CodeMark Certificates and NCC 2025: What Changes for Imported Building Products in Australia

A CodeMark Certificate of Conformity is one of the ways an imported building product in Australia can be shown to meet the National Construction Code (NCC), and many buyers ask what happens to a certificate now that NCC 2025 exists. The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) has published guidance on exactly that question: the publication of NCC 2025 does not automatically invalidate existing CodeMark certificates, but a certificate can only be relied on to the extent the relevant requirements did not change. This guide sets out what that guidance says and what it means for a product bought from a Chinese maker.

It is a reading guide, not legal or certification advice. It was written from ABCB web pages that we read on 7 October 2026, and it does not describe the technical changes in NCC 2025, which we did not review for this guide. Rules and guidance change, so confirm the current ABCB text and your building control authority’s position before you rely on a certificate.

What is a CodeMark certificate, and what is it not?

ABCB describes the CodeMark Certification Scheme as a voluntary certification scheme administered by the ABCB. It supports the use of new or innovative building products in specified circumstances in Australia by providing a nationally accepted process for demonstrating compliance with the NCC. A Certificate of Conformity is, in the words of the ABCB “What is CodeMark?” page, one of several options available for meeting the “evidence of suitability” requirements of the NCC.

The same page says the obligations on building control authorities to accept a Certificate of Conformity are determined by state or territory legislation, policy or directive, and that you should check with your building control authority whether a certificate is an appropriate form of evidence for the specific product and project. So a certificate is evidence, not a licence to install, and its value on a given job depends on who is approving that job.

The ABCB “Certifying a product” page adds that Certificates of Conformity can only be issued for products that need to comply with the NCC, and that fees for certification are a commercial arrangement between the applicant and the certification body. Product scope matters: a certificate covers the product and the use described in it, not a maker’s whole range.

What does ABCB say about NCC 2025 and existing certificates?

The ABCB page “CodeMark certificates and NCC 2025” (NCC site) makes these points, which we summarise closely from the text.

• The publication of NCC 2025 does not automatically invalidate existing CodeMark certificates.
• Under NCC Governing Requirement A5G3, existing documentary evidence such as certificates or reports remains valid across NCC editions where the relevant technical requirements are unchanged.
• Where the relevant technical requirements remain unchanged, certificates continue to be valid and can be relied on across editions, and they do not have to be routinely reissued solely to update the NCC edition reference.
• Certificates may need to be reviewed or updated where NCC 2025 introduces new or more stringent requirements that affect the certified product, and this is assessed case by case.
• Where requirements have changed between editions, reliance on an existing certificate is limited to the extent of that difference.
• Because the NCC is adopted at different times across states and territories, recognition issues may arise during the transition, although CodeMark certification is based on the national NCC and is not driven by jurisdiction-specific adoption dates.
• Practitioners should confirm the scope of a certificate and assess whether NCC 2025 introduces any changes relevant to the product before relying on it.

The ABCB NCC 2025 page states that NCC 2025 was released on 1 May 2026 and that states and territories can adopt it from that date, subject to jurisdictional implementation arrangements. For the adoption date in each state, see our guide to NCC 2025 adoption dates by state.

What this means in practice for an imported product

The guidance points to three questions to answer for each imported product, and none of them can be answered by a maker’s sales sheet.

• Does the certificate cover this exact product and use? Read the scope in the certificate itself: the product name or model, the intended use, and the NCC provisions it addresses. A certificate for one profile series does not cover a different series from the same factory.
• Did the requirement behind that provision change in NCC 2025? ABCB says this is assessed case by case. Ask the designer or certifier to compare the provisions the certificate cites with NCC 2025, rather than assuming either that nothing changed or that everything did.
• Will the approver accept it? Acceptance is set by state or territory arrangements, so ask the building surveyor or certifier for the project in writing before you order.

A certificate is also only as useful as the match between the certified product and what is shipped. Ask the maker to state in the order that the supplied product is the one named in the certificate, and keep a copy of the certificate with the project records.

