Approve Only When Four Fields Match
| Field | Pass condition | Hold or reject condition |
|---|---|---|
| Specification | The facility record shows API 6D | The supplier submits API Q1, API 608, API 6DSS, or another program instead |
| Product | Ball Valves appear in the licensed product scope | The API 6D scope lists only gate, plug, check, or axial valves |
| Facility | The legal name and physical address match the factory making the order | The certificate belongs to a sales office, parent company, or another group factory |
| Status and date | The facility is Active on the Date of Manufacture | The record is Applicant, Expired, Suspended, Inactive, Canceled, or Withdrawn |
The API Monogram Program authorizes licensed manufacturers to apply the Monogram to equipment that meets the applicable API product specification and is made under an API Spec Q1-compliant quality management system.[1]
Search These Fields in the Composite List
- Enter the manufacturer’s legal company name.
- Select API 6D under Specification/Standard.
- Select Ball Valves under Product.
- Compare the city, state or province, country, and full factory address.
- Open the complete facility record.
- Save a dated screenshot or PDF printout.
The API Composite List is the free directory for companies participating in the API Monogram and related certification programs.[2]
Record at least these eight fields:
- Legal company name
- Licensed facility name
- Full facility address
- API specification
- Licensed products
- Current status
- Relevant effective or expiry dates
- Date of your search
FM-002 states that the Composite List contains facility-specific details and current and past licenses, including products, license numbers, status, and relevant dates.[3]
API Composite List checked on [date]. The same facility record shows API 6D, Ball Valves, the proposed manufacturing address, and the current license status. The relevant dates have been compared with the planned Date of Manufacture.
Mark the License Unverified When No Record Appears
- Replace the brand name with the legal company name.
- Remove suffixes such as Ltd., LLC, Inc., or Co., Ltd.
- Search again without punctuation.
- Use a shorter part of the company name.
- Check whether the company recently changed its name.
- Search by API 6D and country.
- Ask the supplier for the exact name registered with API.
If the facility still does not appear, enter Unverified in the technical evaluation and keep the offer on Hold. Do not accept the certificate, but do not call it fraudulent without evidence.
API publishes examples of certificates it did not issue and states that the Composite List is updated in real time when applications and license statuses change.[4]
Reject API 6D Records Without Ball Valves
API separates the API 6D license into five product groups:
- Gate Valves
- Plug Valves
- Ball Valves
- Check Valves
- Axial Valves
The facility must have Ball Valves in its scope. An API 6D license for gate or check valves does not cover the offered ball valve.[5]
| Record shown | Decision |
|---|---|
| API 6D — Ball Valves | Continue checking the factory, status, dates, and product records |
| API 6D — Gate Valves or Check Valves only | Reject the license claim for the ball valve |
| API Q1 only | Request a separate API 6D Ball Valves license |
| API 608 — Ball Valves | Do not treat it as API 6D unless the project accepts API 608 |
| API 6DSS | Check whether the project requires the separate subsea valve program |
API publishes API 6D, API 6DSS, and API 608 as separate licensing programs. A license under one specification does not provide the scope of another.[6]
Do not accept these statements as license evidence:
- API-certified manufacturer
- API-approved supplier
- API Q1 factory
- API member company
- API 6D application in progress
- API 6D available on request
- Our parent company holds the license
- Our partner factory holds the license
Use One Facility Record for the Whole Decision
The seller, brand owner, manufacturer, and licensed facility may be different companies. Identify each one.
| Role | Required information |
|---|---|
| Seller | Company issuing the quotation and invoice |
| Brand owner | Name under which the valve is sold |
| Manufacturer | Organization responsible for making the valve |
| Licensed facility | Physical factory covered by the API record |
| Final-acceptance facility | Location accepting the finished valve |
A distributor can sell an API Monogrammed valve, but the distributor’s office does not become the licensed factory. The quotation, drawings, ITP, marking, and final records must identify the actual manufacturer.
Do not combine:
- Ball Valves scope from Factory A
- Active status from Factory B
- Matching address from Factory C
All required information must come from the same facility record.
