United States Electrical Product Safety Standards

It is voluntary for importers to comply with electrical product safety standards in the United States. Those standards provided a guideline on how to ensure that your AC adapters are safe to use.

Remember that you are liable for any injury or property damage caused by your product. So, even though such standards are voluntary, following them helps you to ensure that your products are safe.

Underwriter Laboratories (UL) is a worldwide-recognized product safety testing and certification lab, and it has established an extensive database of electrical product safety standards. Many suppliers include UL marking on their AC adapters to ensure compliance.

UL Standards

Here are some standards that apply to AC adapters:

• UL 60950-1 – General Requirements

• UL 1310 – Standard for Class 2 Power Units

• UL 1012 – Standard for Power Units Other Than Class 2

• UL 817 – Standard for Cord Sets and Power-Supply Cords

For different types of AC adapters, click here for more applicable UL standards.

UL Certification

UL Listing: To indicate that the product is tested by UL and satisfies UL standards. Note: UL listing product is popular for many startups business to avoid non-compliant products.

UL Recognition: UL Recognition applies to “associated-product to perform an end-task” which includes AC adapter. You can often find the UL Recognition Mark on AC adapters on the market.

UL Classification: To indicate that the product meets UL safety requirements for certain properties.