---
kind: "section"
citation: "15 U.S.C. § 5402"
title: "15"
title_heading: "Commerce and Trade"
number: "5402"
heading: "Definitions"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/15/5402"
units:
  - "Chapter 80 — Fasteners"
---

# §5402. Definitions


As used in this chapter, the term—

- (1) “accredited laboratory” means a [fastener](#6) testing facility used to perform end-of-line testing required by a [consensus standard](#2) or standards to verify that a [lot](#10) of [fasteners](#6) conforms to the [grade identification marking](#8) called for in the [consensus standard](#2) or standards to which the [lot](#10) of [fasteners](#6) has been manufactured, and which—
  - (A) meets the requirements of ISO/IEC Guide 25 (or another document approved by the [Director](#4) under [section 5411a(c) of this title](/usc/15/5411a.md?p=c)), including revisions from time-to-time; and
  - (B) has been accredited by a laboratory accreditation body that meets the requirements of ISO/IEC Guide 58 (or another document approved by the [Director](#4) under [section 5411a(d) of this title](/usc/15/5411a.md?p=d)), including revisions from time-to-time;
- (2) “consensus standard” means the provisions of a document that describes [fastener](#6) characteristics published by a [consensus standards organization](#3) or a Federal agency, and does not include a [proprietary standard](#12);
- (3) “consensus standards organization” means the American Society for Testing and Materials, the American National Standards Institute, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Society of Automotive Engineers, the International Organization for Standardization, any other organization identified as a United States consensus standards organization or a foreign and international consensus standards organization in the Federal Register at 61 Fed. Reg. 50582–83 (September 26, 1996), and any successor organizations thereto;
- (4) “Director” means the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology;
- (5) “distributor” means a [person](/usc/15/7a.md?p=6) who purchases [fasteners](#6) for the purpose of reselling them at wholesale to unaffiliated [persons](/usc/15/7a.md?p=6) within the United States (an original equipment [manufacturer](#11) and its dealers shall be considered affiliated [persons](/usc/15/7a.md?p=6) for purposes of this chapter);
- (6) “fastener” means a metallic screw, nut, bolt, or stud having internal or external threads, with a nominal diameter of 6 millimeters or greater, in the case of such items described in metric terms, or ¼ inch or greater, in the case of such items described in terms of the English system of measurement, or a load-indicating washer, that is through-hardened or represented as meeting a [consensus standard](#2) that calls for through-hardening, and that is grade identification marked or represented as meeting a [consensus standard](#2) that requires [grade identification marking](#8), except that such term does not include any screw, nut, bolt, stud, or load-indicating washer that is—
  - (A) part of an assembly;
  - (B) a part that is ordered for use as a spare, substitute, service, or replacement part, unless that part is in a package containing more than 75 of any such part at the time of sale, or a part that is contained in an assembly kit;
  - (C) produced and marked as ASTM A 307 Grade A, or a successor standard thereto;
  - (D) produced in accordance with ASTM F 432, or a successor standard thereto;
  - (E) specifically manufactured for use on an aircraft if the quality and suitability of those [fasteners](#6) for that use has been approved—
    - (i) by the Federal Aviation [Administration](/usc/15/636e.md?p=1); or
    - (ii) by a foreign airworthiness authority as described in part 21.29, 21.500, 21.502, or 21.617 of title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations;
  - (F) manufactured in accordance with a [fastener quality assurance system](#7); or
  - (G) manufactured to a [proprietary standard](#12), whether or not such [proprietary standard](#12) directly or indirectly references a [consensus standard](#2) or any portion thereof;
- (7) “fastener quality assurance system” means—
  - (A) a system that meets the requirements, including revisions from time-to-time, of—
    - (i) International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Standard 9000, 9001, 9002, or TS16949;
    - (ii) Quality System (QS) 9000 Standard;
    - (iii) Verband der Automobilindustrie e. V. (VDA) 6.1 Standard; or
    - (iv) Aerospace Basic Quality System Standard AS9000; or
  - (B) any [fastener](#6) manufacturing system—
    - (i) that has as a stated goal the prevention of defects through continuous improvement;
    - (ii) that seeks to attain the goal stated in [clause (i)](#7-B-i) by incorporating—
      - (I) advanced quality planning;
      - (II) monitoring and control of the manufacturing process;
      - (III) product verification embodied in a comprehensive written control plan for product and process characteristics, and process controls (including process influence factors and statistical process control), tests, and measurement systems to be used in production; and
      - (IV) the creation, maintenance, and retention of electronic, photographic, or paper records required by the control plan regarding the inspections, tests, and measurements performed pursuant to the control plan; and
    - (iii) that—
      - (I) is subject to certification in accordance with the requirements of ISO/IEC Guide 62 (or another document approved by the [Director](#4) under [section 5411a(a) of this title](/usc/15/5411a.md?p=a)), including revisions from time-to-time, by a third party who is accredited by an accreditation body in accordance with the requirements of ISO/IEC Guide 61 (or another document approved by the [Director](#4) under [section 5411a(b) of this title](/usc/15/5411a.md?p=b)), including revisions from time-to-time; or
      - (II) undergoes regular or random evaluation and assessment by the end user or end users of the screws, nuts, bolts, studs, or load-indicating washers produced under such [fastener](#6) manufacturing system to ensure that such system meets the requirements of clauses [(i)](#7-B-i) and [(ii)](#7-B-ii);
- (8) “grade identification marking” means any grade-mark or property class symbol appearing on a [fastener](#6) purporting to indicate that the [lot](#10) of [fasteners](#6) conforms to a specific [consensus standard](#2), but such term does not include a [manufacturer](#11)’s insignia or part number;
- (9) “importer” means a [distributor](#5) located within the United States who contracts for the initial purchase of [fasteners](#6) manufactured outside the United States;
- (10) “lot” means a quantity of [fasteners](#6) of one part number fabricated by the same production process from the same coil or heat number of metal as provided by the metal [manufacturer](#11);
- (11) “manufacturer” means a [person](/usc/15/7a.md?p=6) who fabricates [fasteners](#6) for sale in commerce;
- (12) “proprietary standard” means the provisions of a document that describes characteristics of a screw, nut, bolt, stud, or load-indicating washer and is issued by a [person](/usc/15/7a.md?p=6) who—
  - (A) uses screws, nuts, bolts, studs, or load-indicating washers in the manufacture, assembly, or servicing of its products; and
  - (B) with respect to such screws, nuts, bolts, studs, or washers, is a developer and issuer of descriptions that have characteristics similar to [consensus standards](#2) and that bear such user’s identification;
- (13) “record of conformance” means a record or records for each [lot](#10) of [fasteners](#6) sold or offered for sale that contains—
  - (A) the name and address of the [manufacturer](#11);
  - (B) a description of the type of [fastener](#6);
  - (C) the [lot](#10) number;
  - (D) the nominal dimensions of the [fastener](#6) (including diameter and length of bolts or screws), thread form, and class of fit;
  - (E) the [consensus standard](#2) or [specifications](#16) to which the [lot](#10) of [fasteners](#6) has been manufactured, including the date, number, revision, and other information sufficient to identify the particular [consensus standard](#2) or [specifications](#16) being referenced;
  - (F) the chemistry and grade of material;
  - (G) the coating material and characteristics and the applicable [consensus standard](#2) or [specifications](#16) for such coating; and
  - (H) the results or a summary of results of any tests performed for the purpose of verifying that a [lot](#10) of [fasteners](#6) conforms to its [grade identification marking](#8) or to the [grade identification marking](#8) the [lot](#10) of [fasteners](#6) is represented to meet;
- (14) “represent” means to describe one or more of a [fastener](#6)’s purported characteristics in a document or statement that is transmitted to a purchaser through any medium;
- (15) “Secretary” means the Secretary of Commerce;
- (16) “specifications” means the required characteristics identified in the contractual [agreement](/usc/15/7a.md?p=2) with the [manufacturer](#11) or to which a [fastener](#6) is otherwise produced, except that the term does not include [proprietary standards](#12); and
- (17) “through-harden” means heating above the transformation temperature followed by quenching and tempering for the purpose of achieving uniform hardness.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 101–592, § 3, Nov. 16, 1990, 104 Stat. 2944; Pub. L. 104–113, § 11(b), Mar. 7, 1996, 110 Stat. 780; Pub. L. 106–34, § 3, June 8, 1999, 113 Stat. 118.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1999—Pub. L. 106–34 amended section catchline and text generally, restating certain definitions, adding new definitions, and striking out definitions of “alter”, “container”, “institute”, “original equipment manufacturer”, “private label distributor”, and “standards and specifications”.

