VR Certificate of Authorization
The National Board offers the Certificate of Authorization and VR Stamp for the repair of pressure relief valves. Requirements are described in NB-514, Accreditation of VR Repair Organizations.
Organizations seeking a National Board VR Certificate of Authorization must complete and submit the following:
And:
- have a written quality system that complies with the requirements of the current edition of the National Board Inspection Code (NBIC) and includes the expected scope of activities,
- have the current edition of all parts of the NBIC. Organizations have the option of using either a printed version or an electronic version, including a subscription from a National Board licensed reseller, to fulfill this requirement; and,
- have available a copy of the Code of Construction appropriate for the intended scope of work.
Prior to issuance of a National Board VR Certificate of Authorization, the organization and its facilities are subject to a review of its quality system. An important part of that review will be the witnessing of the repair of several sample pressure relief valves.
An independent test for operation and capacity of these sample pressure relief valves will be conducted at a National Board-accepted laboratory. The test is to verify the repaired valves meet applicable ASME Code requirements for performance and relieving capacity.
- The National Board Testing Laboratory is available to perform this testing, along with several other major valve manufacturers which operate National Board-accepted testing laboratories.
- A National Board representative will witness the valve testing.
Return forms by email to: prd@nbbi.org or mail the forms to:
National Board Pressure Relief Laboratory
7437 Pingue Drive
Worthington, Ohio 43085
Pressure Relief Laboratory staff will contact you to schedule a date for the review of the VR Quality System and its implementation, and to witness the repair of the required sample pressure relief valves.
Certification Fees:
The fee for renewal of the VR Certificate of Authorization is $660 USD for a three-year period. For new issuances, there will be an additional one-time charge of $75 USD for the loan of the steel VR symbol stamp.
Review Fees:
The review of an organization’s quality control system for VR certification, conducted by the National Board, can be performed in conjunction with its ASME review, where applicable, or as a standalone VR review. The National Board requires an advance deposit to schedule reviews for ASME/VR certifications or the standalone VR certification, as shown below:
| US, Canada, Mexico, Caribbean |
$7,000 USD |
| All Others |
$10,000 USD |
Cancellation Fees:
Withdrawal of an application in-process will result in a $330 USD application withdrawal fee.
Shop review cancellations after having been scheduled by the National Board will result in a $400 USD review cancellation fee, plus any loss of incurred expenses.
Changes:
Organizations holding a VR Certificate of Authorization who are having a name change prior to renewal must submit an NB-519, National Board VR, T/O, and/or NB Certificate of Authorization Name Change Application, along with a copy of their Quality Control Manual revisions. There is a fee of $50 USD for a name change to a certificate.
NOTE: If the name change is being done at the time of renewal, an NB-519 does not need to be submitted, and the $50 revision fee is not needed. The name change should be noted on the NB-550 application for renewal.
Organizations holding a VR Certificate of Authorization who are having a location change or scope change, must submit an NB-550, Application for the National Board VR and/or T/O Certificate of Authorization. A review of your facility may be required prior to issuance of a revised certificate. Cost will be determined upon receipt of the NB-550.
If there are questions on the certification program, please Contact Us or email the Pressure Relief Laboratory at prd@nbbi.org.
Payment of the certificate fee, stamp and advance deposit, if applicable, can be made as follows:
- By check payable in U.S. Dollar, drawn on a U.S. Bank, to The National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors and remit to the address below, to the attention of the Accounting Department.
- For all other payment types, please contact the Accounting Department as follows:
- ACH (preferable) — send your ACH authorization form to the Accounting Department for banking information by mail or fax.
- Credit Cards (VISA, MasterCard, American Express) — send credit card information by fax or call the Accounting Department.
- Accounting Department contact information:
| Address |
1055 Crupper Avenue
Columbus, OH 43229 |
| Telephone |
614.888.8320 ext. 217 |
| Fax |
614.985.4615 |
| Email |
accountingdept@nbbi.org |
PLEASE NOTE: FOR SECURITY REASONS, WE DO NOT ACCEPT CREDIT CARD INFORMATION VIA EMAIL.