An inspection stamp is an acceptance mark that ties a part, tag or record to the authorized person who checked it, so the stamp itself has to be controlled: FAA guidance says inspection marking devices go only to authorized persons, and AS9100D requires controls over stamps, electronic signatures and passwords. ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 add a record of who released each product, and FAA rules and guidance cover how rejected and questionable parts are set aside. Below: the rules, a control procedure and what to order.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against 14 CFR 21.137, FAA AC 21-43A and AC 20-154A, 21 CFR Part 820, 48 CFR 246.472, and published summaries of ISO 9001, ISO 13485 and AS9100D. Sources read September 2026.
| Use | What to control or record | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Inspector ID stamp (Inspected By, with a number) | Issue it only to someone authorized to inspect, and give each holder an impression that no other holder shares. | FAA AC 21-43A, para. 2.7.1; AS9100D cl. 8.5.2 (Advisera summary) |
| Passed, accepted or QA accepted | Keep proof that the item met its acceptance criteria, plus a record naming whoever authorized its release. | ISO 9001 cl. 8.6 (Advisera summary); ISO 13485 cl. 8.2.6 (Qualio checklist) |
| Status while in process | Have written procedures for documenting inspection and test status, and keep that status identifiable through the whole manufacturing cycle, storage included. | 14 CFR 21.137(g); FAA AC 21-43A, para. 2.9.2 |
| Rejected or failed | Identify, document, evaluate, segregate and disposition the item. Disposition decisions belong to authorized individuals only. | 14 CFR 21.137(h)(1) |
| Scrapped article | A reject mark is not the last step. Discarded articles have to be made unusable. | 14 CFR 21.137(h)(2) |
| Hold at receiving | Secure questionable parts in a segregated area until someone decides what happens to them. | FAA AC 20-154A, para. 7.6.11 |
| Nonconforming output (ISO) | Stop unintended use or delivery. Record the problem, the action taken, any concession and who authorized it. | ISO 9001 cl. 8.7 (iso9001help.co.uk summary) |
| First article | Check a representative item from the production run against every requirement. Repeat after major changes to the process, documentation or tooling. | AS9100D cl. 8.5.1.3; AS9102 (Advisera summary) |
| Stamp issue log | Run a control system over how stamps are issued and used, and cover stamp use in inspector training. | FAA AC 20-154A, para. 7.6.15 and Appendix A |
| Holder leaves the job | Destroy the stamp, or keep dated records of who held it before it goes to anyone else. | AS9100D cl. 8.5.2 (Advisera summary) |
| Lost stamp | The sources read give no separate lost-stamp step. The general media controls still apply, and holders are expected to guard stamps against unintended use. | Not addressed in the sources read; AS9100D cl. 8.5.2 (Advisera summary) |
| Stamped quality records | Retain for at least 5 years, or at least 10 years for critical components. Stored copies should show legible acceptance stamps and required signatures. | 14 CFR 21.137(k); FAA AC 21-43A, para. 2.13.1.3 |
| Electronic signature or password | Treated as acceptance authority media, under the same controls as a stamp. | AS9100D cl. 8.5.2 (Advisera summary) |
| DoD circle or square stamp | Applied only by, or under the direct supervision of, the Government representative. Stamping is not Government acceptance. | 48 CFR 246.472; DFARS PGI 246.472(a) |
What is an inspection stamp, and is a QA stamp different from a QC stamp?
An inspection stamp presses a fixed wording or an inspector mark onto a tag, traveler, packing list or record to show inspection status and who set it. QA and QC stamps do the same job; the labels borrow two quality terms that ASQ defines differently.
ASQ describes quality assurance as the part of quality management that gives confidence the quality requirements will be met, and quality control as the part that actually meets them. ASQ also calls quality control the inspection side of quality management and notes that people often use the two terms interchangeably.
On a stamp face, QA Accepted and QC Approved both record a pass. The rules below look past the label to two things: whether the impression leads back to one authorized person, and whether a record of the decision is kept.
