China’s Certification and Accreditation Administration (CNCA) published an announcement introducing two new national certification rules: CNCA-MMS-01:2026 for Measurement Management System (MMS) certification and CNCA-IPMS-01:2026 for Intellectual Property Management System (IPMS) certification, both dated June 5, 2026.
The rules replace the certification-body-developed rules that individual certification bodies previously used for these two schemes, and both take effect September 1, 2026. After that date, MMS and IPMS certification activity must follow the unified national rules rather than rules written independently by each certification body. The announcement also sets a transition period and introduces stricter eligibility requirements for certification bodies, auditors, and applicant organizations.
New CNCA-MMS-01:2026 Rules for Measurement Management System Certification
The MMS rules are based on GB/T 19022, equivalent to ISO 10012, and apply to certification bodies auditing organizations of any size or industry across 22 business scope sub-categories grouped under manufacturing, services, and public utilities, each rated high, medium, or low risk. Certification bodies must maintain at least 30 registered MMS auditors overall and at least two specialized auditors for each business scope they certify, with defined education and measurement work experience thresholds for those specialists.
Certification follows a three-year cycle built around a two-stage initial audit, annual surveillance audits, and a recertification audit, with audit time scaled to an organization’s headcount and business scope risk level under a fixed table. Certified organizations are classified into one of three levels: AAA for full conformity with GB/T 19022, AA for partial conformity limited to measurement processes for typical products or services, and A for minimal conformity covering only calibration confirmation of measurement equipment.
New CNCA-IPMS-01:2026 Rules for Intellectual Property Management System Certification
The IPMS rules apply a different certification basis depending on the type of organization: GB/T 29490 for enterprises, GB/T 33250 for research organizations, and GB/T 33251 for higher education institutions. Certification bodies offering IPMS certification must employ at least six registered IPMS auditors and at least eight personnel holding patent agent qualifications, a notably stricter personnel requirement than the MMS scheme.
Business scopes are divided into eight categories, including pharmaceuticals, food, biological products, communications, optoelectronics and automation, chemicals and materials, machinery, and other sectors, each classified as either high-risk or general-risk. Applicant organizations must also meet new eligibility conditions, including no findings of infringing another party’s intellectual property and no IP-related administrative penalties within the past year.
The rules introduce a certification transfer mechanism that lets a certification body recognize a valid IPMS certificate issued by another accredited body under specified conditions, and every IPMS certificate must now carry a nationally standardized certification mark rather than a mark designed by the individual certification body. Notably, findings of IP infringement or unresolved IP disputes can constitute a serious nonconformity, giving grounds for certificate suspension or revocation.
Transition Timeline: From Legacy Rules to the September 2026 Deadline
From the date of the announcement through August 31, 2026, the new MMS and IPMS rules apply in parallel with the certification-body-developed rules they replace. During this transition period, certification bodies may combine a rules version-change audit with an organization’s annual surveillance or recertification audit, and certificates that pass the version-change audit are reissued under the new rules while retaining the original certificate’s expiry date. Starting September 1, 2026, all MMS and IPMS certification activity must follow the new rules exclusively, and any certification-body-developed rules still in use will automatically become invalid.
For this article’s source information and any product certification guidance, please contact Global Validity.
Quick Country Facts
China
Certification Body: State Radio Regulatory Commission of PRC (SRRC)
Certification Type: Mandatory
License Validity: 60 Months
Application Language: Simplified Chinese
Legal License Holder: Manufacturer
In-Country Testing Requirement: In-Country Testing
The regulatory information above is based on radio type approval certification. Access additional certification requirements in over 200 countries and territories with Global Validity’s free proprietary product certification management software, Access Manager. Learn more about the platform here or fill our quick contact form!
Global Validity is your partner for global certification success
Want to learn more about regulatory compliance and how we can help? Simply fill out the form below and we’ll be in touch!