A high quality pilot ladder starts its life at a high quality manufacturer. Evidence of the authenticity of the ladder, as well as the standards it is manufactured to, can be found on the ladder itself, as well as on the documentation that comes with it.
All documents must be retained onboard, ready for inspection by authorities, inspectors and pilots. On this new page on the pilotladdersafety website, the various markings and entries on the certificates are explained.
Check out the Marking and Certification page on the website.