ISO released the new revision of ISO/IEC 17020 Requirements for bodies performing inspection on March 27, 2026. At the National Accreditation Center (NAC), we’ve outlined below how inspection bodies applying for accreditation for the first time, along with the inspection bodies we already accredit, will move to the new edition.
For inspection bodies applying for accreditation for the first time
The key date for organizations seeking new accreditation is October 1, 2026. Applications that reach NAC on or before this date can, on request, be assessed against ISO/IEC 17020:2012. Every new application we receive from October 1, 2026 onward will be processed directly under ISO/IEC 17020:2026.
If an organization completes its 2012-edition application by October 1, 2026, its initial accreditation assessment will be carried out against ISO/IEC 17020:2012 provided the organization requests that assessment before May 1, 2027. Once accredited on this basis, the body’s first surveillance and/or scope-extension assessment will then be conducted under ISO/IEC 17020:2026, completing its transition. Any initial accreditation application whose on-site assessment cannot be completed by May 1, 2027 will be closed as unsuccessful, and the organization will need to reapply directly under ISO/IEC 17020:2026.
For currently accredited inspection bodies
Inspection bodies that NAC already accredits are expected to complete their preparations for the new edition by August 1, 2027. From that point forward, every initial accreditation, surveillance, scope-extension, and reaccreditation assessment will be conducted under ISO/IEC 17020:2026, and the transition to the standard will be handled through these assessments. Any body that has not moved its accreditation to ISO/IEC 17020:2026 by February 27, 2029 will have its ISO/IEC 17020:2012 accreditation suspended for up to three months. If a body cannot complete the transition within that period, its accreditation under the 2012 edition will be withdrawn, and the body will need to apply for accreditation again.
During the transition period
Throughout the transition, ISO/IEC 17020:2026 and ISO/IEC 17020:2012 are treated as equally valid and applicable.
What’s new in the revision
The revision is designed to make the requirements for inspection bodies clearer and to strengthen alignment with the common CASCO elements defined in CAS/PROC 33 and with the ISO/IEC 17000 family of standards, and it introduces several conceptual changes. The areas where the impact is most noticeable include strengthened requirements for impartiality and confidentiality (Clause 4), expanded provisions covering the competence, impartiality, and confidentiality of personnel (Clause 6.1), and reworked procedures for appeals (Clause 7.5) and complaints (Clause 7.6). The most significant structural change is to the independence model for inspection bodies: the classification previously defined as Type A, Type B, and Type C has been streamlined into “Type A” and “Non–Type A,” prompting organizations to reassess their level of independence, organizational relationships, and potential conflicts of interest.