ASC clearance: what it is and which ads need it

ASC clearance is the formal approval issued by the Ad Standards Council after a creative passes screening. Each cleared creative receives an ASC reference number that must appear on the placed material (e.g., the small "ASC Ref No." on print ads, or in the closing seconds of TVCs).

Member media channels — broadcasters, publishers, cinema networks — generally cannot place an ad without a valid clearance reference. For digital and influencer campaigns, the screening requirement is increasingly applied even where direct media-channel enforcement is weaker, because brand and agency members are bound by the Code.

Clearance typically takes 5–10 working days after a complete submission, longer if revisions are requested. AdScan pre-screens for the patterns the screening committee most often flags, which reduces the round-trip count.

Which ads need ASC clearance

Screening is mandatory for five product categories: OTC drugs and Home Remedy products, food and dietary supplements, products covered by the Milk Code, alcohol beverages, and airlines and transport with promotional fares. It is also mandatory for any ad that makes one of five claim types: No. 1 or leadership, absolute, comparative, exclusivity, or superiority claims.

Screening is also required for sales promotions that need a government permit (DTI, FDA and others), for direct brand comparisons, for ads with sexy or violent tones, and for most TV and radio material. Outside those rules, screening is voluntary on paper. In practice, member broadcasters, publishers, and out-of-home operators will not run creative without an ASC reference number. The longer treatment is in what ASC clearance actually means.

The ASC reference number

The reference number is tied to one specific version of the creative. If you re-edit the spot, change a voiceover line, swap a product shot, or add new on-screen text, the new version usually needs a revision application or a new submission. Before the final clearance step, the ASC allows up to two revision requests, and only for minor changes that do not change the claims. After final clearance, any change needs a new application. For where the number goes on each type of ad, read ASC reference number: where to put it and when you need a new one.

How to get ASC clearance

Check whether the ad needs screening, build the substantiation pack that backs every claim, submit, then handle the committee's decision. Each step is covered in how ASC screening works, and the documents to prepare are in the ASC submission checklist. For what screening costs, see what ASC screening costs.