What's the difference between the UL, CSA, and ETL Listed Marks?

All three Listed Marks—UL, CSA, and ETL—are Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories (NRTLs) approved to perform safety testing and issue certification marks by the U.S. federal agency Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

The Listed Marks indicate that the products have been tested by an independent third party and have been verified to meet consensus safety standards. Any accredited Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) can be used by a manufacturer to evaluate the product. Here’s more information about each one:

  • The UL Mark: There are two UL (Underwriters Laboratories) marks: UL recognition is for components and UL Listed is for stand-alone products. The UL Listed seal is a global safety certification that means the product has been tested by UL to nationally recognized safety and sustainability standards. The mark also indicates that production sites meet a range of safety compliance measures and are subject to periodic follow-up inspections to verify continued compliance.
  • The CSA Mark: The CSA (Canadian Standards Association) registered mark shows that a product has been independently tested and certified to meet recognized standards for safety or performance. The mark also indicates that production sites meet a range of safety compliance measures and are subject to periodic follow-up inspections to verify continued compliance.
  • The ETL Mark: The ETL (Edison Testing Laboratory) Mark shows that a product has been tested and certified by ETL to be in compliance with set safety standards in the United States and Canada. The mark also indicates that production sites meet a range of safety compliance measures and are subject to periodic follow-up inspections to verify continued compliance. The ETL certification process timeline can be faster than that of  UL certification.