Why get certified

ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 are the three most widely certified management system standards in the world. This page summarises their history, how widespread they are, who adopts them and what each standard is designed to support. All figures come from public sources listed at the bottom of the page.

ISO 9001 – Quality management

First published:

History

  • First published by ISO in 1987, based largely on the British standard BS 5750; revised in 1994, 2000, 2008, 2015 and 2026.
  • The current edition is ISO 9001:2026 (6th edition), published on 16 September 2026; it replaces ISO 9001:2015 including its 2024 climate-change amendment (Amd 1:2024).
  • Transition (Global ACI, the organisation formed by the merger of IAF and ILAC, document ACI-TECH-3-TR): 3 years. ISO 9001:2015 certificates remain valid until 30 September 2029; from 31 March 2028 new accredited certifications are issued only to ISO 9001:2026.

How widespread it is

The ISO Survey 2024 reports 1,474,118 valid ISO 9001 certificates worldwide covering 2,321,640 sites – the most widely certified management system standard.

Source: ISO Survey 2024 (opens in a new tab)

Who adopts it

Organisations of every size and sector – manufacturing, construction, engineering, IT and professional services, wholesale and retail, education, health and social services, public bodies.

When it is required or useful

  • Public procurement: EU Directive 2014/24/EU, Article 62, lets contracting authorities ask for certificates attesting compliance with quality assurance standards.
  • Supply chains where customers require certified suppliers (e.g. the automotive standard IATF 16949 requires suppliers to be certified to ISO 9001).
  • As a sector-agnostic basis for integrating other management systems.

What it is designed to support

  • Consistent processes and outputs
  • Customer focus
  • Risk-based thinking
  • Evidence-based decisions
  • Continual improvement
  • Clear responsibilities

Standard page on iso.org (ISO 9001) (opens in a new tab)

Key data

Valid certificates reported in the ISO Survey 2024 (data at 31 Dec 2024)

ISO 9001:20151,474,118ISO 14001:2015676,232ISO 45001:2018542,527
Bar chart: number of valid certificates worldwide for ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018, as reported in the ISO Survey 2024. The table below gives the same figures with the number of sites.
Valid certificates reported in the ISO Survey 2024 (data at 31 Dec 2024)
StandardValid certificatesSites
ISO 9001:20151,474,1182,321,640
ISO 14001:2015676,2321,176,389
ISO 45001:2018542,527941,546

ISO Survey (iso.org) (opens in a new tab)ISO Survey dataset (IAF CertSearch) (opens in a new tab)

Transition to the 2026 editions: key dates

  1. ISO 14001ISO 14001:2026 published

  2. ISO 9001ISO 9001:2026 published

  3. ISO 14001From this date, new accredited certifications only to ISO 14001:2026

  4. ISO 9001From this date, new accredited certifications only to ISO 9001:2026

  5. ISO 14001End of validity of ISO 14001:2015 certificates

  6. ISO 9001End of validity of ISO 9001:2015 certificates

Timeline of the publication and transition dates of ISO 14001:2026 and ISO 9001:2026 set by Global ACI.

ISO 45001: the revision (ISO/DIS 45001) has not been published; no transition has started. The NAH accreditation of D.A.S. Certification currently covers ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015; transition to the 2026 editions is subject to NAH decision.

Global ACI – ISO 9001:2026 transition requirements (opens in a new tab)iso.org – ISO 14001:2026 (opens in a new tab)iso.org – ISO/DIS 45001 (opens in a new tab)

How certification works (ISO/IEC 17021-1)

  1. Stage 1 audit

    Review of the management system documentation and of the organisation's readiness for the stage 2 audit.

  2. Stage 2 audit

    Evaluation of the implementation and effectiveness of the management system. The certification decision is taken afterwards by personnel not involved in the audit.

  3. Surveillance audits

    At least once a year during the certification cycle, to confirm that the management system continues to conform.

  4. Recertification

    A recertification audit is carried out before the certificate expires; the certification cycle is three years.

The outcome of each audit depends only on the evidence found; durations depend on the size and complexity of the organisation.

See the certification process diagram

ISO/IEC 17021-1 (iso.org) (opens in a new tab)

Accredited and non-accredited certification

  • Accredited certification is issued by a certification body whose competence and impartiality have been assessed by a national accreditation body, such as NAH in Hungary, against ISO/IEC 17021-1.
  • Non-accredited certification is issued without such an assessment for the standard concerned and may not carry an accreditation mark.
  • D.A.S. Certification is NAH-accredited (NAH-4-0159/2025) for ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 only.

How to verify a certificate

Search by certificate number or company name on our Verify certificate page, or check the IAF CertSearch database.

Verify certificate IAF CertSearch (opens in a new tab)

FAQ

Is ISO certification mandatory?

No. Certification is voluntary; it may be requested by customers, contracts or tenders.

What is the difference between accredited and non-accredited certification?

Accredited certification is issued by a certification body whose competence and impartiality have been assessed by a national accreditation body (in Hungary, NAH) that is a signatory of the IAF multilateral recognition arrangement. D.A.S. Certification is NAH-accredited (NAH-4-0159/2025) for ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001.

How long is a certificate valid?

Three years, subject to annual surveillance audits, followed by recertification.

Can ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 be certified together?

Yes. They share the same harmonised structure, so they can be audited as an integrated management system.

How can I check whether a certificate is valid?

Use our Verify certificate page or the IAF CertSearch database (iafcertsearch.org).

Verify certificate
What are the stage 1 and stage 2 audits?

Under ISO/IEC 17021-1 the initial certification audit has two stages: stage 1 reviews the documentation and readiness, stage 2 evaluates the implementation and effectiveness of the management system.

What happens to ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certificates?

Under the Global ACI transition rules, ISO 14001:2015 certificates remain valid until 30 April 2029 and ISO 9001:2015 certificates until 30 September 2029.

Sources

Certification is voluntary. D.A.S. Certification assesses conformity impartially and does not provide consultancy.

Questions about the process?

Write to us at info@dascertification.eu

All contact details