Can I sell DIY electronics without certifications like CE or other?

Hi all,
is it legal to sell DIY electronics without certifications?

Should I pay some certications like the CE or some others to sell in Europe?
Is it legal to sell electronics without any certifications?

Thanks
Davide

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CE certification apply mainly to electronics connected to mains power (note generalization!), and it is always applied to the whole completed product as it is used, including case etc. meaning it doesn’t apply to a bare PCB or otherwise ‘component’ of something.

Since I’m assuming what you plan to sell is a part of a product or a kit, you have no need for any certifications, as it would be the responsibility of the end user to either certify the finished product (unlikely), or treat it as a hobby item, ie user beware, used at your own risk where its possible your homeowners insurance or similar would not cover what you are doing if you are found negligible in using whatever contraption you did when causing the issue.

And obviously the rules for all of this vary from country to country, so the responsibility falls on the buyer/user to follow the rules/laws in his/her location. What you need to make clear though, is that what you are selling is a kit, or similar. That it does in fact require the user to finish the product. Then you cannot be held liable under any law.

Short version, yes its legal and you do not need to certify what you are selling as long as its not meant for mains power, then the rules become a lot more complicated.

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Response: The response to this CE certification and liability is what I tussled with for quite some time. There are so many opinions online that muddy the water even more. The response to this post is direct and reassuring with great appreciation but here is my dilemma. First off, in no way do I claim to be a legal scholar and that could be why I look at this overall topic with skepticism. If I sell a keypad with basic PCB discrete circuitry, meaning a couple of inline DIP chips - shift register, decade counter, opamp, switching transistor - that require END USER external 5vdc supply and a microcontroller to support functionality along with the end user determining the keypad’s purpose in a finished design, is the keypad and basic discrete circuitry considered a sum-assembly with no specific usage claimed, still require CE certification. I may never find a definite answer to my question but in any event I concluded from other research that a detailed and specific disclaimer is a good first step.
Other opinions on this topic are greatly appreciated. Maybe I am not the only one rowing this boat.

At 5 VDC you aren’t even getting close to what the CE directive mandates for certification (Low Voltage Directive (LVD) 50/75 VAC/VDC).

And yes, there are a bunch of other directives that could be partially applied to your product, like the ones about toys etc., but none of them applies directly, as your product isn’t the target of them.

But agreed, a good disclaimer is always a good thing.

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I appreciate your response on a subject where defined answers are vague and not pretending to be a legal scholar it is probably best to stay in the hobbyist lane and avoid the commercial and consumer lane. There are many fine lines between hobby projects and engineered products that will require extensive testing and certification. Unless a hobbyist wants to expand into a full blown business I believe it best to focus on the many hobby markets that exist online. The hobby community shares common interests and one I found is https://www.instructables.com/ where hobbyists can showcase their builds. I am working on prototyping one of my builds on Instructables and what better way to test an idea before venturing on a product that may fall flat. In short, To stay within the guide-rails I see it best to stay in development mode and look to potential third parties for distribution unless the product is so lucrative that it warrants the investment in a full time business.