Which rules apply to inspection stamps in manufacturing?
Four sets of rules reach the stamp: FAA Part 21 quality system rules for aviation production approvals, AS9100D for aerospace suppliers, ISO 9001 for general manufacturing, and FDA's Quality Management System Regulation for medical devices. Defense contracts add DoD inspection stamps.
- FAA. 14 CFR 21.137 requires every applicant for or holder of a production certificate to set up a written quality system that keeps each product and article conforming to its approved design. PMA holders (14 CFR 21.307) and TSO authorization holders (14 CFR 21.607) must meet the same section. FAA explains it in AC 21-43A, issued October 1, 2015 and listed as active, and covers receiving inspection in AC 20-154A, dated July 3, 2024.
- ISO 9001. ISO now lists the 2015 edition as withdrawn and replaced by ISO 9001:2026, published September 16, 2026. One published clause-by-clause comparison describes clauses 8.2 through 8.7 as substantively unchanged, so the release, identification and nonconforming output rules below carry over.
- AS9100D. The aerospace standard places its stamp rule, called acceptance authority media, in clause 8.5.2. Its planned successor, IA9100, was still unpublished in a July 2026 update from APEX Quality Assurance, so this page uses AS9100D clause numbers.
- FDA. The Quality Management System Regulation took effect February 2, 2026 and incorporates ISO 13485:2016 by reference.
- DoD. 48 CFR 246.472 governs the government's own inspection approval stamps.
The ISO and AS9100 texts are sold, not published free. This page relies on the summaries named in each Source cell and does not quote standard text.
What does an inspector ID stamp have to prove?
It has to show who accepted the item. Advisera's summary of ISO 9001 clause 8.6 calls for evidence the acceptance criteria were met and identification of whoever authorized release, and the Qualio checklist for ISO 13485 clause 8.2.6 asks that the releasing person's identity be recorded.
AS9100D goes further on the stamp itself. According to Advisera's 9100 Academy, acceptance authority media belong to one individual, never a group, and each person's stamp must be distinguishable from everyone else's. FAA AC 21-43A says the same kind of control from the regulator's side: procedures should keep inspection marking devices controlled and issued only to authorized persons.
A plain PASSED impression shows the result but not the person. Where your record has to name who released the part, pair the result mark with an inspector stamp or a signature. The 1 inch Inspected By face in the ESS catalog carries a number line; if every inspector needs a unique number on the face, order it as a custom stamp.
Which accept and reject stamps should an inspection bench start with?
Start with one accept mark and one reject mark in matching sizes so the two read the same way on every traveler. ESS makes Inspected By, Passed, QA Accepted and Rejected wordings as 3/4 inch round self-inking stamps.
Each 3/4 inch self-inker comes in 11 ink colors and is rated for up to 10,000 impressions. The QA Accepted face reads QA across the top, a center code of 1-C and ACCEPTED along the bottom. The Passed face sets PASSED in capitals inside a round border.
Eleven colors give room to print acceptance in one color and rejection in another if your procedure assigns colors. Put any color assignment in writing so every inspector applies it the same way.
How should rejected, failed and hold marks be handled?
A reject or hold mark only starts the process. FAA production rules require nonconforming articles to be identified, documented, evaluated, segregated and dispositioned, with disposition left to authorized individuals, and FAA receiving guidance keeps questionable parts in a secured, segregated area until a decision is made.
Two FAA points go beyond the mark itself. First, a REJECTED impression does not end the job: 14 CFR 21.137(h)(2) separately requires discarded articles to be rendered unusable. Second, AC 20-154A treats unserviceable or questionable parts as a storage issue, not just a marking issue, and asks for them to be secured apart from serviceable stock.
ISO 9001 clause 8.7, as summarized by iso9001help.co.uk, aims to stop unintended use or delivery. The options it lists include containment, labeling, segregation, suspending delivery, scrap, rework, concession and use as is, and the record should describe the nonconformity, the action, any concession and who authorized it. For medical devices, the Qualio checklist for ISO 13485 clause 7.5.8 asks that product status stay identified through production, storage, installation and servicing so that only product that passed its inspections, or was released under an authorized concession, is shipped, used or installed.
