Legal status and recognitions
Who ISAO is, and what ISAO accreditation is and is not.
Statement of status
International Standards Accreditation Organization (ISAO) is an independent organisation, established in 2024. It certifies management systems against international standards and issues certificates of registration. Through ISAO-BAR it also accredits certification bodies and training organisations, and it also administers an auditor registration scheme. ISAO works independently and impartially, under published rules. ISAO certification or accreditation is not a government approval, and ISAO is not a member of, or recognised by, any international accreditation forum unless listed under Recognitions on this page.
ISAO publishes its legal details and a plain statement of what its accreditation means, so that anyone relying on a certificate issued under ISAO accreditation can judge it for themselves.
What ISAO accreditation is
- A decision by ISAO, under its published rules, that a certification body is competent to certify management systems within a stated scope
- Based on a document review, an office assessment and witnessed audits, and kept under surveillance at least once a year
- Recorded on a public register, where every certificate issued under ISAO accreditation can be checked
What ISAO accreditation is not
- It is not a government approval or licence. ISAO is not a government body or regulator.
- It is not membership of, or recognition by, the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), UKAS or any other accreditation body, unless listed under recognitions on this page.
- It is not a certification of any product or service.
- It does not replace any certification, licence or approval that a law or regulator requires.
Recognitions
ISAO lists a recognition, membership or agreement on this page only when it holds written evidence of it. If none is listed, there is none to report.
No external recognitions are listed.
Legal details
The legal details of International Standards Accreditation Organization are set out below.
- Legal name
- International Standards Accreditation Organization
- Trading names
- ISAO; ISAO-BAR (Bureau of Accredited Registrars)
- Registered office
- 22 Wenlock RoadLondonN1 7GUUnited Kingdom