A certificate PDF proves very little on its own. Documents get edited, expire, or belong to a different factory from the one making your order. Most certifications in the garment industry can be checked against a public registry in a few minutes. Here is how.

1. Match the name and address first

Every certificate names a legal entity and a site address. Compare both with the factory’s trade licence and the address on your purchase order. A certificate held by a sister unit down the road does not cover your production.

2. Check the expiry date

Validity varies a lot. A WRAP Silver certificate lasts only six months, Gold one year and Platinum two. OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 certificates last twelve months. amfori BSCI audits are usually repeated every twelve months, or up to twenty-four for A and B ratings.

3. Look it up in the registry

  • WRAP: search the certified facilities list on wrapcompliance.org.
  • OEKO-TEX: enter the certificate number in Label Check on oeko-tex.com.
  • GOTS: search the public database on global-standard.org, and ask for the Transaction Certificate for your shipment.
  • GRS, RCS and OCS: search Textile Exchange’s certified sites database.
  • ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001: check IAF CertSearch or the certification body’s own register.
  • Sedex SMETA: ask the factory to share its audit with your company on the Sedex platform.
  • RSC safety: find the factory on the International Accord’s public Bangladesh factory list.

4. Ask for transaction certificates on material claims

For organic and recycled claims, a factory’s scope certificate only shows it can process certified material. The Transaction Certificate shows that your goods were made with it. Without a TC, you can’t legally use the claim on your label.

5. Check the statutory basics

Ask for the trade licence, Export Registration Certificate, fire licence and DIFE factory licence. A factory missing any of these cannot legally produce and ship your order, whatever voluntary certificates it holds.

We send every certificate relevant to your order before production starts. See the full list of standards and registries on our certifications page.