Certification & Mark Licensing Policy
Version 2.0 · Publication Date: 2026-09-22 · Status: Published / Effective
Document ID: DV-F-32-v2.0
© 2026 DraftVerify™ Standards Initiative. All rights reserved.
Program status. DraftVerify operates a private, voluntary conformity assessment and certification program. DraftVerify Certification is not government approval, regulatory approval, or accredited certification unless a specific accreditation is expressly identified for a specific scope.
1. Purpose
F-32 controls:
- application for DraftVerify Certification;
- certification scopes;
- eligibility and conformity decisions;
- certificate issuance and status;
- surveillance, renewal, suspension, withdrawal, and expiry;
- public certification claims; and
- licensed use of DraftVerify certification marks.
2. Certification scopes
DraftVerify may issue certification within defined scopes, including:
2.1 Brewery
For brewery-controlled NA draft identity, serialization, activation, records, and applicable release controls.
2.2 Distributor
For distributor-controlled receiving, handling, identity preservation, records, and delivery controls.
2.3 Venue
For a defined site or draft program meeting applicable venue, identity, verification, records, and change-control requirements.
2.4 Multi-site organization
For a defined group of sites operating under a controlled common program, subject to F-34.
2.5 Equipment or system compatibility
Only where DraftVerify has published objective criteria for the defined compatibility claim. Compatibility certification shall not imply certification of an entire venue or operating program.
3. Application
An applicant shall:
- identify its legal or operating entity;
- define the requested scope;
- identify relevant sites, systems, products, or services;
- accept applicable program terms;
- provide requested evidence; and
- authorize assessment activities necessary for the requested scope.
Submission of an application does not create certification.
4. Conformity decision
Certification shall be issued only after:
- applicable requirements have been identified;
- required evidence has been assessed;
- critical nonconformities have been closed;
- required corrective actions have been accepted or closed under F-33; and
- an authorized certification decision has been recorded.
Where practical, the person making the final certification decision should not be the sole person responsible for paid implementation work on the same scope. Any actual conflict of interest shall be disclosed and controlled.
5. Certificate
Each certificate shall identify:
- unique certificate ID;
- certificate holder;
- certified scope;
- Standard version;
- issue date;
- expiry or review date, if applicable;
- status; and
- any material limitation or exclusion.
The Registry is the controlling DraftVerify record of certificate status.
6. Certificate status
Active
The holder may make authorized certification claims within scope.
Suspended
The holder shall cease current promotional use of the certification mark and shall not represent the affected scope as actively certified, except to accurately disclose suspended status where necessary.
Withdrawn
Certification has ended before normal expiry. Certification claims and mark use shall cease.
Expired
The certification period has ended without renewal. Certification claims and mark use shall cease except for accurate historical reference that does not imply current certification.
7. Mark licence
An active certificate does not grant unlimited trademark rights.
Authorized use of a DraftVerify certification mark is a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence for the certified scope and term.
Unless separately authorized in writing, the holder shall not:
- alter the mark;
- sublicense the mark;
- apply it to an uncertified site, product, service, or system;
- use it after suspension, withdrawal, or expiry;
- use it as part of a company name, domain, product name, or social handle; or
- imply endorsement beyond the certificate scope.
8. Certification wording
A holder may use wording expressly authorized by DraftVerify, such as:
“DraftVerify Certified — [scope] — Certificate [ID]”
A certification statement should identify a certificate ID or other validation method where reasonably practical.
9. Prohibited claims
No party shall state or imply that DraftVerify has certified, approved, verified, endorsed, audited, accredited, or authorized that party unless the claimed status is actually current and within scope.
A party may accurately state that it has read, referenced, or internally mapped procedures to DraftVerify without certification, provided the statement does not imply a DraftVerify conformity decision.
10. Surveillance and renewal
DraftVerify may require surveillance evidence, spot assessment, incident review, or renewal assessment as a condition of continued certification.
Failure to provide required evidence can result in suspension or withdrawal.
11. Suspension and withdrawal triggers
Triggers can include:
- critical identity failure;
- falsified or materially misleading evidence;
- unauthorized use of a certification mark;
- refusal to correct material nonconformity;
- material undisclosed system change;
- repeated failure to maintain required controls; or
- non-payment where program terms make payment a condition of certification maintenance.
12. Appeals and complaints
An applicant or holder may submit a documented appeal of a certification decision.
DraftVerify shall record the appeal, basis, reviewer, disposition, and date.
Complaints alleging misuse of a DraftVerify certification claim shall be investigated proportionate to risk.
13. No automatic legal status
Certification does not, by itself, establish compliance with any law, code, insurance requirement, manufacturer requirement, or third-party contract.
14. Mark registration status
DraftVerify may seek trademark or certification-mark registration in one or more jurisdictions.
No party, including DraftVerify, shall use the symbol ® for a mark in a jurisdiction or context where registration has not been granted.