# ISO/IEC 17025

> ISO/IEC 17025 is the international standard for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories; accreditation to it shows a lab's specific methods have been independently assessed.

- Canonical: https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/iso-17025.html
- Also written: ISO 17025, ISO/IEC 17025:2017, 17025 accreditation, lab accreditation, accredited lab, ISO accreditation
- Glossary category: Lab testing · Evidence: Established
- Status: Draft: awaiting expert review · Updated: 2026-10-31
- Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), attribute "GenetixBay cannabis glossary"

ISO/IEC 17025, "General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories", sets out how a lab must manage its methods, staff, equipment, [traceability](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/track-and-trace.md), [measurement uncertainty](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/measurement-uncertainty.md), quality control and reporting. An independent accreditation body assesses the lab and grants accreditation for a defined scope: specific tests on specific sample types.

## In practice

Check the scope, not just the logo. A lab can be accredited for potency in flower by [HPLC](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/hplc.md) but not for pesticides or for concentrates. A [COA](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/coa.md) from an accredited lab should name the accreditation body and certificate number; most bodies publish searchable scopes. Accreditation shows the lab has a working quality system and has been assessed; it doesn't guarantee every number, and documented lab-to-lab bias has occurred among accredited labs. Many regulated markets require it; check local rules.

## Don't confuse with

- **ISO 9001**: a general quality-management standard, not specific to testing competence.
- **State licence**: permission to operate as a cannabis lab, separate from accreditation.
- **Proficiency testing**: one ongoing requirement within 17025.

## Related terms

[Proficiency testing](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/proficiency-testing.md), [Measurement uncertainty](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/measurement-uncertainty.md), [COA](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/coa.md), [Lab shopping](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/lab-shopping.md), [Potency testing](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/potency-testing.md)

## Read more

- [Buyer beware: potency labels, strain names and other claims that don't hold up](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/basics/buyer-beware-label-claims.md)

## Sources

1. ISO/IEC 17025:2017. General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva.