AS9100 certification in the United States

AS9100 certification in the US at a glance

AS9100 is the working language of American aerospace and defence supply chains. Prime contractors and their tiered suppliers expect it of machine shops, composite and electronics manufacturers and special-process houses, and the Federal Acquisition Regulation lists SAE AS9100 among its examples of higher-level quality standards that a contracting officer may require. The certificate is issued by a certification body operating under the International Aerospace Quality Group's scheme with the relevant accreditation; in the US, IAS runs an accreditation programme for aerospace quality management system certification bodies, and the IAQG maintains the Online Aerospace Supplier Information System (OASIS). AS9100 builds on ISO 9001 with requirements on configuration management, product safety, counterfeit parts prevention, production process verification and on-time delivery performance. Sterling, with 8,100+ client engagements in 60+ countries, prepares the QMS, the process evidence and the internal audit plan before the certification body arrives. Local questions follow.

Who needs AS9100 in the US, and what happens without it

In the US the question rarely comes from a law. It comes from the buyer, the regulator or the partner that wants proof before it signs. These are the organisations that get asked.

• Machine shops, composite and electronics manufacturers in aerospace supply chainsPrime contractors and tiered suppliers expect AS9100.
• Federal and defence contractorsFAR 46.202-4 lists SAE AS9100 among higher-level quality standards.
• Special-process and distribution suppliersAerospace customers check supplier certification.

AS9100 requirements in the US

Strip away the vocabulary and AS9100 asks a supplier to prove six things about delivering aerospace products safely and on time.

In the US these six sit alongside the local laws and regulations listed under drivers below; one system can evidence both. The detail is on the global hub: AS9100 explained →

How to get AS9100 certified in the US

One team from the New York office carries the work from scoping to certificate. Delivered from the New York office across the US, with remote delivery for teams in other time zones and on-site work as agreed.

1. Discovery call and scopeEntities, locations, regulators and target date, agreed before any proposal.
2. Gap assessment against AS9100 and the US requirements that apply to youControls you already run for your regulators and customers are reused, not rebuilt.
3. Your system built with your team in EffivityRisks, controls, evidence, incidents and reviews in one live system the auditor can see.
4. Internal audit, management review and corrective actionsYour internal auditors trained by Sterling; the evidence proven before the certification body arrives.
5. Certification body stage 1 and stage 2, then surveillanceAn accredited body audits and decides. Sterling supports the audits and the three-year cycle.

The Sterling Promise: 100% on-time completion, 100% success, 8,100+ client engagements.Sterling does not certify. Certification decisions stay with independent bodies.

How long does AS9100 certification take in the US?

There is no standard duration: it depends on your scope and on how much of the system already runs. In the US these are the factors that set the timeline.

• Number of sites and special processes in scope
• Existing ISO 9001 system to build on
• Configuration management and product safety evidence
• Customer-specific requirements

Sterling agrees a dated plan with you on the discovery call, once the scope is known.

• Scope and timeline estimator

How much does AS9100 certification cost in the US?

The cost has two parts: the consulting work to build and prove the system, and the certification body’s audit fees, which are quoted separately. In the US these factors move both.

• Number of sites and headcount in scope
• Special processes and outsourced operations
• Certification body audit fees quoted separately from consulting
• First-article and production process verification records

Sterling gives one customised, all-inclusive proposal after the discovery call, never before the scope is agreed.

AS9100 consultants and certification bodies in the US

Two different organisations are involved. A consultant helps you build the system and prove it works; an accredited certification body then audits or assesses it and decides. Keeping the two separate is what makes the result credible to buyers and regulators.

• Check that the body’s accreditation or approval covers AS9100 and your sector, and that its certificates can be verified online.
• Ask the consultant how the local requirements in the US are mapped into the same system, so nothing runs twice.
• Ask for client references in your sector; Sterling’s client letters are available on request.
• Agree who owns the evidence and the tool after the engagement; with Sterling the system stays yours, in Effivity.

AS9100 in the US: questions clients ask

More on AS9100 for US organisations

• AS9100: the complete guide
• Watch: How to implement AS9100
• Sterling in New York
• AS9100 certification in the US and every other standard Sterling delivers there

Other standards US businesses ask Sterling for

Organisations in the US often combine AS9100 with one of these, under one management system where the scopes allow.

All 23 standards Sterling delivers in the United States →