policies vary widely and it affects both cost and disruption. Worth knowing before you're quoted.
Why we won't recommend one
We have no preferred registrar and no exclusive arrangement with any of them. That's deliberate. It's also why our answer to "which registrar should we use" is a set of questions rather than a name.
The separation runs both ways. A certification body accredited to ISO/IEC 17021-1 must protect its impartiality, which means it cannot consult for an organization it audits. A registrar can't build your system, and a consultant can't certify it. Anyone offering both is worth a hard question.
-
For recyclers
R2 certification bodies R2 works differently: SERI authorises a defined list of registrars. R2 registrars → -
Start here
Which standard do you need? Scope determines who can audit you and what it costs. Compare standards →
Which standards, how many sites, which locations. Get that wrong and every quote you collect is wrong too.
Common questions
Questions we get asked
Can Wilkshire certify us?
No, and no consultant can. A consultant who builds or internally audits your system cannot certify it. That separation is required by ISO/IEC 17021-1 and it is what makes your certificate worth something.
How do we check a certification body is genuinely accredited?
Ask for the accreditation body and the scope of accreditation, then verify that body is an IAF MLA signatory. Most accreditation bodies publish a searchable directory of the organizations they accredit.
Does it matter if they're not accredited?
It can matter a great deal. An unaccredited certificate may not satisfy a customer requirement, a tender, or the management system prerequisites under R2v3. If someone asked you to get certified, assume they meant accredited.
Should we use the same body for all our standards?
Usually it reduces total audit days and cost, because audits can be combined. It also concentrates risk with one supplier. Get quotes both ways.
Do you get paid if we choose a particular body?
We have no preferred registrar and no exclusive arrangement with any of them. We recommend whoever fits your scope, sites and timeline.
Next step
Get your scope right before you get quotes
Scope determines who can audit you and what it costs. A free call settles it, and makes every quote you collect meaningful.