FM-002 states that licenses are non-transferable and that products covered by the license must be made at the facility identified on the Certificate of Authority.[3]
Compare These Five Address Fields
- Legal company name
- Plant or building number
- Street or industrial zone
- City, state, or province
- Country
| Field | API record | Supplier document | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Company | ABC Valve Co., Ltd. | ABC Valve Co., Ltd. | Pass |
| Plant | Plant 2 | Plant 1 | Hold |
| Industrial zone | East Industrial Zone | East Industrial Zone | Pass |
| City | Ningbo | Ningbo | Pass |
| Country | China | China | Pass |
Four matching fields do not cancel the Plant 1 versus Plant 2 mismatch. Treat them as different facilities until the supplier proves otherwise.
An abbreviated street name, missing postal code, or verified English translation may be acceptable. A different building, plant number, city, or country requires written clarification.
API requires licensed organizations to report location, name, and ownership changes. An ownership change may require a new license number.[3]
Keep OEM Orders Traceable to the Real Licensee
For an OEM or private-label order, require:
- Legal name of the API licensee
- Licensed factory address
- Relationship between the seller, brand owner, and manufacturer
- Company controlling the drawings and bill of materials
- Facility performing final acceptance
- Organization applying the API Monogram
- Draft product marking showing the actual licensee
If another company’s name appears on the valve, FM-002 requires the licensee’s name and license number to be closer to the Monogram than the other marking. The licensee’s name must also be larger than the name of the other entity.[3]
Use the Live Status, Not the PDF Expiry Date
| Status | Buyer action |
|---|---|
| Active | Continue checking the product, facility, and dates |
| Applicant | Do not treat the facility as licensed |
| Expired | Do not approve new Monogram production |
| Suspended | Stop approval until API changes the status |
| Inactive | Do not approve current Monogram use |
| Canceled | Reject the license claim |
| Withdrawn | Reject the license claim |
| Transitioned | Open the current record; this status reflects an updated certification basis, not loss of certification |
The Composite List states that Applicant, Expired, Suspended, Inactive, Canceled, and Withdrawn locations are not authorized to use the relevant marks or license numbers.[7]
Do not replace the live status with:
- Renewal has been submitted
- The audit has been completed
- The new certificate will arrive soon
- We have held the license for many years
Use Final Acceptance to Check Expiry
For new production, check the license against the Date of Manufacture. FM-002 defines this as the date of the manufacturer’s final acceptance of the finished product unless the applicable product specification defines another date.[3]
| Date | Use in the license check |
|---|---|
| Purchase-order date | Does not prove later production is covered |
| Forging or casting date | Shows component history, not finished-product acceptance |
| Pressure-test date | Useful evidence, but not automatically the Date of Manufacture |
| Buyer inspection date | Does not replace manufacturer final acceptance |
| Manufacturer final acceptance | Normally used as the Date of Manufacture |
| Shipment date | Relevant only if the purchase contract adds a shipment requirement |
Use these records to confirm the final-acceptance date:
- Manufacturer’s final inspection release
- Certificate of conformity
- Manufacturing completion record
- Serial-number register
- Product marking
- Final internal release note
- Completed manufacturing record book
If the dates do not match, require the manufacturer to identify the official Date of Manufacture and explain every difference.
Calculate the License Gap Before Award
- Days remaining before expiry: 120 days
- Supplier’s production lead time: 150 days
- Initial license gap: 30 days
The order already extends 30 days beyond the current license period before drawing delays, material delays, failed tests, or rework are added.
| Activity | Date | Position against June 30 expiry |
|---|---|---|
| Pressure test | June 20 | 10 days before expiry |
| License expiry | June 30 | Reference date |
| Final acceptance | July 8 | 8 days after expiry |
| Shipment | July 25 | 25 days after expiry |
The pressure test is completed before expiry, but the Date of Manufacture falls eight days after expiry. Keep the order on Hold until the renewed license becomes Active or another approved route is agreed.
