UL 3300 for service robots: a plain-English guide for robot makers selling into Canada and the US

Short answer: UL 3300 (full designation ANSI/CAN/UL 3300) is the North American safety standard for "Service, Communication, Information, Education and Entertainment" (SCIEE) robots: delivery, guide, reception, telepresence and similar robots that move around people. It is a supplement: a robot is evaluated to UL 3300 for its robotic hazards (motion, stability, collisions) together with a base product standard such as UL/CSA 62368-1 or UL/CSA 60335-1. No law in Canada or the US names UL 3300 as mandatory. What the law does require is that the robot and its charger carry an accepted certification mark: in Canada, a mark from a certification body accredited by the Standards Council of Canada (for example CSA, cUL or cETL); in US workplaces, a listing by an OSHA-recognized NRTL. UL 3300 is increasingly the standard a lab will use to get you there. Radios (Wi-Fi, LTE, Bluetooth) are a separate track: ISED in Canada, FCC in the US.

This is a plain-English summary of public documents from UL Standards & Engagement (ULSE), UL Solutions, OSHA and Canadian regulators, checked on 2026-10-13. It is not legal or certification advice. Which standard applies to your robot is decided by your certification body. KeepRobots is a robot field service company; we do not test or certify products.

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UL 3300 at a glance

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Which robots does UL 3300 cover, and which does it not?

The scope says the standard "establishes the safety requirements for Service, Communication, Information, Education and Entertainment (SCIEE) robots" and "includes SCIEE robots intended for use by, or in close proximity to, the general consumer." In practice that is the family of robots most Chinese robot makers bring to North American hotels, restaurants, malls, offices, schools and museums: delivery and tray robots, guide and reception robots, telepresence and companion robots.

The scope also lists what it does not cover. Paraphrasing the official list:

• transporting people (on or off road);
• industrial environments, hazardous locations, agriculture and food preparation;
• personal protective equipment;
• treating, supporting or moving people in hospitals, care facilities or the home, and medical devices or medical environments;
• functions with no safety dependency (the standard's own examples: the accuracy of AI answers, or how well a security alarm works);
• robot functions already covered by an end-product standard, for example commercial robotic floor cleaners (CSA C22.2 No. 336), robot vacuums (UL 1017), outdoor commercial drones (UL 3030) and toy robots (UL 696 / ASTM F963).

Two things worth noticing. First, commercial cleaning robots usually follow a different path (CSA C22.2 No. 336), not UL 3300. Second, there is no separate category for humanoids or quadrupeds. The UL 3300 scope note says its requirements "can be applied to robots with multiple use cases, some of which are not specifically covered," so a lab may use it for a humanoid in a public-facing role. Treat that as a question for your lab, not an assumption.

UL 3300 vs UL 3100 vs UL 1740

UL 3100's scope says it does not cover industrial robots (UL 1740 and CSA Z434), but a compliant robot arm "may be used as the payload" on an AMP, and that robotic floor cleaners belong under CSA C22.2 No. 336. Chargers and other off-board parts are to be installed per the US National Electrical Code (NFPA 70) and the Canadian Electrical Code (CSA C22.1).

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Canada: why the mark matters more than the standard number

• The rule is electrical approval. Rule 2-024 of the Canadian Electrical Code, Part I, requires electrical equipment used in installations to be approved, and provincial law enforces it. In British Columbia, section 21 of the Electrical Safety Regulation (BC Reg. 100/2004) says no one may use, sell or display electrical equipment unless it carries a certification mark or an approval label.
• Which marks count. Marks from certification bodies accredited by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC). Technical Safety BC and Ontario's ESA publish lists; they include CSA, cUL/ULC, cETL (Intertek), TÜV, QPS, SGS, Nemko and others.
• "UL" alone is not enough. A US-only UL mark without the "c" (Canada) indicator is not a Canadian approval. Look for cUL / C-US style marks.
• The "CAN" in ANSI/CAN/UL 3300 means it is also a National Standard of Canada, so one evaluation can support both US and Canadian marks if your lab is accredited for both.
• Chargers and docks count separately. A dock plugged into a wall outlet is electrical equipment in its own right.
• One-off units: a field evaluation (in Canada, under CSA SPE-1000) by an accredited inspection body can label a single robot that has no certification mark, which is useful for pilots and demo units. Technical Safety BC references SPE-1000 field approvals.

