ISED RSS-Gen

RSS-Gen, General Requirements for Compliance of Radio Apparatus, is the general radio standard issued by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED). It sets technical, administrative, labelling and test-report requirements for radio apparatus used for radiocommunication other than broadcasting.

RSS-Gen is applied together with the RSS that covers the equipment’s technology and operating band, such as RSS-247 or RSS-210. The applicable product-specific RSS determines whether the equipment requires certification and whether licensing provisions apply.

Scope and Core Requirements

Depending on the radio apparatus and the applicable RSS, RSS-Gen addresses topics including:

• general measurement methods and test-site requirements;

• transmitter and receiver requirements, including unwanted emissions;

• labelling, electronic labelling and information in the user manual;

• test-report content and retention;

• equipment modifications that may affect continued compliance;

• requirements for modular transmitters and host integration.

RSS-Gen, Issue 6

RSS-Gen, Issue 6, published on 30 July 2026, replaced Issue 5. A one-year transition period ends on 30 July 2027. During that period, certification applications and equipment compliance may use either Issue 5 or Issue 6 under the conditions stated in the standard. After the transition, new certification applications and equipment placed on the Canadian market must comply with Issue 6.

Relevant changes in Issue 6 include:

• QR-code labelling as an available labelling method;

• provisions allowing the required label information to appear in the user manual or on the packaging for very small devices;

• an upper measurement range for unwanted emissions that may extend to a maximum of 750 GHz, depending on the equipment’s operating frequency;

• guidance in Annex A for radiated-emission measurements from 9 kHz to 30 MHz;

• transfer of stand-alone receivers and passive RFID tags from RSS-Gen to RSS-310.

Certification and Market Access

Category I radio apparatus requires certification under the applicable RSS. Certified equipment must carry the required ISED certification information and be listed in the Radio Equipment List before it is manufactured, imported, distributed, leased, offered for sale or sold in Canada.

Category II equipment covered by RSS-310 is certification-exempt but remains subject to the applicable compliance, test-report and labelling requirements. The correct route must therefore be determined from the equipment classification and all applicable RSS documents.

ISED-recognized Certification Body
As a certification body recognized by ISED Canada, we can certify radio equipment within our recognized scope for Canadian market access.

Learn more on our ISED certification page.

Lifecycle Relevance

• Product classification: Identify every applicable RSS and the required authorization route before testing.

• Design and integration: Assess radio modules, host products, interfaces and labelling as a complete configuration.

• Product changes: Evaluate hardware and software changes that may affect radio characteristics or continued compliance.

• Standards monitoring: Track revisions, transition periods and changes to recognized test methods.

For an overview of Issue 6, see our update on RSS-Gen and RSS-310, Issue 6.