Testing Laboratories
Chemical, mechanical, electrical, environmental, food, materials, and construction-materials testing laboratories of any size, anywhere in the world.
Program detailsAmerican Standardization Council · Independent Accreditation Body
The benchmark for independent accreditation.
ASC is a top-tier independent accreditation body for testing and calibration laboratories, inspection agencies, and certification bodies, covering ISO/IEC 17020 · 17021-1 · 17024 · 17025 · 17043 · 17065. We operate in accordance with ISO/IEC 17011:2017, publish our procedures, verify everything publicly, and disclose our recognition status in plain language. Independent by design and outside the IAF/GLOBAC network, ASC delivers the same discipline in months rather than the 12 to 18 month cycles common on the recognized route.
0Accreditation programs
0Published policies & procedures
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2020Established, USA
ASC does not perform certification. Every accreditation we grant is publicly verifiable, and every limit of our recognition is publicly stated.
Accreditation programs
Seven programs. One transparent process.
Every program is based on the corresponding international conformity assessment standard, assessed by competent teams, decided independently, and published in our directory.
Calibration Laboratories
Dimensional, electrical, mass, pressure, temperature, and torque calibration laboratories, in-house or commercial.
Program detailsManagement System Certification Bodies
Certification bodies auditing quality, environmental, occupational health & safety, food safety, and information security management systems.
Program detailsProduct Certification Agencies
Bodies operating product certification schemes across consumer goods, construction, food, and industrial products.
Program detailsInspection Agencies
Marine surveyors, industrial and structural inspection agencies, special inspection agencies, vehicle and equipment inspectors.
Program detailsPersonnel Certification Bodies
Bodies certifying auditors, inspectors, Lean Six Sigma professionals, welders, NDT personnel, and other competence-based professions.
Program detailsProficiency Testing Providers
Organizations designing and operating interlaboratory comparison and proficiency testing schemes.
Program detailsWhy independent accreditation
Straight answers, not sales copy.
Accreditation is voluntary in most jurisdictions. Some tenders and regulated schemes explicitly require accreditation from a GLOBAC (formerly IAF/ILAC) MLA signatory; many others do not specify an accreditation body at all. Independent accreditation like ASC's serves the broad space of private supply chains, internal quality programs, and professional certification, at a fraction of the cost and lead time of the recognized route. Read the full comparison.
- Published rules. Fee schedule, assessment procedures, suspension and withdrawal criteria, all public before you apply.
- Verifiable results. Every accredited body, and its current status, is in our open directory.
- Honest scope. We tell you where ASC accreditation is accepted, and where it is not, before you pay anything.
- Real assessments. Competence-based, witnessed, independently decided under ISO/IEC 17011:2017 discipline.
Verification
Trust, then verify.
The fastest way to judge any accreditation body is to check its register. Ours is deliberately small and completely real: every accredited body is named, current, and independently verifiable. We publish the register we have, not the register we wish we had.
Active Expired: statuses are shown as they are, including expirations and withdrawals.
Why ASC at this price
Same discipline. Faster clock.
ASC is not the cheap option and does not pretend to be. The investment is comparable to the recognized route; what you buy is the same assessment rigor on a much shorter timeline. Estimate your cost in 60 seconds.
Same rigor
Full ISO/IEC 17011:2017 discipline: document review, witnessed on-site assessment, conflict-screened teams, and an independent decision function. The criteria are the international standards, identical to those applied by any serious accreditation body. We are never flexible on criteria.
Faster
No queue. Recognized-route accreditation commonly takes 12 to 18 months. ASC completes most initial accreditations within a few months of a complete application, because your file goes to a senior team, not a waiting list.
Flexible where it's allowed
Assessment scheduling around your operations, remote and hybrid assessment options where the standard permits, responsive scope extensions, and direct access to the people making decisions about your file.
Common questions
Asked plainly, answered plainly.
Is ASC a member of IAF, ILAC, or GLOBAC?
No. ASC is an independent, private accreditation body and is not a signatory to the IAF/ILAC (now GLOBAC) multilateral recognition arrangements. We state this plainly because trust is our product. ASC operates its programs in accordance with ISO/IEC 17011:2017, publishes its policies and procedures, and maintains a public verification directory.
Where is ASC accreditation accepted?
ASC accreditation is used in private, business-to-business supply chains, internal quality programs, training and personnel certification, and proprietary schemes such as ASC-PCS-001 Lean Six Sigma. It does not satisfy requirements that explicitly specify a GLOBAC (IAF/ILAC) MLA-signatory accreditation body. Many tenders and buyer specifications name no accreditation body at all; in those cases, confirm acceptance in writing with the authority before relying on any certificate.
How do I verify an ASC-accredited organization?
Use the public verification directory. Every accredited body's status is published: active, suspended, withdrawn, or expired. If an organization claims ASC accreditation and does not appear in the directory, report it to us.
How long does accreditation take and what does it cost?
Most initial accreditations complete within a few months of a complete application, compared with the 12 to 18 months common on the recognized route. Fees are structured as an application fee, per-day assessment fees, and an annual fee under the published Fee Schedule Policy. The online cost estimator gives an instant itemized figure, with discounts for multi-scheme accreditation, and a written quotation is issued before you commit.
Does ASC also certify organizations?
No. ASC does not perform certification and does not own or operate any certification body. ASC accredits independent conformity assessment bodies, a separation required for impartiality under ISO/IEC 17011.
Ready for accreditation that can be verified?
Estimate your investment in 60 seconds, itemized like our quotations, then book a meeting.