CIK-FIA karting suit homologation explained: Level 2, Grade 1 and Grade 2

What homologation means for a karting suit

Homologation is approval of one specific product by the FIA, the world governing body for motorsport, against a published safety standard. For karting clothing the standards focus on abrasion: how well a suit protects the driver when they slide along the track after leaving the kart. FIA Standard 8877-2022 also tests contact heat and tearing.

The approval belongs to a product, not to a factory or a fabric. Under FIA Standard 8877-2022 the manufacturer has the garment tested by an FIA-approved test house, then applies through the national sporting authority (ASN) of the country where it is based. The application includes the test report, a presentation form and a sample. If the FIA approves it, it gives that model its own homologation number and adds it to a public technical list. A suit that looks identical but was not submitted is not homologated, whatever it is made of.

The two standards in use (as of October 2026)

Two FIA standards for karting overalls are in use at the same time. We checked the FIA's published documents in October 2026, but rules change, so check the current regulations for your series before you order.

• CIK-FIA N2013-1: the older overalls standard, with two levels. The FIA describes Level 1 as for leisure activities only. Level 2 is the competition level, and it is what most people mean by a 'level 2 karting suit'.
• FIA Standard 8877-2022: the current standard. It has Grade 1, which the FIA describes as similar to Level 2 and intended for short circuits, and Grade 2, which gives higher abrasion protection for long-circuit karting. It also sets requirements for karting gloves and karting shoes, which the older standard did not cover.
• Transition: according to the FIA, competitors may currently choose between overalls approved to either standard. From 1 January 2030, only overalls approved to FIA Standard 8877-2022 will be accepted.
• Approved products: the FIA publishes Technical List No. 101 for garments approved to 8877-2022 (overalls, gloves and shoes). Each entry links to a presentation form that scrutineers can check.

How a homologated suit is labelled

FIA Standard 8877-2022 sets out exactly how approved garments must be marked, so you can check a suit in the paddock without paperwork. On karting overalls:

• An FIA homologation label, 100 x 40 mm, embroidered directly onto the outer layer at the back of the collar. It shows the standard number, the manufacturer's name or logo, the homologation number, the grade, and the year the product's validity ends.
• An FIA hologram on the inner flap of the closure.
• A permanent user information label, which includes care instructions.
• Validity: each garment is valid until the end of the fifth year after the year it was made. A suit made at any time in 2023 is valid until 31 December 2028.
• Gloves and shoes carry a smaller 50 x 35 mm label (on the cuff for gloves, on the tongue for shoes) with the standard, manufacturer, homologation number and end-of-validity year, plus a hologram on the inside.

Branding a homologated suit

This matters to teams and sponsors. The FIA states that customisation of karting overalls may only be carried out by the manufacturer. For overalls approved to 8877-2022, any customisation applied by printing or transfers must be done by the manufacturer, and the manufacturer must issue a customisation certificate showing the changes. If you plan to add sponsor logos, badges or embroidery afterwards, ask the suit's manufacturer first. Work added later by someone else can put the approval at risk.

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When homologation is required, and when it is not

FIA Karting championships, cups and trophies, and karting competitions on the FIA International Sporting Calendar, require homologated overalls. Since 1 January 2025 they have also required gloves and shoes approved to FIA Standard 8877-2022.

Many national championships and club race series also require a homologated suit, but each national sporting authority writes its own rules. Motorsport UK's 2026 rules, for example, accept several CIK-FIA and FIA standards for short-circuit karting, including CIK-FIA 2013-1 Level 1 or 2 and FIA 8877-2022 Grade 1 or 2. They set different requirements for karting at race-circuit venues. Always read your series' technical regulations and the event's supplementary regulations.

Rental karting, arrive-and-drive sessions, corporate events, race schools and practice days are usually set by the track operator rather than an FIA standard. Many venues provide or accept non-homologated suits. In that situation, fit, durability, comfort and branding are what you specify.

Rain suits, gloves and shoes

Rain suits are not covered by the FIA karting clothing standard. Where a series allows them, they are worn over the approved suit in wet conditions; Motorsport UK's rules, for example, allow correctly fitted wet-weather suits designed for that purpose over an approved kart suit. The rain suit keeps the driver dry, and the suit underneath provides the protection.

For gloves and shoes, the requirement depends on the level you race at. FIA events require 8877-2022 approval. Before 2025 the FIA accepted gloves that completely cover the hands and wrists and shoes that cover the feet up to the ankles, and similar coverage rules still appear in many national and club regulations. Check yours.

What to specify when you order team suits

Whether or not you need homologation, a clear brief saves a sample round. Put these in your RFQ:

1. Where the suits will be used: FIA events, a named national championship, club racing, or rental and practice only.
2. The exact homologation requirement, if any: the standard and level or grade, quoted from your regulations.
3. Whether you need suits only, or rain suits, gloves, shoes and balaclavas as well.
4. The size range, with the youth and adult split.
5. The branding method (full sublimation or colour-blocked panels) with artwork and logo placements.
6. Labelling and packaging: private labels, care labels, suit bags.

Where LOMERAQ stands

We make karting suits, rain suits and team wear to your specification: sublimated or panel-built, with sponsor branding and private labels, from 25 units per order split across youth and adult sizes. We do not claim homologation for any of our karting products, and nothing on this page should be read as saying they are homologated.

If your series requires a homologated suit, gloves or shoes, state the standard in your RFQ. We confirm requirements per RFQ and tell you what is and is not feasible before we quote. For club, rental, school and practice programmes that do not require homologation, we develop the suit from your specification and approve a sample with you before bulk production.