Our Chinese-language guide covers the full Canadian list (ISED, ICES-003, UN 38.3 batteries, French labelling): 服务机器人进加拿大要哪些认证：CSA/cUL、ISED、UL 3300 一文看懂.

United States: OSHA, NRTLs and "approved" equipment

• OSHA's electrical standard for general industry says equipment "shall be acceptable only if approved" (29 CFR 1910.303(a)). Under 29 CFR 1910.399, equipment is acceptable if it is "accepted, or certified, or listed, or labeled, or otherwise determined to be safe" by an NRTL recognized under 29 CFR 1910.7 (with narrow alternatives for equipment no NRTL certifies and custom-made equipment).
• That is why US commercial buyers, whose staff work alongside the robot, ask for an NRTL mark (UL, ETL, CSA-US and others).
• On December 31, 2025, OSHA added UL 3300 to its list of appropriate test standards and expanded UL LLC's NRTL recognition to include it. OSHA notes that NRTL recognition for a test standard is "limited to equipment or materials for which OSHA standards require third-party testing and certification before using them in the workplace."
• As of October 13, 2026 the only OSHA notice we found granting UL 3300 recognition is UL LLC's. Other NRTLs may apply later; check OSHA's NRTL pages or ask your lab.

Radios are a separate track

UL 3300 is about product safety, not radio. Any Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LTE or UWB module needs ISED certification to be sold in Canada and FCC authorization in the US. Since July 28, 2026 new foreign-produced mobile robot models cannot get FCC authorization without a Conditional Approval, which affects your US plan far more than any safety standard: see FCC Covered List and robots: Canada vs the US. A UL 3300 certificate does not help with FCC, and an FCC grant does not help with UL 3300.

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When will a buyer ask for it?

From the rules above, the realistic triggers are:

• Electrical inspection or a landlord's facilities team checking that the robot and charger carry an accepted mark before they go on site.
• Procurement and risk reviews at larger hotel groups, hospitals, universities and property managers, which often ask which standards a product was evaluated to.
• Insurers and the buyer's health and safety committee, who want evidence the product was tested for motion and collision hazards, not just electrical shock.
• Your own US distributor, who carries the product liability exposure.

We have not found published statistics on how often buyers require UL 3300 specifically, so plan on being asked for the certification mark and the standard behind it, and have the certificate ready to send.

A practical sequence for robot makers

1. Classify the product with a lab: SCIEE robot (UL 3300 + 62368-1/60335-1), AMP (UL 3100), floor cleaner (CSA C22.2 No. 336) or industrial (UL 1740 / CSA Z434).
2. Pick a lab accredited for both countries: an OSHA NRTL for the US standard and SCC accreditation for Canada, ideally in one project.
3. Plan the radios in parallel: ISED and FCC, and check the FCC Covered List position before you commit to a US launch date.
4. Don't forget the charger, battery and labels: dock certification, UN 38.3 for lithium batteries, bilingual labels and manuals for Canada.
5. Bridge the gap for pilots: if a pilot starts before certification finishes, ask about a field evaluation for the specific units and the local inspection authority's requirements.
6. Keep certified configurations stable in the field: replacing a certified part with a different part, or modifying the robot on site, can take it outside what was certified. Ask your lab what counts as a change.

Cost and timeline

UL Solutions, ULSE and OSHA do not publish a fee schedule or standard timeline for UL 3300 certification, and we did not find a credible public source for typical numbers. Cost depends on how many base standards apply, how many variants you list, test-sample logistics, factory inspections and whether radio testing is bundled. Get written quotes from two or three accredited labs and ask each for: the list of standards, number of samples, test duration, factory inspection fees and annual follow-up fees.

What we can price is the field side. At KeepRobots' published rates (before tax): a Metro Vancouver site visit is $100 CAD call-out plus $150 CAD per hour on site; US work is $150 USD per hour, with travel outside our core area quoted per project. As an example estimate, a two-hour pre-deployment readiness check in Metro Vancouver would be $100 + 2 × $150 = $400 CAD before tax. Repair diagnosis is $200 CAD / $200 USD per visit and is credited toward an approved repair.

