CCTV Essential Requirements (ER) Certification
Since 1 April 2026, no IP CCTV camera may be sold in India unless it meets MeitY’s Essential Requirements for security, tested to ER-01 and covered by a BIS registration. We prepare the file, book the lab tests and file on the BIS portal for makers and importers.
What it is
CCTV ER certification is the proof that a camera model meets the Essential Requirement(s) for Security of CCTV notified by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on 9 April 2024. The ERs cover secure firmware and updates, no hard-coded passwords or hidden backdoors, encrypted communication, tamper resistance and vulnerability testing.
The ERs sit inside the Electronics and Information Technology Goods (Requirements for Compulsory Registration) Order, which BIS runs as the Compulsory Registration Scheme (CRS). You need two test reports for each camera series: one against ER-01 for security, one against IS 13252 (Part 1): 2010 for safety. Then comes a BIS registration, or an inclusion in your existing one, under Scheme II of Schedule II of the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018. It is a narrower job than general BIS CRS registration, and it overlaps with the security testing explained on our STQC certification page.
Who it applies to
You make IP cameras in India
Your own brand or someone else’s, it makes no difference. Every series of network (IP) cameras needs ER-01 and IS 13252 reports before registration.
You import or own a foreign brand
A foreign manufacturer registers through an Authorised Indian Representative (AIR) in India. The importer cannot clear or sell unregistered, non-ER models.
You already hold a CCTV licence
Brands that already held CCTV registrations before April 2024 had to add CCTV ER certification to them through ER test reports.
Why it matters
Your cameras stay sellable
MeitY withdrew the stock relaxation by an office memorandum dated 16 January 2026. From 1 April 2026, CCTV cameras that do not conform to the ERs cannot be sold.
Tenders and large buyers ask for it
Buyers on government tenders and large projects ask for the BIS registration number and ER compliance before they order.
Your customers’ video stays private
The ERs target the weak spots, like default passwords and unsigned firmware, that let outsiders into camera networks.
Documents required
About the business
- Certificate of incorporation or other business registration, with address proof
- Authority letter for the signatory, signed by the CEO
- Trademark certificate or application for the brand, with brand-owner authorisation where it differs
- AIR nomination and affidavit for a foreign manufacturer
About the camera
- ER-01 test report from a recognised third-party lab
- Test report to IS 13252 (Part 1): 2010
- Software and hardware bill of materials
- Model list with similarities and differences across the series
For the BIS portal
- Online-generated application form, signed and sealed
- Undertakings in the BIS format
- Fee payment
- For analog models, a self-declaration that the model is analog
How it works
Sort models into IP and analog
We confirm whether each model is an IP or analog camera, and whether it is a new registration or an inclusion in an existing licence. Analog and IP models go in separate applications.
Raise the test request
We raise the ER-01 and IS 13252 test requests on the BIS portal and help you send samples to a recognised lab within 60 days of the request.
Prepare the technical file
In practice, the lab report is rarely what holds things up. A missing brand authorisation is. So while the lab tests, we collect the bills of materials, series details and brand papers.
File within 90 days of the report
We verify the reports and submit the application within 90 days of their issue, then answer BIS queries until it is granted.
Mark the label and diarise renewal
We check your Standard Mark label and diarise renewal, since a CRS registration is valid for two years.
Analog vs IP cameras at a glance
| IP / network camera | Analog camera | |
|---|---|---|
| Security ER (ER-01) | Required | Not applicable (MeitY, 12 March 2025) |
| Safety test | IS 13252 (Part 1): 2010 | IS 13252 (Part 1): 2010 |
| BIS application | Separate from analog models | Separate, with self-declaration of analog type |
| Sale of non-compliant stock | Not allowed from 1 April 2026 | ER does not apply; CRS registration still needed |
Here is the catch for mixed ranges. Picture a Faridabad brand that sells both analog and IP cameras. It cannot file them together: the analog models go in one application with a self-declaration, the IP models in another with ER-01 reports. Existing licensees had until 9 April 2025 to declare analog models through the Standard Revision/Amendment/Essential Requirement module, and undeclared models without ER compliance were to be deleted.
Timelines
9 April 2024
MeitY notifies the Essential Requirements for security of CCTV cameras.
9 April 2025
No new BIS licence for CCTV cameras without ER compliance; existing licensees had to comply by this date.