ESS makes Hold for Inspection, Failed Inspection and Inspected stamps as 1/2 inch self-inkers, its smallest round size. Their faces pair a bold letter with INSP, and the hold face adds a number sequence. A 3/4 inch QC Approved stamp, with QC APPROVED inside a round border, covers the release side.
How do you write an inspection stamp control procedure?
Write down who may hold a stamp, how one is issued and logged, how it is used and secured, and what happens when it comes back, goes missing or its holder leaves. FAA receiving guidance asks for a control system that governs both issuance and use.
- Authorization. List the roles allowed to accept product. AC 21-43A limits inspection marking devices to authorized persons.
- One stamp, one person. Assign each stamp to a single named holder with an impression nobody else shares, as the Advisera AS9100D summary describes.
- Issue log. Record the stamp's number or face, the holder, and the date issued and returned. AC 20-154A paragraph 7.6.15 calls for a control system over issuance and use, and its Appendix A checklist asks whether one exists.
- Training. The same checklist asks whether training covers the use of inspection stamps and the control procedures.
- Security. Holders keep their stamps from unintended use, a point the Advisera summary stresses.
- Records. Keep the log with your quality records. Core Business Solutions' summary of ISO 9001 clause 7.5.3 describes preserving documented information so it stays legible, identifiable and retrievable.
AS9100D does not insist these controls live in a documented procedure, according to Advisera, but writing them down is one way to make sure everyone knows the rules. For an FAA production approval holder, the written quality system under 14 CFR 21.137 is required either way.
What happens when an inspector leaves or a stamp goes missing?
When a holder leaves, either destroy the stamp or keep dated records showing who held it before it is reissued. The FAA, ISO and AS9100 material read for this page sets no separate lost-stamp procedure, so the general media controls govern.
Advisera's AS9100D summary notes that some companies reuse physical stamps after an employee moves on, which makes it necessary to know exactly which dates each person held the stamp. Many companies destroy the stamp instead and skip that step.
For a missing stamp, the dated issue log is what shows who held it last and over which dates its impression could appear on records. Our suggestion, in line with the one-person rule above, is to note the loss in the log and issue the inspector a new stamp whose face no one else has used.
How long must stamped inspection records be kept?
Under FAA production rules, keep quality records at least 5 years for products and articles made under the approval and at least 10 years for critical components identified under 14 CFR 45.15(c). The ISO and AS9100 summaries read here set no fixed period.
AC 21-43A lists inspection and test records among the records to retain and says any storage media used should show legible data, acceptance stamps and required signatures. If you scan travelers, check that the impression reads clearly in the scanned copy.
Medical device makers have one added record rule in 21 CFR 820.35(b): servicing records must name the individual or individuals who performed the service and include the test and inspection data.
Where does first article inspection fit?
First article inspection checks a representative item from a production run against every requirement. Advisera's AS9100D summary places it under clause 8.5.1.3, production process verification, and says it is repeated when major process, documentation or tooling changes would invalidate the result.
The same summary notes that AS9100D points to AS9102, Aerospace First Article Inspection Requirements, for how to carry it out. If your first article record carries an inspector's stamp or signature, that mark falls under the same acceptance media controls as any other.
What changed for medical device makers under the QMSR?
Since February 2, 2026, FDA's device quality rule has been the Quality Management System Regulation, which incorporates ISO 13485:2016 by reference. The current eCFR text of Part 820 has only seven sections, so inspection status and release records now trace to ISO 13485 clauses.
Section 820.10 requires manufacturers to document a quality management system that complies with the applicable requirements of ISO 13485. Two ISO 13485 checklist items from Qualio matter most for stamps: clause 7.5.8 on keeping product status identified, and clause 8.2.6 on recording the identity of the person authorizing release. Advisera's 13485 Academy adds that release records should show the test equipment used as well as the person who authorized release.
