Is the Dealer's STQC or BIS Certificate for Your CCTV Genuine and Still Valid? A 10-Minute Check (Oct 2026)

A dealer's PDF counts only if the same document sits on a government list. Find the STQC certificate number on stqc.gov.in (53 certificates, 2 expired on 5 Sep 2026) and the R-number on the BIS ER list (83 R-numbers, 9 not live), both checked 15 Oct 2026. Match model suffix, manufacturer, status and expiry date.

Last checked: 15 Oct 2026. By the Mama Editorial Team.

Key takeaways

• The government copy is the proof. The dealer's PDF is only a pointer to it.
• STQC says its product list for PPO certification of network cameras "is no longer being updated" and is kept "solely for historical reference". It now issues ER security test reports that feed BIS registration under the CRO (STQC scheme page, checked 15 Oct 2026). For a sale to a private factory, the live check is the BIS ER list.
• On the BIS ER list on 15 Oct 2026, 74 of 83 R-numbers read "Registered". The other 9 read Expired (5), Deferred (3) or Cancelled (1).
• Read the Status column, not just the date. One Cancelled R-number still shows a validity date of 11 Feb 2028.
• Scanning the QR code on an STQC certificate proves nothing about that certificate. It opens a general STQC page.

Verified against

• STQC, IoTSCS certified product list (ERs): 53 certificate PDFs, downloaded 15 Oct 2026.
• STQC, IoTSCS scheme page, with the notice citing MeitY circular W-18/26/2025-IPHW of 04.02.2026. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
• BIS, List of Registrations and models of CCTVs complying with ER for Security, fetched 15 Oct 2026.
• BIS, Search by R-number, checked 15 Oct 2026.
• BIS Registration Department, Guidelines for implementation of ER for Security of CCTV, 22 Oct 2024, with MeitY series guidelines.
• BIS, CRS FAQs, modified 28.09.2022.
• MeitY OM W-18/26/2025-IPHW, withdrawal of the old-stock extension, 16 Jan 2026.
• Mama's model dataset, built from the two lists above (STQC read 7 Oct 2026, BIS read 9 Oct 2026 and re-checked 16 Oct 2026). Only rows marked primary are used.

What the PDF says → where to check → what must match

An STQC certificate prints these fields on page 1, as on STQC/IoTSCS/ER/001: Certificate Number, Applicant, Brand Name, Manufacturer Name, Manufacturing Location, Evaluating Facility, Product Model(s), Date of Issue and Certificate Expiry. A model annexure follows.

Three rules sit behind this table:

• An STQC certificate "applies only to specific version and release of the product in its evaluated configuration" (remark 2 on the ER/001 certificate).
• MeitY's series guidelines require every model in a series to run identical firmware "with matching hash values" (BIS guideline, point 4).
• BIS confirms ER compliance with "a letter indicating all the model(s)" (BIS guideline, para 5A(iii)). A letter without a model list does not cover your camera.

Expiry: what the lists show

The filter was valid_to < 2027-04-30 on primary rows of Mama's dataset, with status re-read on the live BIS list on 15 Oct 2026. Download the rows: verify-stqc-certificate-genuine-expired.csv.

Seven of the 12 R-numbers expiring by 30 Apr 2027 carry security-ER models (BIS ER list, checked 15 Oct 2026):

A near expiry date is not a red flag by itself. BIS registration is valid for two years and is then renewed (CRS FAQ, Q26). The manufacturer must apply at least one month before expiry (Q13). Re-check the row after the date passes.