1 April 2026
The relaxation for stock made or imported before 9 April 2025 ends. Non-ER cameras can no longer be sold.
What happens if you sell non-ER cameras
Prosecution under the BIS Act
Section 29(3) of the BIS Act, 2016 allows imprisonment up to two years. It also allows a fine of at least ₹2 lakh (₹5 lakh for a repeat offence), which can go up to ten times the value of the goods.
Models dropped from your licence
BIS deletes models without ER compliance from the registration. They cannot carry the Standard Mark or be sold.
Stuck stock and lost orders
Say an importer landed a container of IP cameras in early 2025 and still holds half of it. Since 1 April 2026, that half cannot be sold here.
Frequently asked questions
Is ER certification mandatory for all CCTV cameras in India?
Yes for IP and network cameras, no for analog ones. MeitY’s Essential Requirements for security apply to CCTV cameras covered by the Compulsory Registration Order, and since 1 April 2026 non-conforming cameras cannot be sold. MeitY clarified on 12 March 2025 that the ER does not apply to analog CCTV cameras, though they still need BIS registration with an IS 13252 (Part 1) safety report. Sort your models into the two groups first and the rest of the process is clear.
What is ER-01?
ER-01 is the test request and report on the BIS portal for the Essential Requirements for security of CCTV. BIS opened this option in its implementation guidelines of 22 October 2024. A recognised third-party lab tests the camera against the ERs and issues the report, which you attach to your BIS application with the IS 13252 (Part 1): 2010 safety report. Once both reports are in hand, the filing itself is routine.
Do I still need BIS registration if I have an ER test report?
Yes. The ER-01 report is only evidence; the legal permission to sell is the BIS registration under the Compulsory Registration Scheme. Both reports go in together, for a new registration or an inclusion in your existing one. The registration number then goes on the Standard Mark on each camera. We file both parts together so the model numbers match across documents.
How long does CCTV ER certification take?
Most of the time goes in lab testing and BIS queries. The portal fixes two windows: samples go to the lab within 60 days of the test request, and the application must be filed within 90 days of the report’s issue date. Starting the paperwork while the samples are in the lab saves several weeks.
What happens to cameras imported before 9 April 2025?
They can no longer be sold if they do not meet the ERs. MeitY had allowed stock made or imported before 9 April 2025 to be cleared, but withdrew that relaxation by an office memorandum of 16 January 2026, with effect from 1 April 2026. Non-ER stock cannot be sold in India at all. If you hold such stock, talk to us early and we will get the replacement models registered fast.
Can a foreign CCTV brand apply directly?
Not without an Indian representative. A manufacturer outside India nominates an Authorised Indian Representative (AIR), such as its branch or liaison office, the Indian brand owner or another nominated entity. The AIR signs a nomination form and an affidavit on ₹100 non-judicial stamp paper. We can act as your filing team alongside the AIR.
What does BIS charge for adding ER compliance to an existing licence?
BIS charges ₹30,000 plus applicable taxes per application, which includes one test report. Each additional test report costs ₹20,000 plus taxes. A brand new CRS registration costs ₹27,000 in BIS fees. Grouping models into series in line with BIS series guidelines keeps the number of test reports, and the fees, down.
Who actually tests the camera?
A third-party lab recognised for the purpose tests the camera; Taxhint does not. Our role is the eligibility check, the test request on the BIS portal, the technical file, the application and BIS queries. The lab runs the ER-01 security tests and the IS 13252 (Part 1) safety tests and issues the reports. Keeping the paperwork with one team means the lab’s report and your application never contradict each other.
How long is the BIS registration valid and what about renewal?
A CRS registration is valid for two years and must be renewed before it expires. The renewal fee is ₹27,000 in BIS fees, the same as a new registration. Each registered camera carries the Standard Mark with its IS number and registration number. We diarise the expiry date so renewal is filed well before the last day.
What it costs
Our fee plus the government fee that applies to your case, quoted before you commit. Tell us the situation and we will price it exactly.
Government fees published by BIS (applicable taxes extra):
| Item | BIS fee |
|---|---|
| New CRS registration (application, processing, registration) | ₹27,000 |
| Existing licensee adding ER compliance, per application (one test report included) | ₹30,000 |
| Each additional test report | ₹20,000 |
The lab bills its ER-01 and IS 13252 testing charges separately.
Ready to begin?
Send us your model list. We will tell you which cameras need CCTV ER certification and file them on the BIS portal.