How to check a CodeMark certificate before ordering

The ABCB “Check a product” page says a register of CodeMark Certificates of Conformity is kept on the JAS-ANZ website, that the register is updated as new certificates are issued or existing ones are amended or withdrawn, and that PDF versions of certificates issued under the CodeMark Australia scheme are available through the register. A certificate that a maker emails to you should therefore be matched against the register entry.

• Find the entry: search the register for the certificate number and the holder’s name.
• Compare the PDF: check that the product, scope and dates in the register copy match the copy you were sent.
• Check the status: the register shows amended or withdrawn certificates, so a certificate that has been withdrawn will not look different on an emailed copy.
• Check the holder: confirm that the holder is the maker you are buying from, or that the holder’s arrangement with the maker is documented.
• Record the check: note the date of the register check in the project file.

If the product has no CodeMark certificate

ABCB’s page lists a Certificate of Conformity as one of several options for showing evidence of suitability, so the lack of a CodeMark certificate does not by itself mean a product cannot be used. Other forms of evidence exist under the NCC, and which is acceptable is a matter for the project’s designer and building approver. Our guide to whether building materials from China can comply with the NCC covers how this is usually approached, and our guide to window and door export certifications by market compares the certificates asked for in different countries.

If the product is a window, door or glazing product, see also our guides to AS 2047 testing and certification and WERS window ratings. Some products are regulated through other routes, so ask your certifier which one applies to each product group.

What to put in an enquiry for a certified product

• Certificate number and holder: ask for it with the quotation, not after the order.
• Scope statement: ask the maker to confirm in writing that the quoted model and use are within the certificate’s scope.
• Edition basis: ask which NCC edition the certificate refers to, and whether the certificate holder has confirmed anything about NCC 2025.
• Approver confirmation: ask your own building surveyor or certifier whether they will accept the certificate for the project.
• Labelling and records: ask what marking or documents will travel with the shipment so site staff can match the product to the certificate.
• Substitutions: state that no change of model, material or component is to be made without written approval.

Next steps for an Australian building products package

Put the certificate questions in the brief for every maker, and compare the answers line by line. FBM Sourcing manages procurement packages for overseas projects; for background on how that works for builders in Australia, see how Australian commercial builders source from China. FBM Sourcing also runs FBM Furniture’s compliance pages for furniture-only packages.

Questions buyers ask about CodeMark and NCC 2025

Is a CodeMark certificate invalid because NCC 2025 has been published?

According to ABCB guidance, no. Publication of NCC 2025 does not automatically invalidate existing CodeMark certificates, and under NCC Governing Requirement A5G3 existing evidence remains valid across editions where the relevant technical requirements are unchanged.

When does a CodeMark certificate need to be reviewed or updated?

ABCB says a certificate may need review or update where NCC 2025 introduces new or more stringent requirements that affect the certified product, and that this is assessed case by case. Where requirements changed, reliance on the existing certificate is limited to the extent of the difference.

Do certificates have to be reissued to show the new NCC edition?

ABCB says they do not have to be routinely reissued solely to update the NCC edition reference, and that in most cases existing certificates remain fit for purpose.

Will every building surveyor accept a CodeMark certificate?

Not necessarily. ABCB states that the obligation on building control authorities to accept a Certificate of Conformity is determined by state or territory legislation, policy or directive, so ask the approver for the project.

How does FBM Sourcing support an Australian product package?

We review the brief, collect comparable quotations and manage the package for the project. For suppliers you nominate, we charge a 5% commission; for products we source for you, we quote a direct price. Our own team performs one inspection after bulk production is complete and before shipment, and the client’s project team is welcome to attend.

FBM Sourcing manages the entire China procurement package for overseas construction projects. We work with Developers · General Contractors · Builders · Commercial Project Owners · Interior Design & Construction Companies · FF&E Solution Providers.