The part number matches, the price is competitive, and the offer says “FAA Form 8130-3 included.” Before issuing a purchase order, check whether that release supports the component’s intended use.
EASA Form 1 and FAA Form 8130-3 document a component’s production or maintenance release under their respective regulatory systems. Neither automatically authorizes installation. Buyers need to check part identity, release status, issuer approval, remarks, and supporting records against the receiving operator’s requirements. The FAA form explicitly separates release certification from installation certification. See the official FAA Form 8130-3.
What is the difference between EASA Form 1 and FAA Form 8130-3?
FAA Form 8130-3 is the FAA’s Authorized Release Certificate and Airworthiness Approval Tag. EASA Form 1 is the Authorised Release Certificate used within the EASA system. Both have production and maintenance applications, but acceptance across regulatory systems depends on the applicable agreement and release conditions. FAA production guidance, EASA Form 1 definition.
| Buyer question | FAA Form 8130-3 | EASA Form 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Which regulatory system does it represent? | FAA / United States | EASA system / relevant competent authority |
| Where is the production certification? | Blocks 13a–13e | Blocks 13a–13e |
| Where is the maintenance certification? | Blocks 14a–14e | Blocks 14a–14e |
| Where are status and work details? | Block 11 and Block 12 | Block 11 and Block 12 |
| Can it support a bilateral maintenance release? | Yes, when the applicable requirements are met | Yes, when the applicable requirements are met |
| Does possession authorize installation? | No | No |
Current guidance matters: FAA Order 8130.21J covers Part 21 uses; AC 43-9D covers maintenance records and return-to-service use. MAG Change 10 took effect on October 10, 2025. Order 8130.21J, AC 43-9D, MAG status.
How to check an FAA 8130 form before buying
Buyers searching for “faa form 8130 3” or “8130 3” are usually looking for the formally titled FAA Form 8130-3. When a quote uses shorthand such as “FAA 8130” or “8130 form,” ask for the actual certificate and any referenced attachments.
Use the following sequence during offer review, then repeat the identity and condition checks when the shipment arrives.
1. Match the certificate to the individual component
Compare Block 8’s part number, including its suffix, with the quote and purchase order. For a serialized unit, match Block 10 to the physical data plate. Check Block 9 against the shipment quantity and any applicable split-shipment records.
Use photographs during offer review and verify the delivered unit at receiving inspection. Even a one-digit serial-number mismatch needs resolution before acceptance, consistent with FAA receiving guidance. FAA AC 20-154A.
2. Check the release basis and work status
Read the completed certification section together with Block 11. Production certification and maintenance return to service have different purposes; the signed side alone is not a complete description of the transaction.
For maintenance releases, OVERHAULED, REPAIRED, INSPECTED/TESTED, and MODIFIED describe different work scopes. An inspected/tested unit should not be treated as overhauled simply because the sales quote says “serviceable.” Overhaul also does not automatically reset a life-limited part’s accumulated life. FAA maintenance instructions.
3. Read Block 12 and its attachments
Block 12 can identify maintenance data, work performed, limitations, and additional regulatory release statements. Read referenced attachments alongside it. Ask whether those records explain the work sufficiently for your quality and maintenance teams to assess the component. FAA AC 43-9D, Appendix B.
Useful questions include: Which maintenance manual and revision were used? What repair or modification was performed? Does an exception affect the intended application? Is a referenced shop report missing?
Avoid blanket rules such as “every blank remarks box is invalid.” Production and maintenance instructions differ; some Part 21 releases may have a blank Block 12. FAA Order 8130.21J.
4. Verify the issuer and authorization
Identify the organization in Block 4 and the approval reference in the completed certification section. Check the required signature, printed name, and date. For a bilateral maintenance release, verify the additional approval as well.
Confirm that the organization held the necessary approval and rating when the work was released. EASA publishes information on U.S.-based Part-145 organizations; investigate historical approval questions with the issuer or relevant authority. EASA’s U.S. Part-145 resources.
For an uncertain certificate, use independently obtained issuer contact details. Send the tracking number, part number, serial number, and release date for verification.
When might an FAA/EASA dual release be required?
A dual release records maintenance release under both FAA and EASA requirements on one certificate. For an FAA Form 8130-3 dual release, both Block 14a boxes are checked, and Block 12 includes the EASA release statement and approval number. These entries must be backed by the organization’s approvals. FAA AC 43-9D, section 23.6.
Start by establishing whether the part is new or maintained, where the releasing organization is located, and which regulatory system will accept it. A customer’s shipping address alone does not answer those questions.
