Two of the most frequently asked questions about AA Certification are the complete document checklist and certificate validity period. Incomplete documents often lead to repeated rejections, while misunderstandings about validity may cause operational risks after certification.
Category 1: Company Qualification & Business Documents
Signing official agreements with Google is the first step. Required materials include business license, authorized contact letter, signed NDA, quality management system description, brand & product line information and target market statement. Incomplete documents are the top cause of delays. The Google Automotive Partner program is open to startups as well as large enterprises, with document completeness and information consistency as core review criteria.
Category 2: Product Design Documents (Core Technical Materials)
This is the most frequently rejected part, consisting of three key files:
·Product Specifications: Clearly define all hardware configurations, including USB version, Bluetooth chip model, Wi-Fi module parameters, display resolution and touch solutions.
·UX Interaction Documents: Illustrate user interaction logic, such as interface switching after USB connection, voice assistant wake-up modes and display priority of navigation & media content. All driving safety-related interaction paths must be clearly defined.
·System Design Reports: Explain underlying implementation details including AOAP protocol deployment, audio link processing and video projection encoding schemes.
Common Pitfall
Unified terminology and consistent information across all documents are mandatory. For example, marking USB 2.0 in specifications but USB 3.0 in UX documents will lead to direct rejection by Google reviewers. Most document rejections result from inconsistent information rather than technical defects.
Category 3: Testing & Final Review Documents
Internal self-test reports are for enterprise internal use only and do not need to be submitted to Google or labs. The only official test document required is the formal test report issued by authorized 3PL laboratories.
2. Document Optimization under AA 2.0
The CER compliance exception mechanism under 2.0 replaces the one-off temporary exemption application in 1.0. Approved CERs can be reused by subsequent projects with the same hardware architecture and product form, provided there is no major revision to underlying AA protocols or PCTS test suites. CERs become invalid and require re-application if core hardware is replaced.
3. Validity Period of Google AA Certification
Correct Rules (Correcting Widespread Misconceptions)
The claim that "AA certification is valid for one year and requires annual re-certification" is inaccurate. Google adopts an official compatible whitelist mechanism for certified products:
·As long as there is no mandatory major revision to AA underlying protocols or PCTS test suites, certified products do not need active retests for regular Android version updates. Compatibility is guaranteed via built-in adaptation.
·Google only conducts sampling regression verification for relevant products when announcing mandatory updates to AA protocols or PCTS suites. The daily maintenance cost is far lower than expected.
Independent SSL Certificate Validity
SSL certificates for AA have an independent issuance cycle and require separate renewal before expiration. They are not linked to product certification status.
4. Scope of Hardware Changes Requiring Re-evaluation
·No filing or testing required: Shell modifications, peripheral part replacement and non-communication related PCB fine-tuning.
·Mandatory re-evaluation & possible regression tests: Replacement of main control chips, Bluetooth/Wi-Fi communication modules and core USB circuits. Such changes may also invalidate existing CER exemptions.
For Google AA Certification, please contact Benson at Blueasia: +86 13534225140
