Transfer Your ISO Certificate – Switch Registrars
Switch Registrars Without Starting Over
Already ISO certified but not happy with your current registrar? An accredited ISO certificate can usually be transferred to another accredited certification body without repeating the initial Stage 1 and Stage 2 audits, and without restarting your three-year certification cycle. Apex Systems Registrar accepts transfers of ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and ISO 27001 certificates for organizations across Canada and the United States.
- Keep your certification cycle: You keep the remainder of your current three-year cycle, and your audits continue on the existing schedule.
- No gap in certification: Your current certificate stays valid until the new one is issued.
- Same standard and scope: Your certified standard and scope carry over. Only the issuing body and certificate number change.
Eligibility
Which Certificates Can Be Transferred?
01
Valid Accredited Certificate
Your certificate is current (not expired, suspended or withdrawn) and was issued by a certification body accredited for that standard by a recognized accreditation body, such as ANAB or the Standards Council of Canada.
02
No Open Major Nonconformities
Any major nonconformities from your last audit are closed before the transfer is completed. Minor nonconformities are reviewed and followed up at your next audit.
03
Eligible Scope
The standard and the activities on your certificate fall within the accredited scope we can certify, and the certification is not in dispute or under investigation.
Process
How Transfers Work
Step 1
Pre-Transfer Review
We review your current certificate and scope, your last audit reports, any open nonconformities and any complaints. This is usually a desk review, and a short visit is only needed if something cannot be confirmed from the records.
Step 2
Certification Decision
Once the review is accepted and any major nonconformities are closed, the certification decision is made and your new certificate is issued for the remainder of your current cycle.
Step 3
Audit Schedule Continues
Your next surveillance or recertification audit takes place when it was already due, and your certification continues without a break.
Before You Start
What You Will Need
Your Current Certificate
A copy showing your scope, expiry date and accreditation mark.
Recent Audit Reports
Your last audit report, and the one before it if available, with any open nonconformities and the corrective actions taken.
Company Details
Your number of employees, sites and shifts, and the date of your next scheduled audit.
ISO Certificate Transfers in Canada and the USA
Apex Systems Registrar certifies organizations to ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and ISO 27001 across Ontario, the rest of Canada and the United States. Apex is an affiliate of American Registration Inc., an ANAB-accredited certification body.
Why Organizations Change Registrars
Organizations change certification bodies for many reasons, such as audit scheduling, auditor continuity, communication or cost. Whatever the reason, transfers follow the same international accreditation rules at every accredited certification body, so the process is the same wherever you go.
Independent and Impartial
As a certification body, Apex Systems Registrar does not provide consulting or implementation services for the management systems we certify. A transfer does not change what the standard requires: your management system continues to be audited independently against it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do we lose our certification during the transfer?
No. Your existing certificate stays valid until the new one is issued, so certification is continuous.
Do we go back to the start of a three-year cycle?
No. You keep the remainder of your current cycle, and recertification falls due when it would have.
Do we have to wait until our certificate expires?
No. Transfers are often timed around a surveillance or recertification audit, but the pre-transfer review can be done at other times.
Can a non-accredited certificate be transferred?
No. Only accredited certification can be transferred. If your current certificate is not accredited, you would need initial certification instead.
Will our customers notice the change?
Your certificate number and issuing body change, so let customers who keep a copy of your certificate know. Your standard and scope stay the same.
To find out whether your certificate can be transferred, request a quote and mention that you are transferring. We will ask for your current certificate and last audit report. For more detail, read how to switch ISO registrars.