An ECCN number (Export Control Classification Number) is a code of five characters on the Commerce Control List under the EAR: a category digit, a product group letter and three digits, often followed by a paragraph after the dot. In 5A992.c, the 5 is Category 5 (telecommunications and information security), the A is product group A (systems, equipment and components), 992 is the entry and .c is the paragraph for mass-market encryption equipment. Once you can read the structure, you can tell at a glance what kind of item an entry covers and why it is controlled.
The five characters of an ECCN number
Codes such as 5A992.c, 3A001.b.3 or 0A501 look cryptic, but every character carries meaning. Take 3A001:
| Character | In 3A001 | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| First digit | 3 | The category: electronics |
| Letter | A | The product group: systems, equipment and components |
| Last three digits | 001 | The entry number, whose first digit indicates the main reason for control |
To search the list by code or keyword, see ECCN lookup.
The ECCN category digit (0–9)
The first character places the item in one of the ten categories of the Commerce Control List: 0 nuclear and miscellaneous; 1 materials, chemicals, microorganisms and toxins; 2 materials processing; 3 electronics; 4 computers; 5 telecommunications and information security; 6 sensors and lasers; 7 navigation and avionics; 8 marine; 9 aerospace and propulsion. See the ten CCL categories explained.
The product group letter (A–E)
The second character says what kind of thing the item is. A is systems, equipment and components; B is test, inspection and production equipment; C is materials; D is software; E is technology. So 5A002 is encryption equipment, 5D002 is encryption software, and 5E002 is encryption technology. More in CCL product groups A–E.
The three-digit number and what its first digit tells you
The first of the three digits indicates the principal type of control.
| Number | Principal type of control | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 0xx | National security, largely implementing the Wassenaar Arrangement | 3A001, 5A002 |
| 1xx | Missile technology | 7A103, 9A101 |
| 2xx | Nuclear nonproliferation | 2B230 |
| 3xx | Chemical and biological weapons | 1C350, 2B350 |
| 5xx | The "500 series" | Notably 9x515 for spacecraft and related items |
| 6xx | The "600 series": military items moved from the U.S. Munitions List | 0A606, 9A610 |
| 9xx | Anti-terrorism, crime control and other unilateral reasons | 3A992, 5A991, 4A994 |
The 9xx entries often catch commercial items that fall below the multilateral thresholds. Treat the table as a rule of thumb. The License Requirements section of each entry states its actual reasons for control, and many entries carry several (national security and anti-terrorism, for example).
What does 5A992.c mean? The part after the dot
Most entries are divided into lettered and numbered paragraphs, and the paragraph the item meets is part of its classification. You will also see the code written without the dot, as 5A992c; the standard form is 5A992.c.
- 5A992.c is paragraph c of 5A992 (mass-market encryption equipment). See ECCN 5A992.c, 5A002 and 5D002 explained.
- 5A001.b.5 is paragraph b, sub-paragraph 5 (digitally controlled scanning receivers).
- 6A002.a.1.a goes three levels deep: space-qualified solid-state detectors with a given peak response.
Paragraphs can carry different reasons for control, different licence exception eligibility and different reporting requirements, so your records should show which paragraph the item met. Customs filings and customer documents often ask for the full ECCN. A record that says only "3A001" cannot show which parameters were compared or which controls applied, and it may be wrong for a variant that falls in a different paragraph.
Special entries worth recognising
- In 600 series entries, the .y paragraphs (for example 9A610.y) list lower-sensitivity parts controlled mainly for anti-terrorism reasons.
- The .z paragraphs (for example 5A992.z) cover items that incorporate advanced computing chips meeting 3A090 or 4A090.
- 0Y521 entries are temporary classifications BIS can create for emerging items.
- EAR99 is not itself an ECCN. It is the designation for items subject to the EAR that no ECCN describes, and it is not a code in the list. See What is EAR99?.
From the code to the licence decision
An ECCN on its own does not tell you whether you need a licence. Its reasons for control are read against the destination on the Commerce Country Chart (Supplement No. 1 to Part 738). An "X" in the matching column means a licence is required unless a licence exception applies. See the Commerce Country Chart explained.
ECCN number examples
| ECCN | How to read it |
|---|---|
| 3A001.b.3 | Category 3 (electronics), group A (equipment and components), entry 001 (national security), paragraph b.3: certain microwave components |
| 4A090.a | Category 4 (computers), group A, entry 090: computers containing integrated circuits that meet 3A090.a |
| 7A001.a.1 | Category 7 (navigation and avionics), group A, entry 001: linear accelerometers meeting paragraph a.1 |
| 6A003.b.4.b | Category 6 (sensors and lasers), group A: imaging cameras incorporating microbolometer focal plane arrays |
| 2A991.b.2 | Category 2 (materials processing), group A, entry 991 (anti-terrorism): certain bearings for extreme temperatures |
| 9A610.x | Category 9, 600 series: parts and components specially designed for military aircraft |
Common misreadings
The entry number is not a ranking: 5A002 is not "more controlled" than 5A001 because of its number. Nor is every 9xx entry harmless, since AT controls still require licences for some destinations. For the parts of the entry behind the code, see how to read an ECCN entry.
Reading codes in ECCN.help
Every result in ECCN.help shows the full ECCN down to the paragraph, its reasons for control and the rule that decided it. The licence check reads those reasons against the Country Chart for any destination. To classify an item, use the ECCN.help Classification Workflow.
ECCN.help provides research and assistance, not legal advice.