Look-alike logos
Letters set too close together or in a different font are not the CE mark. Use the official artwork.
Your EU partner for CE marking, certification & compliance
The CE mark has a fixed graphic form set in Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 765/2008. Getting it wrong - squashed letters, too small, printed only in the manual - is one of the easiest non-conformities for authorities and marketplaces to spot.
| Rule | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Shape | The letters "CE" drawn to the graduated grid in Annex II. If the mark is enlarged or reduced, the proportions must be kept. |
| Size | At least 5 mm high, unless the specific legislation sets a different minimum. |
| Durability | Visible, legible and indelible: printed, moulded, engraved or a durable label - not a sticker that peels off. |
| Location | On the product or its data plate. Only where this is not possible or not warranted by the nature of the product may it go on the packaging and accompanying documents. |
| Timing | Affixed before the product is placed on the EU market. |
| Notified Body number | Where a Notified Body is involved in the production control phase, its four-digit identification number follows the CE mark. |
| Other marks | Allowed, if they do not mislead about the meaning or form of the CE mark or impair its visibility. |
Letters set too close together or in a different font are not the CE mark. Use the official artwork.
CE marking on products with no CE legislation (for example most furniture, clothing or cosmetics) is prohibited.
Moving the mark to the box is allowed only when the product itself cannot carry it.
A number must belong to a Notified Body that actually took part in the assessment. Check it in the NANDO database.
The CE mark is only the visible end of the process: it states that the manufacturer has completed the conformity assessment and signed an EU Declaration of Conformity. Affixing it without that work is a breach that market surveillance authorities can sanction.
5 mm in height, unless the specific legislation sets a different dimension. The proportions of the official grid must be kept at any size.
Only where it is not possible or not warranted to put it on the product itself because of its nature, for example very small components. Otherwise it goes on the product or its data plate.
The legislation does not set a colour. It must be visible, legible and indelible.
It is the identification number of the Notified Body involved in the production control phase. Products assessed without a Notified Body carry the CE mark alone.
What the mark declares.
When a number follows the mark.
The basics.
Note: This guide provides general information about EU product legislation, not legal advice. Check the current legal texts on EUR-Lex for your product. Last reviewed 5 October 2026.
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