American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA)
A2LA is the only independent, 501(c)3, non-profit, internationally-recognized accreditation body in the United States that offers a full range of comprehensive laboratory and laboratory-related accreditation services. Established in 1978 as a non-profit, public service membership society, A2LA is dedicated to the formal recognition of competent testing and calibration laboratories, inspection bodies, proficiency testing providers, and reference material producers. A2LA offers three main service lines to support recognition of competence in laboratory and laboratory-related industries.
Company details
Find locations served, office locations
- Business Type:
- Nonprofit organization (NPO)
- Industry Type:
- Laboratory Equipment
- Market Focus:
- Nationally (across the country)
About Us
Accreditation is synonymous with both quality and competence of an organization, through the use of international standard(s). A2LA is a third-party body that performs accreditations to various international standards, ensuring an unbiased and objective evaluation of your organization’s functions. A2LA provides a range of accreditation programs using international standards, including:
- ISO/IEC 17025 for Testing/Calibration Laboratories
- ISO 15189 and CLIA for Clinical Testing Laboratories
- ISO/IEC 17020 for Inspection Bodies
- ISO/IEC 17043 for Proficiency Testing Providers
- ISO/IEC 17065 for Product Certification Bodies
- ISO 17034 for Reference Material Producers
The A2LA Technical Forum has grown to become one of the largest, multidiscipline events in the accreditation industry, attracting attendees from over 12 different industries, including automotive, environmental, pharmaceutical, calibration, and more. The forum promotes discussion and training on topics related to the accreditation industry through face-to-face interactions with staff, members, assessors, accredited organizations and other interested parties. The goal is to further strengthen the value of accreditation for all stakeholders. Join a global group of industry professionals for:
- Training and educational meetings on best practices
- Accreditation program-specific technical meetings
- Professional development opportunities
- Networking with peers
Although membership is not a requirement for accreditation, we strongly encourage all A2LA-accredited organizations to become members to have a stronger voice in the organization and receive additional membership benefits. Membership provides individuals and organizations with opportunities to participate in the development of new accreditation standards, network with others working in the quality industry, gain valuable knowledge and training in new industries, and to support and promote quality and public safety.
Our members include private organizations and public institutions of all sizes. A2LA membership and accreditation are separate programs.
A2LA has over 3000 actively accredited certificates representing all 50 states, Aruba, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, France, Germany, Greece, Guam, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nigeria, People’s Republic of China, Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and Vietnam. For a current listed of A2LA’s accredited organizations, please search our directory here: portal.A2LA.org/search
Note: The organizations in foreign economies pursued accreditation from A2LA due mostly to their desire to meet U.S. regulatory requirements.
Providing independent, world-class accreditation programs that inspire confidence in the quality of services and acceptance of results from accredited organizations.
VisionAccreditation accepted everywhere.
Governance- A2LA is governed by a Board of Directors.
- Organizations are assessed by trained Assessors who are technical experts in their fields.
- Accreditation decisions are made by the Accreditation Council.
- Day-to-day operation of the organization is handled by the Staff Members at A2LA Headquarters in Frederick, MD.