What is an MEA Number?

Q: What is an MEA#?

A: An MEA Number is the number assigned to a piece of equipment or assembly that has been approved for use in New York City by the MEA Division.

The Materials and Equipment Acceptance (MEA) Division was created in 1969. Prior to 1969, the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) was the agency having jurisdiciton. The MEA division regulates "certain materials and equipment (that) require Department of Buildings acceptance. These manufactured items affect public safety, health and welfare (including structural stability and fire safety) and are usually a permanent part of a building. They include such items as boilers, air-conditioning equipment, commercial cooking equipment, fire-rated assemblies, fire alarm and suppression equipment, etc. The actual list of accepted products to date is known as the MEA Index."

If you are installing a new Boiler in your building, for instance, the Engineer's Plans must contain a Boiler Schedule including (amongst other information) the MEA Number of the Boiler. Failure to provide the MEA Number on your plans will cause diapproval of the plans until the MEA Number is provided.