Manufacturers and importers of children's products must certify, in a written Children's Product Certificate (CPC) based on test results from a CPSC-accepted laboratory, that their children's products comply with applicable children's product safety rules. Below on this page, CPSC provides two samples of CPCs for fictitious products, showing example layouts of the CPC's required elements; one for a toy and one for an article of children's clothing. These samples are illustrative, do not capture every possible children's product safety rule that may apply to a children's product, and are subject to additional disclaimer. The CPC and supporting test reports must be in English. Also see frequently asked questions (FAQs).
Elements Required in a CPC
- Identification of the product covered by this certificate: Describe the product(s) covered by this certification in enough detail to match the certificate to each product it covers and no others.
- Citation to each CPSC children's product safety rule to which this product is being certified: The certificate must identify separately each children's product safety rule that is applicable to the children's product.
- Identification of the U.S. importer or domestic manufacturer certifying compliance of the product: Provide the name, full mailing address, and telephone number of the importer or U.S. domestic manufacturer certifying the product.
- Contact information for the individual maintaining records of test results: Provide the name, full mailing address, e-mail address, and telephone number of the person maintaining test records in support of the certification.
- Date and place where this product was manufactured: For the date(s) when the product was manufactured, provide at least the month and year. For the place of manufacture, provide at least the city (or administrative region), state (if applicable), and country where the product was manufactured or finally assembled. If the same manufacturer operates more than one location in the same city, provide the street address of the factory.
- Provide the date(s) and place when the product was tested for compliance with the consumer product safety rule(s) cited above: Provide the location(s) of the testing and the date(s) of the test(s) or test report(s) on which certification is being based.
- Identify any third party, CPSC-accepted laboratory on whose testing the certificate depends:
Provide the name, full mailing address, and telephone number of the laboratory.
Registered small batch manufacturers who are not required to third party test their product to certain children's product safety requirements must include the registration number provided by the CPSC in this section of the CPC. (Products manufactured by registered small batch manufacturers must still comply with applicable children's product safety rules.).
| This sample is for a children's toy. Your product may require additional testing & certification. |
Children's Product Certificate - Sample #1
(Available at www.toystoystoys.info/3PT#34kTy)- Identification of the product covered by this certificate:
Children's Toy Shape Sorter, Model "Show and Tell," #34kTy, Blue, Red, Yellow Models
Color can be a source of lead. Tests of each color may be required to issue this CPC. - Citation to each CPSC product safety regulation to which this product is being certified:
In this section, you may list just citations. The titles for each children's product safety rule are provided here for educational purposes only.
15 U.S.C. § 1278a (preferred citation) or Sec. 101 of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, Pub. L. No. 110-314 (August 14, 2008) (CPSIA), Ban on Total Lead Content in Excess of 100 ppm in Children's Products.
16 CFR Part 1303, Ban of Lead-Containing Paint and Certain Consumer Products Bearing Lead-Containing Paint for Toys and Other Articles Intended for Children.
16 CFR Part 1501, Small Parts Ban for Toys and Other Articles Intended for Children under 3 Years of Age which Present Choking, Aspiration, or Ingestion Hazards.
This example assumes a fictional shape sorter (age graded for a child ages 18 months through 35 months) that was tested using the applicable "use and abuse testing" specified in 16 CFR § 1500.52. (16 CFR §1500.52 contains additional tests like compression and flexure, which are not applicable in this situation and, therefore, testing is not required for those tests.)
For children under 6 years of age, the appropriate small parts requirement is 16 CFR Part 1501. (For children between the ages of 6 years and 12 years of age, the Small Objects requirement in ASTM F 963-11 Section 4.6 applies.) There may be other labeling sections that apply to the small parts requirements, such as 16 CFR §§ 1500.19, 1500.20, and 1500.121. While you must comply with the sections on labeling, additional certification of compliance to the labeling requirements in the CPC is not required.-----
Toy Safety Standard, ASTM F 963-11 Section 4.3.5.2 Heavy Elements in Accessible Toy Substrate Materials.
This example assumes that the pieces in the fictional shape sorter (age graded for a child ages 18 months through 35 months) are "accessible," as described in section 4.3.5.2. This requirement goes into effect on June 12, 2012. Testing by a CPSC-accepted laboratory is not yet required for this section. -----
15 U.S.C. 2057c (preferred citation) or Sec. 108 of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, Pub. L. No. 110-314 (August 14, 2008) (CPSIA), Permanent and Interim Ban on Phthalates in Toys and Child Care Articles Used to Facilitate Sleeping or Eating.
