Hi Scott:
Regarding local requirements in a state, county or city, how can they buy a
product for particular state, county or city? Normally we sell the product to
whole country and it sounds strange to me. What is the normal practice to
restrict the movement of the imported products from one state to the other?
There are no requirements that would restrict state, county, or city
distribution of products. (Indeed, there are no certification requirements that
would restrict importation of electrical products to the USA.) Local
authorities (state, county, or city) inspect electrical installations. In
addition to the construction (to NEC requirements), the products that are used
in the construction are inspected for the required certification mark. So,
equipment that is permanently installed at the time of construction are
inspected. If the equipment is not permanently installed (cord-connected) and
installed after the construction is completed and inspected (signed off), the
equipment is not likely to be inspected. Note that the local law still
requires ALL electrical equipment to be certified. However, certification
enforcement of cord-connected products is lax or non-existent.
Electricians that do the installation are required (by the local law) to be
licensed. This means that they can do the work with minimum inspection by the
local authorities. In some localities, a licensed electrician must do all the
work, and you and I cannot (but this is difficult to enforce, especially since
anyone can buy electrical construction materials).
A long time ago, a German printing press was red-tagged (could not be connected
to the mains supply) because it did not have an accepted certification. Same
for a TV film processor. Both were intended for permanent connection to the
mains, and therefore subject to inspection.
On the other hand, during construction of a TV studio, cord-connected equipment
was being installed at the same time, and it was red-tagged for lack of
certification.
The universally accepted certification mark is UL. Other marks are now being
accepted in most jurisdictions. Now, with the advent of the NEC specifying
NRTL certification, we can expect any NRTL to be accepted.
Hope this helps you understand the USA certification situation.
Best regards,
Rich
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