How to tell if your N95 

Respirator is NIOSH Approved

Defining “NIOSH Approved”

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 

(NIOSH) is the federal agency responsible for testing and 

approving respirators used in U.S. workplace settings. 

A NIOSH-approved N95 is the most common type of filtering 

facepiece respirator (FFR), which is a type of disposable respirator 

meant to form a tight seal to the face, removing particles from the 

air as you breathe through it. This includes all types of particles, such 

as bacteria, viruses, and dust. When used in an occupational setting, NIOSH-approved respirators, including 

N95s, are meant to be used as part of a workplace’s respiratory protection program. These programs are 

regulated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and must include specific elements 

such as medical evaluations, fit testing, and training. If your respirator has been approved by NIOSH, you can 

be confident that it is working as expected to protect you as long as:

• It is properly maintained

• It is worn and used correctly

• It fits properly

• It is replaced as recommended by the manufacturer

NIOSH only approves respirators that pass its strict quality assurance and performance requirements. As 

part of these tests, NIOSH uses a near worst-case penetrating aerosol size (i.e., particles that are best able to 

make it through a filter), and an N95 respirator must not allow more than 5% of these particles to penetrate 

through. This ensures that every respirator that passes these tests will filter potentially hazardous particles as 

expected when used in real-world situations. 

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock 

How to tell if an N95 

is NIOSH Approved

The easiest way to tell if your N95 is NIOSH 

approved is to search for it on the NIOSH 

Certified Equipment List (CEL). All NIOSHapproved respirators have a testing and 

certification (TC) approval number (e.g., 

TC 84A-XXXX), which must be printed on 

the respirator. The CEL has an option to 

search by the TC approval number, which will also help identify any private labels (alternate brand names) 

associated with that approval number. If you search a NIOSH TC approval number and no results are found 

within the CEL, that means it is not a valid NIOSH approval number and the product is not NIOSH approved. 

NIOSH also provides frequently updated lists of all approved FFRs by type (including N95s) and model/part 

numbers, which include the manufacturer’s instructions describing how to put the respirator on correctly. 

Example of using the TC approval number search option on the Certified Equipment List 
Additionally, respirators that have earned NIOSH approval will have specific labeling printed on the 

facepiece. You may see some respirators on the market labeled as “N95,” but if a respirator does not contain 

all of the components of the required label, it is not a NIOSH-approved respirator and, therefore,

cannot be relied on to provide the same level of respiratory protection.

Required information on an N95 abbreviated label (on the FFR itself):

• Name of approval holder/manufacturer business name

• Part number (which may be the model number, but looking for the part number,

even on FFRs, is the most accurate way to identify a particular respirator)

• NIOSH filter series and filter efficiency level, which will be N95 (for other FFR

types, it could be N99, N100, R95, R99, R100, P95, P99, or P100)

• NIOSH Testing and Certification approval number, e.g., TC-84A-XXXX

• NIOSH in capital block letters

• Lot number may be on the N95 abbreviated label or the product packaging

Counterfeit Respirators/Misrepresentation of Approval

Counterfeit respirators are those that have not undergone NIOSH testing and evaluation themselves, 

but were specifically manufactured to mimic a respirator product that did receive NIOSH approval. 

Misrepresentation of the NIOSH approval occurs when a respirator product is falsely marketed and sold as 

being approved by NIOSH. Because these products are not NIOSH approved, they may not be capable of 

providing appropriate respiratory protection to workers. NIOSH is aware that when the national demand 

for N95 respirators is high, the number of falsified claims of NIOSH approval of products on the market also 

increases. When NIOSH becomes aware of counterfeit respirators that misrepresent NIOSH approval, the 

product is posted on the Counterfeit Respirators/Misrepresentation of NIOSH Approval webpage to alert 

users, purchasers, and manufacturers. This is the best place to check if NIOSH identified the product you 

are planning to buy as being a counterfeit respirator. 

For more information on NIOSH’s policy on fraudulent claims of approval, see the NIOSH Conformity 

Assessment Letter to Manufacturers, CA 2020-1032.
Signs that an N95 may be counterfeit: 

• Does not include all the required label markings on the FFR, as described above 

• NIOSH is spelled incorrectly

• Has decorative fabric or other decorative add-ons (e.g., sequins)

• Claims to be approved for children (NIOSH does not approve any type of respiratory 

 protection for children)

• The use of ear loops that do not use a fastener to connect them behind the head. A 

 NIOSH-approved respirator would have a much more common set of two head

 bands (one of which goes over the crown of the head, and the other that sits at the 

 base of the neck) or ear loops that are approved to use with a connecting fastener

Approved Respirators that have been Altered, 

Modified, or had the NIOSH Approval Revoked

A NIOSH approval applies only to the respirator as it was tested and approved by NIOSH. Even the slightest 

modification to an approved respirator, whether altered by the manufacturer or the user, voids the NIOSH 

approval and could affect its form, fit, or function and the protection it provides.

Common examples of respirator alterations that void the NIOSH approval:

• A manufacturer or vendor makes a design change without submitting the product 

 to NIOSH for a new approval (e.g., a manufacturer changes the way the straps are 

 attached to the facepiece)

• A third party who is not authorized by NIOSH makes a change to the product or 

 tries to copy an approved product

• Wearers themselves try to alter their respirator to make it more comfortable or 

 improve its appearance. Examples of this include users replacing the straps or using 

 a marker to write (e.g., a name) or draw on the facepiece itself 

• Respirators that were previously approved by NIOSH and had the approval revoked 

 or rescinded are repackaged and sold under another brand

When the NIOSH approval has been revoked or rescinded, the approval is removed from the CEL, which 

means the respirator is no longer NIOSH approved. In such cases, NIOSH issues Respiratory Protective 

Device Information notices to alert stakeholders and posts them on the NIOSH NPPTL Conformity 

Assessment Notices webpage. The best way to stay informed about when a respirator’s approval has been 

revoked is to sign up for the NIOSH NPPTL listserv. 

For questions about NIOSH-approved respirators or other personal protective equipment, 

contact PPEConcerns@cdc.gov.

Suggested Citation 

NIOSH [2021]. How to tell if your N95 respirator is NIOSH approved. By Cichowicz J, Andrews A, Fries M. Pittsburgh, 

PA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National 

Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2021-124, https://doi.org./10.26616/

NIOSHPUB2021124

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2021-124

DOI: https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHPUB2021124

September 2021

Get More Information 

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