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The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA)

This landmark consumer product safety law amended CPSA in 2008 and provided CPSC with significant new regulatory and enforcement tools as part of amending and enhancing several CPSC statutes, including the Consumer Product Safety Act. The CPSIA included provisions addressing, among other things, lead, phthalates, toy safety, durable infant or toddler products, third-party testing and certification, tracking labels, imports, ATVs, civil and criminal penalties and SaferProducts.gov, a publically-searchable database of reports of harm. The CPSIA also repealed a challenging agency funding limitation and increased the number of authorized CPSC commissioners from three to five.

The CPSIA defines the term “children’s product” and generally requires that children’s products:

  1. Comply with all applicable children’s product safety rules;
  2. Be tested for compliance by a CPSC-accepted accredited laboratory, unless subject to an exception;
  3. Have a written Children’s Product Certificate that provides evidence of the product’s compliance; and
  4. Have permanent tracking information affixed to the product and its packaging where practicable.

The CPSIA also requires domestic manufacturers or importers of non-children’s products to issue a General Certificate of Conformity (GCC). These GCC’s apply to products subject to a consumer product safety rule or any similar CPSC rule, ban, standard or regulation enforced by the Commission.

Finally, the CPSIA lists special requirements in Section 104 for certain durable infant and toddler products, including cribs.

View the Statute

Are you looking for CPSIA business guidance? This is available on our Business Education / CPSIA page.

Regulations:

CPSC has and is continuing to implement regulations based on CPSIA. All of CPSC’s current regulations are available in Title 16 of the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations.

Some general areas of interest are:

  • Durable Infant or Toddler Product Safety Standards: Scroll down the page to Subchapter B
  • Testing and Certification, including initial testing, periodic testing & material change testing requirements, as well as possible testing cost relief associated with component parts. Parts 1107 and 1109
  • Lead limits in paint and substrates: Lead limits are contained in Section 101 of the CPSIA and are further regulated under the Consumer Product Safety Act and Federal Hazardous Substances Act regulations
  • Phthalate limits in toys and certain child care articles contained in Section 108 of the CPSIA. 
  • Product Registration Cards. Part 1130 

Business Guidance

We have posted valuable business guidance in our Business Education /CPSIA section. Please look there for product guidance, keys to compliance and frequently asked questions and answers.

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