FM-002 requires renewal audits every three years or at a shorter interval set by API. Surveillance audits are performed at least once each calendar year.[3]
Verify Stock Valves Against Original Records
For a stock valve, request:
- Original Date of Manufacture
- Original licensed facility
- License status on the original Date of Manufacture
- Original serial number
- Original nameplate photograph
- Original pressure-test report
- Original material records
- Original certificate of conformity
- Storage and preservation records
- Details of later repair or modification
Example: a valve manufactured in 2022 must be checked against the facility record and license status applicable in 2022. The factory’s status in 2026 does not replace the original manufacturing evidence.
For a valve stored for four years, also check:
- Visible corrosion
- Flange and bore protection
- Stem operation
- Seat and seal condition
- Actuator condition
- Preservation records
- Any project-required retesting
Take extra care when the valve has been disassembled, repainted, reconditioned, fitted with new seats, fitted with another actuator, or given a replacement plate.
Separate Split Batches by Acceptance Date
| Batch | Quantity | Final acceptance | Position against June 30 expiry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Batch A | 20 valves | June 25 | Before expiry |
| Batch B | 15 valves | June 29 | Before expiry |
| Batch C | 15 valves | July 10 | After expiry |
The order contains 50 valves, but only 35 share final-acceptance dates before June 30. The remaining 15 require a separate license-status decision.
When valves inside one batch have different final-acceptance dates, check each valve or each serial-number group sharing the same documented date.
Collect These Six Files Before Award
- Current Certificate of Authority
- Dated Composite List record
- Quotation naming the manufacturer
- Completed valve datasheet
- General arrangement drawing
- Inspection and test plan
Before production or final release, add:
- Cross-sectional drawing
- Bill of materials
- Pressure-test procedure
- Product-marking drawing
- Manufacturing record-book index
The complete review then contains 11 main document types. One API certificate cannot replace the product drawings, test controls, or serial-number records.
Link the Offered Valve to Controlled Drawings
The public license entry confirms Ball Valves as a product category. It does not list a separate public approval for every valve size, class, material, body construction, or seat design.
Require the quotation to identify:
- Floating or trunnion-mounted design
- Full bore or reduced bore
- Split body, top entry, or fully welded construction
- Soft seat or metal seat
- Flanged or butt-weld ends
- Manual, gearbox, pneumatic, hydraulic, or electric operation
- Design pressure and temperature
- Body, ball, stem, seat, and seal materials
The floating and trunnion-mounted ball valve comparison can be used to confirm how the ball is supported and how the seat system operates. For pressure-boundary construction, compare the submitted drawing with the differences between split-body and fully welded ball valves.
A complete API 6D ball valve RFQ should state the size, quantity, class, pressure, temperature, fluid, materials, bore, ends, seats, operator, tests, documents, and delivery date.
Passing the license check does not approve the technical offer. Review shell tests, seat tests, functional tests, project-added tests, witness points, and acceptance criteria separately. The required records are described in the guide to API 6D ball valve testing requirements.
API requires licensed organizations to maintain the technical capability and design documentation needed to manufacture products to the applicable API product specification.[1]
Check These Nine Marking Items
- Legal manufacturer name
- Valve size
- Pressure class or rating
- Body material
- Serial number
- Date of Manufacture
- API Monogram
- License number close to the Monogram
- Other API 6D or project-required markings
FM-002 requires the API Monogram to appear with the license number and Date of Manufacture. The license number must be placed close to the Monogram.[3]
Match each valve serial number to:
- Pressure-test report
- Material records
- Final release note
- Certificate of conformity
- Packing list
Do not allow a distributor, inspector, or local workshop to make an uncontrolled replacement Monogram plate.
Do not copy the API Monogram, API logo, or license number onto contracts, test reports, or shipping documents in a way that suggests API approved those documents. FM-002 permits contracts and purchase orders to refer to API standards without using the protected marks.[3]
Do Not Substitute API Q1 for API 6D
| Record | What it proves |
|---|---|
| API Q1 registration | The organization has a registered quality management system within its stated scope |
| API 6D Ball Valves license | The facility holds the product license covering API 6D Ball Valves |
| Monogrammed finished valve | The licensee represents that the marked product meets the applicable API requirements |
FM-002 requires an API Monogram licensee to maintain a quality management system meeting API Spec Q1 and at least one applicable API product specification.[3]
Do not substitute:
- ISO 9001 certification
- API membership
- Employee training certificates
- Laboratory accreditation
- Another facility’s API Q1 registration
Confirm the Licensed Factory Controls Outsourcing
Ask the supplier:
- Who controls the design and drawings?
