How to Choose an ISO 42001 Certification Body (and Avoid Consultants Who ‘Certify’)

Verify accreditation, confirm AI-sector audit experience, and never let your consultant be your certifier.

Choosing a certification body for ISO 42001 is a 3-year relationship decision. Here’s the checklist:

1. Verify accreditation. Confirm the body is accredited for ISO 42001 by ANAB, UKAS, or your national accreditation body — accreditation is what makes the certificate credible.
2. Ask for AI-sector audit experience. The standard is new (2023); ask how many 42001 audits the team has completed and request auditor CVs.
3. Separate consulting from certification. The firm that implements your AIMS should not be the firm that audits it — independence matters, and only a CB can issue the certificate.
4. Quote Stage 1 + Stage 2 + surveillance together. Three-year total cost is the number that matters.
5. Check lead times. The best-known bodies book out months ahead.

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