ISED RSS-310

RSS-310 is a Radio Standards Specification issued by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) for licence-exempt radiocommunication devices classified as Category II equipment. These devices do not require certification, but they must comply with the applicable technical requirements set out in RSS-310 and RSS-Gen.

Scope and Application

RSS-310 applies to:

• Licence-exempt devices operating under Section 6(4) of the Radiocommunication Regulations

• Equipment types not subject to certification, including:

  • Stand-alone receivers

  • Passive RFID tags

  • Underground radios

  • Cable-locating equipment

  • AC wire carrier current devices

  • Other radio apparatus covered by the specific requirements of RSS-310

Technical Requirements

Devices covered by RSS-310 must meet:

• Radiated emission limits as specified in RSS-310 and RSS-Gen

• Requirements concerning emissions in restricted frequency bands, where applicable

• Applicable interference conditions: devices must not cause harmful interference and must accept any interference received

Compliance Declaration and Documentation

Although certification is not required:

• Manufacturers must ensure technical compliance with RSS-310 and the applicable requirements of RSS-Gen

• A test report must be prepared and retained in accordance with RSS-Gen to demonstrate compliance in the event of an enforcement action by ISED

• Devices must bear an ISED compliance label referencing the standard (e.g., “Canada 310”), unless they are housed together with certified Category I radio apparatus—in which case the RSS-310 label is optional and the complete product is labelled in accordance with RSS-Gen

• The applicable labelling and user manual requirements of RSS-Gen and any additional requirements specified in RSS-310 must be met

Limited Exemptions

The following devices remain subject to RSS-310 but are exempt from the labelling, user manual, and test report requirements:

• Transmitters with input power not exceeding 6 nanowatts (nW)

• Radio apparatus operating below 9 kHz

RSS-310 is not a certification standard but a binding technical specification for certain licence-exempt applications in Canada. The current version is Issue 6, published on July 30, 2026. During the one-year transition period, compliance with either Issue 5 or Issue 6 is accepted. After the transition period, equipment manufactured, imported, distributed, leased, offered for sale, or sold in Canada must comply with Issue 6. For an overview of the changes, see our update on RSS-Gen and RSS-310, Issue 6.