March 30, 2026

Steven Bentley

This Advisory Circular (AC), 00-56B Change 1, outlines a voluntary program for the accreditation of civil aircraft parts distributors.

While participation is not mandatory and does not constitute a regulation, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) strongly encourages it to help establish the eligibility of parts for installation on U.S. type- certificated products. The following guidance provides a detailed overview of the program’s requirements, quality systems, and accreditation procedures based on the document.

1. Core Purpose and Recent Changes

The primary goal is to provide a system for distributor accreditation based on voluntary industry oversight.

  • Voluntary Compliance: If a distributor chooses to participate, they must follow the procedures described in the AC in their entirety to be considered compliant.
  • Principal Change (Change 1): This update removes (Table 1) from the document; the list of FAA-acceptable organizations and quality system standards
    is now maintained directly on the FAA website.

2. Minimum Quality System Requirements

Distributors must maintain a quality system that protects aircraft parts from damage, preserves documentation, and ensures parts satisfy the requirements of Appendix 1.
Minimum criteria include:

  • Receiving & Inspection: A process to confirm products are accompanied by documentation showing the prior source and meeting "Required on Receipt"standards.
  • Material Control: Procedures for removing suspect or nonconforming material and placing it in a separate, segregated area to prevent inadvertent sale.
  • Technical Data & Tools: Systems for controlling measuring equipment (including calibration) and ensuring technical data is current and accessible.
  • Environmental Controls: Systems for shelf-life control and preservation/packaging to protect parts from damage or deterioration during
    storage and shipment.
  • Personnel Training: A system to train personnel on the quality system and the identification of counterfeit or suspected unapproved parts.
  • Self-Evaluation: A program to monitor the effectiveness of the quality system through periodic internal audits.

3. Documentation Matrix

The AC establishes strict requirements for documentation both when a distributor receives a part and when they ship it.

Standard Parts

  • Part Required on Receipt: Certificate of Conformity (C of C) from producer/seller.
  • Required for Shipment: Certified true copy of received C of C and statement that original is on file.

New Parts (PAH)

  • Part Required on Receipt: FAA Form 8130-3 or part marking required by part 45.
  • Required for Shipment: Certified true copy of airworthiness approval or identity/condition statement.

Used Parts (Part 43)

  • Part Required on Receipt: Approval for return to service meeting § 43.9, 43.11, or 43.17.
  • Required for Shipment: Approval for return to service.

Raw Materials

  • Part Required on Receipt: Physical/chemical properties reports traceable to heat/lot code.
  • Required for Shipment: Certified true copy of physical and chemical properties reports.

4. The Accreditation Process

To become accredited and listed in the program database, a distributor must follow these steps:

  1.  Preparation: Conduct and document a self-evaluation of the quality system.
  2. Audit: Arrange an onsite audit with an authorized accreditation organization. The distributor bears all costs.
  3. Certification: If compliant, the accreditation organization issues a letter certifying compliance with the selected quality standard and AC 00-56B.
  4. Database Entry: Send a certification letter (template in Appendix 2) and a copy of the audit certificate to the Aviation Suppliers Association (ASA), the designated database manager.
  5. Listing: Accreditation is effective once the distributor is listed in the online database.

5. Terms of Accreditation

  •  Maximum Term: Accreditation lasts for 36 months.
  • Surveillance: At least one surveillance audit must be conducted during the 36- month term to maintain participation.
  • Audit Type: Both the initial and surveillance audits must be performed onsite at the distributor's facility.
  • Expiration: Certificates become invalid no later than the third anniversary of the certification.

Note on Safety Practices: Obtaining parts through an accredited distributor is considered a "sound safety practice" by the FAA. If a customer uses an accredited distributor and later faces enforcement action regarding a part, the FAA may recognize the use of an accredited source as a mitigating circumstance.

Next Steps

Sofema Aviation Services (SAS) and Sofema Online (SOL) provide classroom, webinar, and online training. Please see the websites email [email protected]

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Aviation Quality System, sasblogs, Sofema Online (SOL), Sofema Aviation Services (SAS), AC 00-56B, FAA Distributor Accreditation, Aircraft Parts Documentation, Aviation Material Control, ASA Database Listing