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FCCUnited StatesUSB hubs

Do USB hubs need FCC certification?

Updated

Short answer

No certification, but SDoC authorization is required.

A USB hub is a peripheral to a computer under 47 CFR 15.3(r), and it is a digital device because it handles high-speed data and clock signals. 47 CFR 15.101 lets Class B peripherals be authorized by Supplier's Declaration of Conformity (SDoC) or certification. Nearly all hubs go the SDoC route: lab testing, a compliance statement in the box, and no filing with the FCC.

What changes the answer

  • Class B, not Class A. A hub marketed for home or general use is a Class B device with the tighter limits. Class A limits apply only to equipment marketed for commercial, industrial or business use.
  • Docks with radios. A docking station or hub with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or a wireless charging pad contains an intentional radiator that must be certified (15.201(b)), or use a certified module.
  • Power adapter. A powered hub sold with an AC adapter needs that adapter authorized as a Class B external switching power supply.
  • Passive adapters. A simple USB-A to USB-C adapter with only wires and resistors has no clock or digital logic and is generally not a digital device. Hubs, card readers and USB-C to HDMI adapters do contain digital logic.
  • Covered List. Equipment produced by an entity on the FCC Covered List must be certified and cannot use SDoC (15.103(j)).

What to do

  1. Test the hub at an EMC lab to the Part 15 Subpart B Class B limits, configured as used: connected to a host computer with typical peripherals attached.
  2. Supply the compliance information statement required by 47 CFR 2.1077: product name and model, the Part 15 statement, and the U.S. responsible party's name, address and phone or web contact.
  3. Print the 15.19 two-condition statement on the hub. If it is too small for legible 4-point text, put it in the manual and on the packaging or a removable label.
  4. 15.105(b) requires Class B digital devices to include the FCC interference advisory text in the user manual.
  5. Keep the test report. The SDoC responsible party must be able to produce it.
HTS line for USB hubs
  • 8471.80.10.00

    8471: Automatic data processing machines and units thereof; magnetic or optical readers, machines for transcribing data onto data media in coded form and machines for processing such data, not elsewhere specified or included

    Other units of automatic data processing machines / Control or adapter units

    Control or adapter units of automatic data processing machines. CBP has placed USB hubs here; docks with other functions may classify elsewhere.

    General rate
    Free

Next steps

Frequently asked questions

Is a USB hub exempt as a passive add-on device?
Generally no. The 15.103(g) exemption covers devices such as a joystick or mouse that contain only non-digital circuitry or a simple converter circuit. A hub that repeats USB signals uses digital techniques and is a peripheral subject to authorization.
Who is the responsible party for an imported hub?
The importer, under 47 CFR 2.909(b)(2), unless a U.S. retailer or OEM agrees to assume the role. The responsible party must be located in the United States.
Can I use the FCC logo on a USB hub?
Yes, voluntarily, on SDoC equipment (47 CFR 2.1074(b)). It does not replace the compliance information statement.

Sources

  1. 47 CFR 15.101, Equipment authorization of unintentional radiators, eCFR, National Archives
  2. 47 CFR 15.3, Definitions, eCFR, National Archives
  3. 47 CFR 2.1077, Compliance information for SDoC, eCFR, National Archives
  4. 47 CFR 15.105, Information to the user, eCFR, National Archives

This is general information drawn from the official sources linked above. It is not legal advice. Rules change and often turn on the facts of your product, so confirm your test plan with an accredited lab and your obligations with qualified counsel before you import or sell.