This example assumes that the fictional shape sorter is plastic and testing for compliance with the ban on phthalates is required. It is not necessary to test and certify materials that are known not to contain phthalates or to certify that phthalates are absent from materials that are known not to contain phthalates. See the FAQ for more information. - Identification of the U.S. importer or domestic manufacturer certifying compliance of the product:
Toys Toys Toys Importers
123 Toy Lane, Los Angeles, CA 56789
(456) 789-0123 - Contact information for the individual maintaining records of test results:
Lisa Lane, Compliance Manager
Toys Toys Toys Importers
123 Toy Lane, Los Angeles, CA 56789
llane@toytoystoysimport.net
(456) 789-0123, ext. 788 - Date and place where this product was manufactured:
June 2011, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
- Date and place where this product was tested for compliance with the regulation(s) cited above:
June 2011; August 2011; Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
- Identify the third party, CPSC-accepted where this product was tested by an accredited laboratory (accepted by the CPSC) for compliance with the regulation(s) cited above:
Guangzhou Quality Labs
No. 023 Shi Nan Road
Dong Zhou, Pan Zi
Guangzhou City
Guangdong Province, China. 511453
+(86) 20 09 7723 5467
This assumes that this single lab can test for all of the requirements in Section 2 above. Multiple CPSC-accepted labs may be required in order to test for each of the requirements for your product. This particular lab is fictitious. Search for a lab.
| This sample is for children's clothing, considered to be a children's product. Your product may require additional testing and certification. |
Children's Product Certificate - Sample #2
(Available at www.mamamamama.net/23)- Identification of the product covered by this certificate:
Baby bodysuit garment with screen printed decoration "Mommy's Little Guy." (Model 6153, and Model 6154, Blue, Yellow)
- Citation to each CPSC product safety regulation to which this product is being certified:
You may list citations only. The titles for each regulation are provided here for educational purposes only. Three examples for this fictitious article of clothing are given below.
Example 1
16 CFR Part 1610, Standard for the Flammability of Clothing Textiles.
Important: If this product were children's sleepwear (including loungewear) instead of ordinary wearing apparel, the applicable standard would be 16 CFR Part 1615/1616, Standard for the Flammability of Children's Sleepwear.
In addition, CPSC staff interprets sleepwear as being subject to compliance with section 108 of the CPSIA, the ban on certain phthalates. The additional citation would read: Sec. 108 of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, Pub. L. No. 110-314 (August 14, 2008) (CPSIA), Permanent and Interim Ban on Phthalates in Toys and Child Care Articles Used to Facilitate Sleeping or Eating.
Your supplier of "blank" garments (or screen printing ink) may have performed testing with an laboratory accepted by CPSC and issued a CPC on the component part. You may be able to rely upon that CPC in issuing your own CPC. Learn more. -----
Example 2
15 U.S.C. § 1278a or Sec. 101 of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, Pub. L. No. 110-314 (CPSIA,) Ban on Total Lead Content in Children's Products in Excess of 100 ppm in Children's Products.
Most properly applied and cured ordinary screen printing that cannot be scraped off of the garment is considered to be part of the substrate, and not a surface coating on the clothing (textile). See our FAQ on garment decoration. -----
Example 3
16 CFR Part 1303, Ban of Lead-Containing Paint and Certain Consumer Products Bearing Lead-Containing Paint for Toys and Other Articles Intended for Children.
If the textile ink can be scraped off (e.g., it did not cure properly or it has a purposefully raised texture) or if the ink is tested by a CPSC- accepted lab in its dried state, you may certify the component to this children's product safety rule instead of Sec. 101 of the CPSIA. - Identification of the U.S. importer or domestic manufacturer certifying compliance of the product:
Mama Mama Screenprinters
123 Derby St., Boston, MA 04598
(617) 987-7632 - Contact information for the individual maintaining records of test results:
Brenda Smith, Owner
Mama Mama Screenprinters
123 Derby St., Boston, MA 04598
bsmith@mamamamascreenprinters.us
(617) 987-7632 - Date and place where this product was manufactured:
February 2012, Boston, MA
- Date and place where this product was tested for compliance with the regulation(s) cited above:
February 2012
Boston, MA 02854 - Identify the third party, CPSC-accepted where this product was tested by an accredited laboratory (accepted by the CPSC) for compliance with the regulation(s) cited above:
ABC Quality Labs
4556 South Street
Boston, MA 02854
(617) 859-2645
This assumes that this single lab can test for all of the requirements in Section 2 above. Multiple CPSC-accepted labs may be required in order to test for each of the requirements for your product. This particular lab is fictitious. Search for a lab.
If an exception or exemption applies that makes testing the product unnecessary, cite to that regulation for clarity in this section. (e.g., plain surface fabrics, regardless of fiber content, that weigh more than 2.6 ounces per square yard are exempt from testing. Cite to 16 CFR §1610.1(d)(1).)
Small Batch Manufacturers: If you are a registered small batch manufacturer with the CPSC and are not required to conduct third party testing on certain requirements, include your registration number in this section. Recall that registration only provides relief from third party testing requirements for certain children's product safety rules, not from every children's product safety rule, and that compliance with all children's product safety rules is always required.