- Who approves materials and subcontractors?
- Where are welding, heat treatment, NDE, and coating performed?
- Where does final assembly take place?
- Where is pressure testing performed?
- Who controls repairs and nonconformities?
- Where does final acceptance take place?
- Which licensed organization applies the Monogram?
Outsourcing does not automatically invalidate the license. The licensed organization must control the outsourced work, retain the required manufacturing capability, and remain responsible for the finished product.
FM-002 states that facilities limited only to final inspection and testing, buying and distributing finished products, design work, reassembly, repair, or remanufacture do not have the manufacturing capability required to produce new Monogram products.[3]
State the Edition and Effective Addenda
API currently identifies API Specification 6D, 25th Edition, as the published edition of Specification for Valves.[8]
API 6D Addendum 3 was issued on March 5, 2025. Its API Monogram Program effective date was September 5, 2025.[9]
Do not write only “latest API 6D.” Use:
The valve shall comply with API Specification 6D, 25th Edition, and the applicable addenda, errata, and API Monogram Program requirements effective on the Date of Manufacture, together with the additional requirements in the approved purchase specification.
FM-002 requires Monogrammed products to follow the API product specification in effect at the time of manufacture. When a new edition becomes effective under the program, products made after that date must follow the new basis.[3]
Add This Clause to the RFQ
Require the supplier to submit:
- Full legal name of the seller
- Full legal name of the manufacturer
- Exact manufacturing facility address
- Current Certificate of Authority
- Confirmation that Ball Valves are in the API 6D scope
- Final-assembly location
- Pressure-testing location
- Final-acceptance location
- Applicable API 6D edition
- Confirmation that the valve will carry the API Monogram
- Details of major outsourced processes
- Notification of any later facility or license change
The valves shall be manufactured and finally accepted under the responsibility of the facility identified in the approved technical offer. For new API Monogrammed production, that facility shall hold an Active API 6D license covering Ball Valves on the Date of Manufacture. Manufacture, final assembly, pressure testing, final acceptance, or Monogram application shall not be transferred to another facility without the purchaser’s written approval. The supplier shall report any change in license status, product scope, company name, address, ownership, or manufacturing route that may affect the order.
Close These 16 Checks Before Release
| Check | Pass / Hold / Fail / N.A. | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| The facility appears in the live API Composite List | ||
| The same record shows API 6D | ||
| The product scope includes Ball Valves | ||
| The status is acceptable for the planned Date of Manufacture | ||
| The legal manufacturer matches the approved offer | ||
| The plant or building number matches | ||
| The city, province or state, and country match | ||
| The seller, brand owner, and manufacturer roles are clear | ||
| The expiry date was checked against final acceptance | ||
| Original records were checked for stock valves | ||
| Separate acceptance dates were checked for split production | ||
| The API 6D edition and applicable updates are stated | ||
| The quotation, datasheet, drawings, and ITP name the same manufacturer | ||
| The proposed product marking was checked | ||
| Outsourced processes are disclosed and controlled | ||
| A final Composite List check was completed before release |
When the certificate, supplier explanation, manufacturing records, or valve marking conflicts with the API record, keep the order on Hold. API provides a Nonconformance Reporting process for purchasers and users who find nonconforming products, suppliers, or program practices.[10]
Finally
Approve the offered valve only when one facility record confirms API 6D, Ball Valves, the correct factory, and an Active status on the Date of Manufacture. Search the Composite List at bid review and before final release. Collect six files before award and expand the file to 11 document types before production. Compare five address fields, nine marking items, and all serial-number records. A 50-valve order may require separate decisions when batches have different acceptance dates. Keep any unmatched factory, expired production date, missing stock record, or conflicting marking on Hold until current API evidence and product traceability close the issue.