1996—Par. (1)(B). Pub. L. 104–113, § 11(b)(1), struck out “having a minimum tensile strength of 150,000 pounds per square inch” after “fasteners”.

Par. (2). Pub. L. 104–113, § 11(b)(2), inserted “consensus” after “or any other”.

Par. (5). Pub. L. 104–113, § 11(b)(3), inserted “or produced in accordance with ASTM F 432” after “307 Grade A” in closing provisions, inserted “or” at end of subpar. (B), struck out “or” at end of subpar. (C), and struck out subpar. (D) which read as follows: “any item within a category added by the Secretary in accordance with section 5403(b) of this title,”.

Par. (6). Pub. L. 104–113, § 11(b)(4), substituted “government agency” for “other person”.

Par. (8). Pub. L. 104–113, § 11(b)(5), substituted “Standards” for “Standard”.

Pars. (11), (12). Pub. L. 104–113, § 11(b)(6), redesignated pars. (12) and (13) as (11) and (12), respectively, and struck out former par. (11) which read as follows: “ ‘original equipment manufacturer’ means a person who uses fasteners in the manufacture or assembly of its products and sells fasteners to authorized dealers as replacement or service parts for its products;”.

Par. (13). Pub. L. 104–113, § 11(b)(7), substituted “or a government agency” for “, a government agency, or a major end-user of fasteners which defines or describes dimensional characteristics, limits of size, acceptable materials, processing, functional behavior, plating, baking, inspecting, testing, packaging, and required markings of any fastener”.

Pub. L. 104–113, § 11(b)(6), redesignated par. (14) as (13). Former par. (13) redesignated (12).

Par. (14). Pub. L. 104–113, § 11(b)(8), inserted “for the purpose of achieving a uniform hardness” after “quenching and tempering”.

Pub. L. 104–113, § 11(b)(6), redesignated par. (15) as (14). Former par. (14) redesignated (13).

Par. (15). Pub. L. 104–113, § 11(b)(6), redesignated par. (15) as (14).

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Comptroller General Report

Pub. L. 106–34, § 12, June 8, 1999, 113 Stat. 125, provided that not later than 2 years after June 8, 1999, the Comptroller General would transmit to the Congress a report describing any changes in industry practice resulting from or apparently resulting from the enactment of paragraph (6)(B) of this section.