The Assurance Desk
Part of the guide What does ISO 27001 certification take, and who can certify you?
Where can you check a UKAS accredited certificate?
UKAS CertCheck is free to use and open to the public. It helps verify claims of UKAS accredited management systems certification, including certificates issued outside the UK.
Keep the supplier’s certificate to hand while you search. Compare the result with the company, service and locations you plan to buy from. Ask the issuer about any mismatch.
Start with the real UKAS CertCheck search
Use the search box to look for the supplier. This screenshot shows the starting screen, not a certificate or a verification result. Confirm any unclear details with the body that issued the certificate.
UKAS CertCheck, © United Kingdom Accreditation Service Ltd. Cropped for this editorial walkthrough. Captured 7 October 2026. View full size
What is the difference between certification and accreditation?
Certification checks an organisation, product or person against a standard. Accreditation checks the competence and impartiality of the body doing that checking. For a management system certificate, look at both.
Check the certificate and the checker
- Accreditation body Assesses the competence and impartiality of the certification body.Assesses
- Certification body Audits the organisation against a standard.Certifies
- Supplier Holds certification for the scope shown.
if certification bodies are ‘the checkers’ then UKAS’s role as the government-appointed National Accreditation Body is to ‘check the checkers’.
What should you compare?
UKAS recommends checking that the accreditation body is recognised, that the certification body holds the right accreditation, and that it actually issued the certificate. The UKAS schedule lists the activities covered by an issuer’s accreditation.
| Check | What to establish |
|---|---|
| Company and locations | Does the certificate cover the supplier and sites involved in your purchase? |
| Standard and work covered | Does the certified work match the service you need? |
| Current status | Can CertCheck or the issuer confirm that the certification remains valid? |
| Issuer’s accreditation | Does its accreditation cover this management system standard? |
| Unclear details | Can the issuing body confirm the certificate directly? |
What if you cannot find a match?
Ask the supplier for the certificate and issuer details, then verify them directly. UKAS gives the issuer’s website or direct contact as routes to confirm a certificate.
Keep unaccredited certification separate from a false claim of accreditation. UKAS says accreditation is voluntary in many sectors, so an unaccredited certificate is not automatically illegal. Ask what your contract or tender requires and whether the certificate meets it.
For ongoing checks, a free CertCheck account can send alerts when the tracked certification’s accredited status changes.
What to do
- Get the certificate and identify its issuing body.
- Check claimed UKAS accredited certification in CertCheck.
- Check the issuer’s accreditation covers the relevant standard.
- Ask the issuer directly to resolve missing or conflicting details.
Common questions
Does UKAS itself issue the supplier’s certification?
Certification bodies audit organisations. UKAS assesses certification bodies for accreditation, including their competence and impartiality.
Does no match prove that a certificate is fake?
Use the issuer’s website or contact it directly to verify the certificate. Also distinguish a false accreditation claim from unaccredited certification, which is not automatically illegal.
Where next
Sources
- UKAS, CertCheck, checked 7 October 2026
- UKAS, Frequently Asked Questions, checked 7 October 2026
- UKAS, Accreditation vs Certification: What's the difference?, checked 7 October 2026
This is an independent editorial guide, not legal advice.