Procedures that still cite a Part 820 section number other than 820.1, 820.3, 820.5, 820.7, 820.10, 820.35 or 820.45 point to text that is no longer in the regulation. Update those references before your next audit.
Can a contractor use the DoD circle or square inspection stamp?
Not on its own. DoD's two quality inspection approval stamps are applied only by, or under the direct supervision of, the Government representative, on prime contracts and subcontracts. The circle marks partial inspection, and the square marks complete inspection at source.
DFARS PGI 246.472(a) says marking each item is neither required nor prohibited, and that stamping shipping containers, packing lists or routing tickets ordinarily shows the material's status. It also says stamping does not mean the Government accepted the material; acceptance is ordinarily shown by a signed acceptance certificate on DD Form 250. When a NASA center asks, the DoD inspector uses NASA quality status stamps under NASA's own requirements (48 CFR 246.472(b)).
Your plant's Passed, QA Accepted and Rejected stamps are company marks. Keep them separate from the government designs.
Which stamp size and mount fits parts, tags and paperwork?
ESS makes round inspection stamps in 1/2, 3/4 and 1 inch diameters. Pick the 1 inch size when the face carries more, a rectangular stamp for a single word on paperwork, and a wood handle stamp when you want to choose your own ink pad.
- 1 inch self-inking. The Inspected By face reads INSPECTED along the top, BY in the center and a number line at the bottom; a Passed face is also made at this size. Both offer 11 ink colors and up to 10,000 impressions.
- Rectangular self-inking Rejected. The impression area is about 1/2 by 1-1/2 inches, the clear base helps you line it up, and it gives about 10,000 impressions in any of 11 ink colors.
- 1/2 inch wood handle inspection stamp. A black wooden handle with a face that pairs a bold B with INSP and numbers. You add your own ink pad, which lets you change colors or use the stronger inks the catalog describes for fabric and hard surfaces.
Need your own wording, a department name or a unique inspector number? Order it as a custom stamp and name the exact face in the order.
Frequently asked questions
Does ISO 9001 require a physical inspection stamp?
No device is named in the summaries read for this page. The 9000 Store summarizes clause 8.5.2 as requiring suitable means to identify outputs and their status, with examples such as part labels, travelers and "inspected" labels, and clause 8.6 asks for a record of who authorized release. A stamp is one way to meet both.
Can two inspectors share one stamp?
Not under AS9100D as Advisera summarizes it: acceptance authority media go to one individual, and each stamp must be distinguishable from the rest. FAA AC 21-43A adds that inspection marking devices are issued only to authorized persons.
Does a stamp impression replace a signature?
Not where a signature is required. AC 21-43A lists legible data, acceptance stamps and required signatures as separate things stored records should show. AS9100D counts stamps, electronic signatures and passwords as forms of acceptance media, so follow whichever form your procedure and customer specify.
Is the FAA's stamp guidance mandatory?
The regulation is. AC 20-154A states that it is not mandatory and is one means, not the only means, of setting up a receiving inspection system. The written quality system itself is required under 14 CFR 21.137.
Do receiving inspectors need training on stamp use?
FAA receiving guidance includes it. The Receiving Inspection System Checklist in AC 20-154A Appendix A asks whether training covers the use of inspection stamps and the control procedures, and whether a system controls stamps where they are used.
Can product ship before every planned inspection is finished?
Only with approval. Advisera's summary of ISO 9001 clause 8.6 allows delivery with an open action when that is appropriately approved, and the Qualio checklist for ISO 13485 clause 7.5.8 accepts product released under an authorized concession.
Is an ISO 9001:2015 certificate still valid now that the 2026 edition is out?
For now. DQS reports a planned three-year transition, with 2015 certificates expected to stay valid until September 30, 2029, subject to final confirmation by Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated, formerly IAF.
Ready to equip an inspection bench? Browse ESS inspection stamps and pick the wording and diameter your procedure names.
