C-tick

C-Tick Compliance Mark

Reading an older product label under today's rules

C-Tick was a compliance mark used in Australia and New Zealand to indicate that electrical and electronic products met applicable EMC and radiocommunications requirements. The relevant regulatory arrangements involved ACMA in Australia and Radio Spectrum Management (RSM) in New Zealand. On an older device, read the mark as part of the product's compliance claim from that period; the logo alone does not establish the conditions for supplying it to today's market.

The starting point today is the RCM compliance mark and the rules currently applicable in the destination country. AS/NZS standards can provide shared technical documents, but registration and labelling obligations are not identical in every case across both countries.

What did C-Tick indicate?

For EMC, the central purpose is to limit the risk that electromagnetic interference generated by equipment will disrupt radio services and other devices. Emission describes disturbances leaving the product; immunity describes its response to external disturbances. A C-Tick label does not establish that every immunity test was performed or guarantee trouble-free operation in every environment. Emission requirements under ACMA's EMC arrangements and the product's other technical requirements need separate assessment.

The applicable standard depends on the product's function. Multimedia equipment may fall under CISPR 32 and the corresponding EN 55032 documents; household appliances and electric tools may fall under the emission part of the 55014 family. Where no suitable product family standard applies, assess the accepted generic emission standards in the 61000 family. Check the edition, local acceptance and transition provisions separately.

The Australian transition to RCM

The transition to RCM began in 2013, and the transition period for C-Tick and A-Tick ended on 1 March 2016. Saying that C-Tick was abruptly abolished in 2013 is therefore misleading. Products requiring current Australian compliance labelling follow the relevant RCM arrangements. When assessing an older product, consider its labelling date, supply history and applicable rules together.

RCM is the shared symbol used under ACMA arrangements and the Electrical Equipment Safety System (EESS). However, EMC compliance and electrical safety obligations belong to separate schemes. ACMA compliance levels and EESS electrical safety risk levels must not be treated as the same classification.

Editor's note: An industrial product being outside the EESS registration scope does not mean that it is also outside ACMA requirements. Even when the same RCM symbol is used, check which rules apply and what evidence each requires separately.

An important New Zealand distinction

Under RSM's current rules, relevant EMC and radio products with conformity levels 1, 2 or 3 use RCM. Radio transmitters in classes A1, A2 or A3 that are not harmonised with Australia require the R-NZ mark. RCM therefore does not cover every New Zealand radio product. Parallel importers also cannot simply rely on another supplier's C-Tick label; RCM labelling and compliance documentation may be required.

Assessing the compliance file

In Australia, first identify the rules and compliance level applicable to the product. ACMA states that testing is not mandatory for level 1; level 2 requires testing; and level 3 requires an accredited testing body. Avoid assuming that every C-Tick or RCM product follows the same laboratory process. With ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, it is also important that the laboratory's accredited scope covers the relevant test method.

The file contains the product description, model identification, declaration of conformity and required test evidence. The model and configuration in the report must match the supplied product. Required records must be available on request, and national database registration must be completed where supplier registration is required. A test report, supplier registration and a compliance label are not interchangeable.

For a product incorporating a motor drive, for example, changes to the EMC filter, cable arrangement or enclosure require a review of whether the earlier report still represents the new configuration. Product changes can affect compliance, so consider the need for retesting. Equipment outside the EESS scope because of its industrial use still carries electrical safety obligations.

CE marking or FCC compliance does not automatically fulfil Australia's local obligations. Similarly, if an IECEE CB report is available, check which standard and which requirements it covers. C-Tick or RCM should not be interpreted as a universal quality award or a standalone independent certificate issued in the same way for every product.