Red flags in dealer documents

• Expired STQC certificate, but the camera is fine. The 18 Sparsh models on ER/001 and ER/004 (expired 5 Sep 2026) all sit in the ER column of BIS R-83005371, valid to 24 Jun 2028 (BIS ER list, checked 15 Oct 2026). Ask for the BIS row, not a newer STQC PDF.
• Two documents, two expiry dates. Prama PT-NC360P1-WNM(D2E) is on STQC ER/064, valid to 9 Sep 2028, and on BIS R-71014834, valid to 8 Feb 2027. Check both dates.
• Status says Cancelled, the date looks fine. R-71011460 reads "Cancelled" with validity 11 Feb 2028 (BIS ER list, checked 15 Oct 2026).
• Suffix dropped or changed. Matrix certified "P2" variants, such as SATATYA CIBR80ML12CWP P2 (ER/016), and Prama certified "(D2E)" on ER/064. A quote without the suffix is a different product until proved otherwise.
• One letter different. STQC ER/078 prints HC5OWB3R2 with a letter O, while BIS R-91003883 lists HC50WB3R2 with a zero. Search both spellings before calling a model missing.
• Superseded copy. ER/001 was re-issued on 13 Nov 2025 and states it "supersedes and replaces" the version dated 23.08.2024. A dealer's older copy will show the old issue date.
• Brand ≠ registrant. An R-number is linked to "manufacturer, location of factory, product and brand", and each brand is registered separately (CRS FAQ, Q4, Q10). A contract maker is normal, but the brand on the box must appear in that row.
• Model in the analogue column. On 15 Oct 2026, 26 of the 83 R-numbers listed analogue models only. An IP camera must sit in the ER column.
• "QR verified". STQC certificates say they "may be verified by scanning the QR". Mama decoded the QR code on 50 of STQC's 53 certificate PDFs on 15 Oct 2026. All 50 point to one of three short links on the third-party service me-qr.com. Those links open the STQC certified-product page, node/614 or the IoTSCS scheme page, not the certificate itself.

Where STQC and BIS differ

MeitY withdrew the old-stock relaxation, and "no sale of any CCTV cameras, which do not conform to ERs" is allowed from 1 Apr 2026 (MeitY OM, 16 Jan 2026). A government or PSU tender may still ask for the STQC report.

What breaks in a factory

Breakdown replacements are where off-list cameras slip in: the "same" camera arrives with a different suffix. Keep a one-page sheet with model, R-number, column and validity for every camera, and re-check it at each AMC renewal. Firmware updates pushed during a service visit can also move a camera off the certified release, so log the firmware version against the annexure. For cameras already on the wall, see do I have to replace my CCTV in 2026.

What to ask the dealer

Ask in writing for the exact model strings, the R-number, a screenshot of the BIS ER-list row, and the firmware version. If the model is not listed, the R-number search page tells buyers to contact [email protected] "for approved scope of models" (crsbis.in). For the step-by-step R-number lookup itself, see how to check a BIS registration number. For the rules behind it, see BIS/STQC 2026 for factory cameras. For certified models with datasheets, see the STQC-certified factory cameras list.

To skip the manual search, paste a model string into the CCTV Certificate Checker, or filter by brand in the Certified CCTV Finder.

Once compliant cameras are installed, Mama reads them over RTSP/ONVIF and sends the owner a short morning note on machine idle time. Leave an email or phone in the form below.

FAQ

How do I verify an STQC certificate online? Find the certificate number on STQC's ER list, open its PDF, and compare issue date, expiry and model list with the dealer's copy. Then check the model's BIS R-number row, because that row carries the live status and STQC's network-camera PPO list is kept only for historical reference.

Is an expired STQC certificate a problem? Not on its own. For a sale since 1 Apr 2026, what matters is a live BIS R-number with the model in the ER column. Ask the dealer for that row.

What happens when a BIS registration expires? The manufacturer renews it. BIS registration runs two years, and renewal is applied for at least a month before expiry. If the row shows Expired, Deferred or Cancelled, treat the model as not covered until it changes.

Can I verify a BIS or STQC certificate by scanning the QR code? Not reliably for STQC. The QR codes Mama decoded on STQC PDFs open general STQC pages, not the certificate. Use the lists on stqc.gov.in and crsbis.in instead.