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IATF-recognized automotive certification scheme · binding certification-scheme rules for IATF-recognized certification bodies

Rules for Achieving and Maintaining IATF Recognition — Sixth Edition

The sixth edition governs recognition and certification-body operation in the IATF 16949 certification scheme and changes selected audit and program expectations.

Published; effective January 1, 2025Binding on recognized certification bodies; certified organizations need to understand applicable scheme effects

What the authority record establishes

The sixth edition governs recognition and certification-body operation in the IATF 16949 certification scheme and changes selected audit and program expectations.

Binding on recognized certification bodies; certified organizations need to understand applicable scheme effects

The exact official title, issuing body, jurisdiction, version or application record, and linked source define the scope of this page. Readers should not transfer the authority's status to a commercial product or infer transaction-, patient-, system-, site-, or organization-specific applicability from this summary.

Why it matters to this market

Audit calendars, site structures, certification records, and provider workflows should not collapse scheme rules into the text of the organization requirements standard.

Affected operating stages

  • Certification Planning
  • Audit Scheduling
  • Site And Scope Records
  • Audit Execution
  • Nonconformity Follow-Up
  • Certificate Status

Capabilities to examine

Audit Planning And Findings

Ask how the system or service identifies the controlling source and version, applies customer-specific interpretation, handles exceptions, preserves human judgment, and retains evidence for audit planning and findings.

Nonconformance And Material Review

Ask how the system or service identifies the controlling source and version, applies customer-specific interpretation, handles exceptions, preserves human judgment, and retains evidence for nonconformance and material review.

Corrective Action And Root-Cause Workflow

Ask how the system or service identifies the controlling source and version, applies customer-specific interpretation, handles exceptions, preserves human judgment, and retains evidence for corrective action and root-cause workflow.

Controlled Documents And Workforce Qualification

Ask how the system or service identifies the controlling source and version, applies customer-specific interpretation, handles exceptions, preserves human judgment, and retains evidence for controlled documents and workforce qualification.

Affected buyer audiences

  • certification bodies
  • certified automotive organizations
  • scheme auditors
  • quality-system owners

Implementation questions

  • Which entities, products, populations, transactions, systems, sites, or jurisdictions are actually within scope?
  • What is binding, what is guidance, and what is a technical or consensus standard?
  • Which publication, adoption, effective, application, transition, and enforcement dates differ?
  • Who owns legal, clinical, quality, regulatory, policy, or operational interpretation?
  • How will a source revision affect open work and historical decisions?

Interpretation boundary

The publication does not provide certification-scheme advice or determine a certification body's or organization's obligations.