# Inspection Certificate: Building Code Definition

> How the IBC 2009 define inspection certificate, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.

- Canonical: https://harth.build/resources/glossary/inspection-certificate/
- Last updated: 2026-09-07
- Data source: Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) publishes the current model text and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Defined in | IBC 2009 (2009 editions transcribed in this corpus) |
| Primary source | IBC 2009 Structural Tests and Special Inspections (model text, not a jurisdiction's adopted text) |
| Chapters using the term | 2 (counted across the codes hosted here) |
| Wording identical across codes | Single code (compare before citing one code's wording under another) |

## Direct answer

Inspection certificate is a defined term in the International Building Code (IBC) 2009, in Structural Tests and Special Inspections. The code's own words are: “An identification applied on a product by an approved agency containing the name of the manufacturer, the function and performance characteristics, and the name and identification of an approved agency that indicates that the product or material has been inspected and evaluated by an approved agency(see Section 1703.5 and Label, Manufacturer's designation and Mark).” No other I-Code in this corpus defines it, so the IBC 2009 definition is the one to work from. The term is used in 2 chapters of this corpus, most often in Definitions (IBC 2009), Structural Tests and Special Inspections (IBC 2009). These pages transcribe the 2009 model text; verify the definition against the edition and amendments your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.

*Content and cited inputs reviewed by [Scott Barrington](https://nz.linkedin.com/in/barrington), Harth founder and architectural technology specialist · Published 2026-09-07 · Updated 2026-09-07.*

## What does this term mean?

**Inspection Certificate** — IBC 2009, Structural Tests and Special Inspections:

> An identification applied on a product by an approved agency containing the name of the manufacturer, the function and performance characteristics, and the name and identification of an approved agency that indicates that the product or material has been inspected and evaluated by an approved agency(see Section 1703.5 and Label, Manufacturer's designation and Mark).

![Labeled code-term definition diagram: Inspection Certificate: Building Code Definition](https://efwwel0vyt9vy5so.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/images/glossary/inspection-certificate/diagram-1344.webp)

*How the IBC 2009 define inspection certificate, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.*

## What must be verified before using this guidance?

**Inspection Certificate** is defined once in this corpus, in the [Structural Tests and Special Inspections](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/structural-tests-and-special-inspections.md) chapter of the International Building Code (IBC) 2009:

> An identification applied on a product by an approved agency containing the name of the manufacturer, the function and performance characteristics, and the name and identification of an approved agency that indicates that the product or material has been inspected and evaluated by an approved agency(see Section 1703.5 and Label, Manufacturer's designation and Mark).

## Where inspection certificate is used in the code

The term appears in 2 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.

| Chapter | Code | Mentions |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Definitions](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/definitions.md) | IBC 2009 | 4 |
| [Structural Tests and Special Inspections](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/structural-tests-and-special-inspections.md) | IBC 2009 | 1 |

## Inspection Certificate compared with Label

These two are the closest pair in the 2009 I-Codes: about 70 per cent of their defining words are the same. The code states both and compares neither, so the difference is worth naming.

| | Wording unique to it |
| --- | --- |
| **Inspection Certificate** (IBC 2009) | containing, inspected, label |
| [Label](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/label.md) (IBC 2009) | contains, representative, sample, tested, inspection, certificate |

Everything else in the two definitions is shared. If a project turns on which of the two applies, those words are the whole of the test — and a local amendment that edits one of them without editing the other moves the boundary between inspection certificate and label.

## The terms inspection certificate is built out of

The definition above leans on 4 other defined terms. Each carries its own code definition, and a local amendment to any of them changes what inspection certificate covers:

- **[Manufacturer's Designation](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/manufacturer-s-designation.md)** — IBC 2009: An identification applied on a product by the manufacturer indicating that a product or material complies with a specified standard or set of rules (see also "Inspection certificate," "Label' and" Mark").
- **[Approved Agency](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/approved-agency.md)** — IBC 2009: An established and recognized agency regularly engaged in conducting tests or furnishing inspection services, when such agency has been approved.
- **[Approved](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/approved.md)** — IBC 2009: Acceptable to the code official or authority having jurisdiction.
- **[Label](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/label.md)** — IBC 2009: An identification applied on a product by the manufacturer that contains the name of the manufacturer, the function and performance characteristics of the product or material, and the name and identification of an approved agency and that indicates that the …

## Inspection Certificate: what to open, and in what order

Every row is a document this term depends on. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) cover the middle rows.

| Check | Where | Confirmed |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Read the definition in the adopted IBC | Structural Tests and Special Inspections | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Definitions (IBC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Structural Tests and Special Inspections (IBC 2009) | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Manufacturer's Designation | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Approved Agency | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Approved | |
| Local amendment to any of the above | Jurisdiction's amendment list | |

**A research aid, not a code determination.** The authority having jurisdiction decides which edition and which amendments apply.

## Where can you explore related guidance?

- [Explore all glossary guidance](https://harth.build/resources/glossary.md)
- [Manufacturer's Designation: Building Code Definition](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/manufacturer-s-designation.md)
- [Approved Agency: Building Code Definition](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/approved-agency.md)
- [Approved: Building Code Definition](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/approved.md)
- [Label: Building Code Definition](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/label.md)

## Sources and method

Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) publishes the current model text and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.

### Source links

- [codes.iccsafe.org](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes)

- [iccsafe.org](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/)

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the code definition of inspection certificate?

The International Building Code (IBC) 2009 defines it in Structural Tests and Special Inspections as: “An identification applied on a product by an approved agency containing the name of the manufacturer, the function and performance characteristics, and the name and identification of an approved agency that indicates that the product or material has been inspected and evaluated by an approved agency(see Section 1703.5 and Label, Manufacturer's designation and Mark).” The 2009 model text is reproduced here; the definition that binds your project is the one in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted, as amended locally.

### Which parts of the code depend on inspection certificate?

In this corpus the term is used across 2 chapters, led by Definitions in the IBC 2009. Those are the sections whose scope moves if the definition is amended locally, so read them together with Chapter 2 rather than on their own.

### What does a building inspection consist of?

Building is a separate defined term. The IBC 2009 defines it as: “Any structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy.” That is not the same as inspection certificate, which the IBC 2009 defines as “An identification applied on a product by an approved agency containing the name of the manufacturer, the function and performance characteristics, and the name and identification of an approved agency that indicates that the product or material has been inspected …” — read both before applying either, and confirm the wording in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted.

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