Ask three sellers for the same part number and you will often get three different condition codes back, sometimes at three very different prices. The codes are not marketing language, they describe specific things about a part's history and what documentation should come with it. Knowing what each one actually commits the seller to is the fastest way to compare quotes that look identical on the surface and are not.
The short version
Condition codes fall into three practical tiers: zero time (the part has never operated), restored (the part has operating history but was returned to an airworthy state through defined work), and used or unknown (the part's condition has not been fully established). Price and acceptable use both move with that tier, and so does the documentation you should expect to receive.
| Code | Meaning | Documentation you should expect | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| FN | Factory New, shipped directly from the OEM with zero time or cycles | OEM certificate of conformance or an 8130-3 issued by the manufacturer | Zero time |
| NE | New, zero time, sourced through distributor stock rather than the OEM directly | Distributor certificate of conformance, OEM release docs when available | Zero time |
| NS | New Surplus, unused but obtained outside the OEM's original distribution channel | Certificate of conformance or trace to source statement | Zero time |
| OH | Overhauled per the manufacturer's overhaul manual, returns covered parameters to zero time | 8130-3 or equivalent, identifying overhaul as the work performed | Restored |
| SV | Serviceable, inspected and approved without full overhaul, time in service carries forward | 8130-3 or equivalent, referencing inspection rather than overhaul | Restored |
| RP | Repaired, a specific defect corrected without full overhaul | 8130-3 or equivalent, describing the repair and the data used | Restored |
| IN | Inspected and found airworthy as is, no repair performed | Inspection report or 8130-3 referencing inspection only | Restored |
| AR | As Removed, pulled from an aircraft or assembly with no inspection performed | Removal tag or trace to source statement, not an airworthiness release | Used, unknown |
| BER | Beyond Economical Repair, repair cost exceeds the part's value | Condition statement identifying the unit as BER, no airworthiness release | Not for installation |
Where buyers get tripped up
OH is not the same as FN, and it should not be priced close to it. An overhauled part meets the manufacturer's overhaul standard for the parameters that standard covers, but it is still a physical unit with a service history, and any life limited component inside it keeps counting from wherever it was before the overhaul, not from zero. If a quote prices OH within a few percent of FN or NE, ask what specifically was reset and what was not.
SV, RP and IN all carry forward accumulated time, and the difference between them is how much work was actually performed, not how airworthy the result is. A part released as SV was inspected and found good enough to install without needing repair. A part released as RP had something specific fixed. A part released as IN was simply looked at and found acceptable. None of the three implies the part is close to zero time, and none of them is inherently worse than the others for a given application, they just describe different histories.
AR is not a condition you install against, it is a starting point for someone else's evaluation. A part sold AR should be priced accordingly, and any quote presenting an AR part as ready to install should raise a question, not get accepted at face value.
BER parts are not junk, but they are not airworthy either. They still have value as a source of individual serviceable components, or for material recovery, but a BER tag on a unit means that unit as a whole is not returning to service. If a listing describes a part as BER and also implies it is ready to fly, that is a contradiction worth resolving before you pay for anything.
Reading a quote that mixes conditions
It is common to see a request for quote come back with two or three condition options for the same part number, at three different prices. That is normal and useful, not a sign of anything wrong. What matters is that each option is paired with the paperwork that actually supports it. A price for OH condition should come with a plan to deliver an 8130-3 or equivalent identifying overhaul as the work performed, not a certificate of conformance that says something vaguer. If the documentation offered does not match the condition code quoted, ask before you commit, because the price was set based on a condition the paperwork may not actually back up.
The rule of thumb
Condition code sets the ceiling on what documentation should exist. It never lowers your obligation to verify that the documentation you actually receive matches what was promised, matches the physical part, and covers what you specifically need for your application, whether that is a maintenance program requirement, an operator preference, or a lease return condition. The code tells you what to expect. The paperwork in hand tells you what you actually got.
Working a quote with mixed condition options and not sure which one fits your job? Send us the part number and we will walk through it with you.