IMPORTANT!

SERI LICENSE FEE FOR R2 CERTIFICATION INCREASE – EFFECTIVE APRIL 1, 2026

Beginning with invoices due on or after April 1, 2026, the annual SERI license fee will be $2,500 USD per facility. Non-profit facilities will continue at the reduced rate of $1,250 USD per facility annually. Facilities in emerging economies continue to be eligible for a discount, also reducing the fee to $1,250 USD per facility.

NEW SERI LICENSE APPLICATION FEE – EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 1, 2026

All submitted License Applications on or after February 1, 2026, will include a non-refundable $150 USD application fee.

Please also note that SERI no longer accepts mailed checks as payment, effective February 1, 2026.

Getting Started

Application for SERI License for R2 Certification

Before contracting with a Certification Body, Prospective R2 facilities should complete the online Application for a SERI License for R2 Certification.

The SERI License for R2 Certification, also known as the “R2 License”, grants a facility use of the “R2v3 Certified” mark when a valid R2 Certificate is issued by a SERI Authorized Certification Body to the facility.

A new license application must also be completed by currently certified facilities that are making a change to their certification such as:

  • Moving to a new location or,
  • Certifying an additional location.

SERI License Process for R2 Certification:

(Please read all information in the steps below before applying)

Note: Online License Application must be completed prior to contracting with the Certification Body.

Includes basic information about your facility and designates a point of contact for communication during the license and certification process for purposes of receiving a License Agreement.  The License application must be filled out and signed by someone who is authorized to legally bind the Organization to the License Agreement.

Apply early.  SERI will initiate the process to determine eligibility upon receipt of the application.  SERI will communicate the status of this review within 10 business days, however SERI may need more information and the process, depending on what is requested and responsiveness, may take some time for SERI to make a final determination.   

Upon receipt of the license application, SERI performs an initial review to determine if the applicant meets all eligibility requirements.  Eligibility requirements can be found in Section 4.5 and 6.1 of the SERI License Agreement for R2 Certification, and includes the following:

  1. Not have in the preceding twenty-four months engaged in deceptive marketing, illegal acts, or other fraudulent activity which could reasonably lead to a false impression that Applicant was certified to the R2 Standard.
  2. Not committed fraud or other wrongful acts (eg. illegal exports) related to activities that would be within the scope of Applicant’s R2 Certification.
  3. Not knowingly participated in conduct that subverts the R2 Standard.
  4. Not engaged in any conduct which, in SERI’s discretion, impairs the goodwill associated with the R2 Certification Mark or SERI.
  5. Is not actively engaging in activities that would put the Applicant in immediate breach of the License Agreement.

Other criteria to determine eligibility comes from the R2 Standard’s definition of scope, which is as follows:

Where there is more than one business at the site that is involved in the processing of used electronic equipment, components, or materials, each business and all operations must be R2 Certified, unless the Certification Body can verify that each business is:

  • A separate legal entity, and
  • Completely separated physically from the other businesses, and
  • Independently operated, and
  • Free of any commonality in ownership, workers, and services, and
  • Any interaction between the businesses is traceable, documented, and conforms with the R2 Standard

If Applicant is co-located with another entity involved in the processing of used electronic equipment, components, and materials, and it is not free of any commonality in ownership, workers, and services, or does not meet all the requirements listed above, the Applicant may not be eligible if the co-located entity is not also applying for a License Agreement.

If the Applicant is eligible, the License Agreement will be sent to the certification contact listed on your application. An electronic signature is required.  Dependent on risk factors observed during the review of the application, SERI may make a determination to issue a probationary license to the Applicant.  If the application is not eligible, the Applicant will be notified of the reasons why they didn’t meet eligibility requirements.

License Agreement must be signed prior to the Contract Review with your Certification Body. Remember to apply well in advance (at least 30 days prior) of the Contract Review with your Certification Body in case SERI needs to request additional information to determine your eligibility.  Save the signed License Agreement to show your Certification Body.

 

 

Upon signing the License Agreement from SERI, an invoice for the license will be issued. The License Fee is non-refundable. Please do not pay until prior to the Stage 2 audit.

Upon receipt of payment, a License Acknowledgement will be emailed to the certification contact. The email issued by SERI is to confirm that the license fee was paid.

The License Acknowledgement lists the addresses of the licensed facilities and the license expiration date. A facility needs to renew their license each year prior to the expiration date.

Save the License Acknowledgement emailed to you to show your auditor.

*SERI uses a service from Adobe called “EchoSign” which allows for fast signing of documents right in your web browser.
Look for an EchoSign email in your inbox after applying to sign the document.

Annual Fees

$2,000USD

facility/year

(capped at 10 facilities)

non-profit discount

$1,250 USD

facility/year

(capped at 5 facilities)

The License fee is collected to help cover the cost of administering the R2 Certification Program and providing training and education to facilities, auditors, certification bodies, suppliers and the public.

R2 LICENSING FEE DISCOUNT PILOT PROGRAM

WHAT: The SERI Board of Directors has initiated a pilot program to offer a $750 discount on the annual SERI License Fee for R2 Certification to facilities in emerging economies, effective July 1, 2023.

WHY: To build a larger global infrastructure for electronics sustainability, SERI is working to remove as many barriers to R2 Certification as possible. This pilot program is designed to create a fairer fee structure in areas where purchasing power parity is lower.

WHO: To qualify, facilities must:

  • not be located in a country that is a member of OECD, EU, or Liechtenstein.
  • not be in the Top 50 of the GDP-PPP purchasing power index created by the WorldBank.
  • be domestically owned in the country where it is located.

SERI will automatically review your application to determine if you qualify for the discount and apply the discount if you meet the criteria.

Note: This pilot program may be discontinued or changed at any time. SERI may request records to verify domestic ownership.