CE Marking Requirements: How to CE Mark a Product (6 Steps)

CE marking can feel daunting, but for most products it follows a predictable path. This guide walks through the six steps to CE mark a product, what has to be shown on the product itself, and the documentation obligations that continue after the mark goes on.

One thing to settle first: the “CE mark certification process” is, for most products, not a certification at all. It is a conformity assessment the manufacturer carries out and then declares in writing. Only higher-risk products need a third party involved — see CE Marking vs Declaration of Conformity for when that applies.

Step 1: Identify the applicable legislation

Start by determining which EU directives or regulations cover your product. A single product can fall under several at once — a powered machine with electronics and a radio module might be subject to the Machinery, EMC, Low Voltage, and Radio Equipment rules simultaneously. You must satisfy every one that applies. Products not covered by any CE legislation must not carry the mark.

Step 2: Determine the conformity assessment route

Each piece of legislation sets out how conformity must be assessed, and the route depends on the product’s risk. For lower-risk products you may self-assess under internal production control. For higher-risk products, an independent Notified Body must be involved — to examine the design, approve your quality system, or verify individual units. Establishing the route early tells you whether you will need third-party assessment, and the time and cost that implies.

Step 3: Assess and test conformity

Verify the product against the essential requirements. The practical way to do this is through harmonised standards — standards whose references are published in the Official Journal of the EU. Building to the relevant harmonised standard gives a presumption of conformity with the requirements it covers, which is why most manufacturers follow this route. Record your testing and assessment results; they become part of the evidence.

Step 4: Compile the technical documentation

Assemble the technical file — the body of evidence that demonstrates conformity. It typically includes a general description of the product, design and manufacturing drawings, the risk assessment, the list of standards applied, test reports, and any Notified Body certificates. This file must be kept available for market surveillance authorities, usually for ten years after the product is placed on the market.

Step 5: Draw up and sign the Declaration of Conformity

Issue the EU Declaration of Conformity — the document in which you declare, on your sole responsibility, that the product meets the applicable legislation. It names the product, the legislation and standards applied, any Notified Body involved, and the authorised signatory. This is the document most often requested as proof of compliance; the full breakdown of what it must contain is in the companion article.

Step 6: Affix the CE marking

Apply the CE marking to the product, following the rules on its form, size, and visibility set out below. Where a Notified Body was involved in the production-control phase, its identification number goes next to the mark. The product can now be placed on the EEA market.

What must be shown on the product

The CE marking rules do not stop at the symbol. Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 and the sector legislation together require the following to appear on a CE-marked product:

• The CE marking itself, in the proportions of the official graphic, at least 5 mm high unless the legislation for the product allows smaller, and affixed visibly, legibly and indelibly. Where the product’s nature makes that impossible, it goes on the packaging and the accompanying documents.
• The Notified Body number, if a Notified Body was involved in the production-control phase — placed immediately after the CE marking.
• The manufacturer’s name, registered trade name or trade mark, and a postal address at which it can be contacted.
• A type, batch or serial number, or another element that identifies the product — on the product, or on the packaging or documents where size or nature prevents it.
• The importer’s name and address, where the product is imported into the EU.
• Instructions and safety information in a language easily understood by users in the member state where the product is sold, where the legislation requires them.

Sector legislation may add more — for example a product-specific pictogram, an electrical rating plate, or a Machinery Directive data plate. What may not appear is any marking that could mislead third parties about the meaning or form of the CE marking.

After the mark: keeping the documentation

CE marking is not a one-time event. The technical file and Declaration of Conformity must stay available for years, kept current as the product or the applicable standards change, and produced on request. When products incorporate certified components, you also depend on your suppliers’ Declarations of Conformity staying current.

Keeping that documentation organised — each Declaration of Conformity and certificate attached to its product record, supplier DoCs collected in one place, and renewal dates tracked — is exactly what a certificate management platform is for. For the full context around these steps, see the CE marking guide.