The Calibration Laboratories Accreditation Program (LAP) was developed by the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as a result of interest from private industry and at the request of the National Conference of Standards Laboratories (now the NCSL International). The goal of the program is to provide a means by which calibration laboratories can be assessed for competency. This voluntary program is not designed to serve as a means of imposing specific calibration procedures or minimum uncertainties on applicant laboratories; instead, the program allows for all scientifically valid calibration schemes and requires that laboratories derive and document their measurement uncertainties.

The program offers accreditation in 8 major fields of metrology with over 90 individual parameters. Laboratories' uncertainties range from working level to values equivalent to NIST. Our assessor base includes both world-renowned NIST experts in the various parameters and experts from industry. The program insures laboratories are assessed by personnel experienced in the specific parameter at, or in most cases above, the level at which the laboratories are operating.