The following are simplified examples of common U.S.–EU transactions. Applicable bilateral requirements and the receiving organization’s procedures should always be verified.
| Common transaction | Release to verify |
|---|---|
| New U.S. production-approved component for the EASA system | Appropriate FAA Form 8130-3 NEW production release under the applicable bilateral conditions |
| Used component from a U.S. repair station for the EASA system | FAA Form 8130-3 dual maintenance release from an EASA-approved U.S. repair station |
| EU-maintained component for U.S. use under the bilateral route | EASA Form 1 dual release from an appropriately FAA-approved EU maintenance organization |
New parts do not automatically need a dual maintenance release. Used components from a U.S. repair station without EASA approval cannot be accepted through the MAG pathway merely because an FAA form is attached. MAG also addresses special cases where both systems’ requirements cannot be met; route those cases to quality rather than treating them as ordinary dual releases. U.S.–EU MAG Change 10, Sections B and C.
For procurement, replace “8130 required” with the precise release requirement agreed with your receiving organization. If the supplied release is wrong, ask the issuer to assess the remedy. A seller cannot create a dual release by adding a tick or editing a PDF.
EASA Form 1 example for a parts buyer
This fictional reading example connects a repaired hydraulic pump to its records. It is not an issuable certificate or completion template.
| Field | Illustrative information | Buyer’s check |
|---|---|---|
| Block 3 | EXAMPLE-004217 | Use this tracking reference when contacting the issuer |
| Block 5 | WO-EXAMPLE-3187 | Request the matching work record if needed |
| Block 8 | DEMO-PUMP-01 | Match the part number and configuration |
| Block 10 | DEMO-009817 | Match the individual unit’s data plate |
| Block 11 | REPAIRED | Confirm this matches the purchased condition |
| Block 12 | Work description, applicable data and revision, test record, relevant limitations | Review the actual details and referenced attachments |
| Blocks 14a–14e | Applicable release selection, authorization, approval reference, name, and date | Verify the releasing organization and release basis |
Is a serviceable tag the same as a release certificate?
A serviceable tag is not automatically an FAA Form 8130-3 or EASA Form 1. Suppliers may use the phrase for an internal condition tag, a maintenance record, or the formal release certificate itself. Ask to see the document rather than relying on the label.
There is an important U.S. distinction: an appropriately issued repair-station tag containing the required maintenance-record information can support certain domestic maintenance transactions. The FAA lists such records among acceptable documentation examples. A distributor’s condition label does not acquire that authority merely by saying “serviceable.” FAA AC 20-62E, sections 9–10.
Before accepting a tag, establish who issued it, what work it records, and whether the receiving organization accepts that document for the intended transaction. Write the agreed requirement into the purchase order so “tag included” cannot carry two different meanings.
What traceability records should accompany the certificate?
A release certificate can link a component to a production or maintenance event. Additional records may be needed to establish its history and current suitability.
Depending on the item, request shop reports, prior maintenance records, manufacturer conformity evidence, removal information, and relevant airworthiness directive or modification status. For life-limited parts, obtain records substantiating accumulated time or cycles and remaining life. The necessary history cannot be inferred from the latest release alone. FAA AC 20-62E.
Set the documentation requirement by part category and intended use. Back-to-birth records may be required by the applicable life-control, operator, or contractual requirements; avoid applying one universal paperwork standard to every expendable and rotable.
When should a part go on hold or into quarantine?
Place a received component on hold when identity, release acceptability, or required supporting records remain unresolved. FAA receiving guidance recommends segregating questionable parts from serviceable inventory pending disposition. FAA AC 20-154A.
Record the discrepancy, retain documents and photographs, and request issuer verification. Quality personnel determine disposition and any reporting requirements. Never correct certificate details yourself; obtain the appropriate controlled resolution from the issuer.
At the same time, distinguish investigation triggers from proven fraud. An older date, electronic signature, or legitimate copy is not automatically a defect. FAA guidance allows electronic forms and controlled copies; formally corrected documents also have a defined process. FAA Order 8130.21J.
Put documentation into the buying decision
Before committing to an offer, confirm the exact unit, purchased condition, required release, issuer approval, remarks, and supporting history. Repeat the relevant checks on receipt and keep unresolved items out of serviceable stock.
For PartsCollab buyers, documentation requirements should be established during sourcing and carried through the workflow: RFQ → Offer Review → PO → Receiving → Discrepancy → Quarantine. State the required release and traceability records in the RFQ, verify the proposed documentation during offer review, and incorporate the agreed requirements into the PO. At receiving, match the delivered part and records to those requirements. Log any discrepancy and, where it leaves identity, release acceptability, or required records unresolved, quarantine the component pending quality disposition. The operator’s quality procedures and authorized maintenance personnel retain the acceptance and installation decisions.
Define the documentation requirement before the PO—not after the part arrives.
