To achieve FTA certification, an SSO Program must meet several federal statutory requirements. To help clarify the SSO Program requirements, FTA distributed a Certification Toolkit to every SSO agency. The toolkit details the six SSO Program categories that each state is required to meet:

1. SSO Agency independence
2. General program requirements
3. Enforcement authorities
4. Investigations and audits
5. SSO staffing, training, and qualification
6. Program standard