An SCL certificate is a formal determination against a published standard. It is not a safety claim, a regulatory approval, or a guarantee. This page is precise about the difference.
An SCL certificate records that a defined AI system was assessed against a specific version of the SCL AI Requirements Framework, at a defined classification level, and that the applicable requirements were met at the time of assessment. Every certificate is issued alongside a Certification Determination Document that summarizes findings and the quantified risk score.
An SCL certificate reflects the state of the assessed system at the date of assessment. AI systems change behavior over time through data drift, retraining, environment shift, and operational evolution. Every certificate carries a defined surveillance schedule and triggered reassessment conditions. A certificate issued at deployment is not a certificate valid at month six. Continuous validation is built into the technical standard for that reason.
Safety Critical Labs is not a government agency. An SCL determination is not a regulatory approval, type certificate, or premarket clearance from the FAA, FDA, EASA, NHTSA, or any other regulator. Where regulatory approval is required, the operator remains responsible for obtaining it.
SCL is pursuing ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation through ANAB. See /accreditation for current status. Until accreditation is granted, SCL determinations are not accredited under ISO/IEC 17065.
The operator of a certified AI system remains fully responsible for the safety, regulatory compliance, and operational fitness of that system. A certificate is evidence of rigorous third-party assessment against a published standard. It is not a transfer of operator responsibility to Safety Critical Labs.
Content on safetycriticallabs.com is provided for informational purposes. It does not constitute legal, engineering, regulatory, or safety advice for any specific system. Decisions about AI system development, deployment, certification, and operation should be made on the basis of qualified technical and legal review, not on website content alone.
The SCL AI Requirements Framework is published as an open standard. It describes verification methods and evidence standards. It is not a substitute for engineering judgment.
Some content on the Site describes work in progress, regulatory engagement, accreditation pursuit, and roadmap commitments. These reflect current intent. They do not constitute guarantees of outcome or timeline. Where the Site refers to a milestone as pursued, in progress, or planned, completion is not assured.
The Site references external standards, regulations, and reference materials (see /documents). SCL does not own, control, or warrant the accuracy or availability of those external sources. Inclusion of a reference is not endorsement and does not imply that the referenced body endorses SCL.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, Safety Critical Labs is not liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages arising from Site content, the framework, or the use of any SCL determination. Liability for paid certification engagements is governed by the executed engagement agreement, not by this disclaimer.