Common pitfalls

• Assuming a CE or CCC certificate transfers. It doesn't; North America needs its own marks.
• Certifying the robot but not the dock. Inspectors see the charger first.
• US-only UL mark on units shipped to Canada.
• Assuming UL 3300 fits a cleaning robot. The scope sends commercial robotic floor cleaners to CSA C22.2 No. 336.
• Treating UL 3300 as a radio or cybersecurity certificate. It isn't; radios go through ISED/FCC.
• Field modifications: swapping in non-identical batteries, chargers or motors during service.
• Leaving certification until a buyer asks. A large pilot can stall for months waiting on a test report.

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What KeepRobots can do

We are a robot field service company in Greater Vancouver, serving Canada and the United States. We do not test or certify products, and certification has to come from an accredited body. Around certification, we can:

• Pre-deployment site checks: confirm that the robot, dock and batteries on site carry the expected marks and labels, and that the site (power, floors, elevators, Wi-Fi) is ready. See robot deployment and commissioning.
• Coordinate a field evaluation for pilot or demo units: arrange site access, unpack and power the robot, and be on hand for the inspection body you choose.
• Keep certified units in their certified configuration: identical-part replacement, documented service records and preventive maintenance.
• Deploy and support in Canada and the US: commissioning, staff training and hourly on-site repair. Details on our deployment page and on third-party robot service for robot manufacturers.
• English and Chinese: our engineers can read Chinese technical documents and work with your home team's hours.

For the wider picture of how robot companies cover service in North America, read our 2026 field service guide. To talk about a launch, write to partners@keeprobots.com.

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FAQ

Is UL 3300 certification mandatory in Canada or the US?

No law names UL 3300 specifically. Canada requires electrical equipment to carry an approved certification mark from an SCC-accredited body, and OSHA requires workplace electrical equipment to be approved, normally by an NRTL listing. UL 3300 is a standard a lab can use to evaluate a service robot for those marks.

What is the difference between UL 3300 and UL 3100?

UL 3300 covers service, communication, information, education and entertainment robots used near the public, as a supplement to 62368-1 or 60335-1. UL 3100 covers automated mobile platforms that lift, carry, pick or tow in commercial or industrial settings, such as warehouse AMRs.

Does UL 3300 apply to commercial cleaning robots?

Generally no. The UL 3300 scope excludes robot functions covered by an end-product standard and names CSA C22.2 No. 336 for rechargeable battery-operated commercial robotic floor treatment machines.

Is UL 3300 recognized by OSHA?

Yes. OSHA added UL 3300 to the NRTL Program's List of Appropriate Test Standards and expanded UL LLC's recognition to include it, effective December 31, 2025 (90 FR 61414).

Does UL 3300 replace FCC or ISED certification?

No. UL 3300 is a safety standard. Radio modules still need ISED certification in Canada and FCC authorization in the US, and new foreign-produced mobile robot models face the FCC Covered List restrictions in the US.

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Sources (checked 2026-10-13)

• ULSE standards store, UL 3300 (edition, dates, scope and exclusions): https://www.shopulstandards.com/ProductDetail.aspx?productId=UL3300
• ULSE standards store, UL 3100: https://www.shopulstandards.com/ProductDetail.aspx?productId=UL3100
• ULSE standards store, UL 1740: https://www.shopulstandards.com/ProductDetail.aspx?productId=UL1740
• UL Solutions, consumer and commercial robots: https://www.ul.com/services/consumer-and-commercial-robots
• OSHA, "UL LLC: Grant of Expansion of Recognition and Modification to the NRTL Program's List of Appropriate Test Standards," 90 FR 61414 (Dec. 31, 2025): federalregister.gov 2025-24076
• 29 CFR 1910.303 and 1910.399: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/subtitle-B/chapter-XVII/part-1910/subpart-S
• BC Electrical Safety Regulation, BC Reg. 100/2004, s. 21: https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/100_2004
• Technical Safety BC, approved certification marks: technicalsafetybc.ca
• Ontario ESA, recognized certification marks: https://esasafe.com/electrical-products/recognized-certification-marks/
• SCC accredited organizations search: https://scc-ccn.ca/search/accredited-organizations
• Canadian Electrical Code, Part I (CSA C22.1), Rule 2-024: published by CSA Group (paywalled; summarized from IAEI commentary and provincial bulletins)

This article summarizes public documents and is not legal or certification advice. Standards are revised often; confirm the current edition and the applicable standards for your product with an accredited certification body.