About Us

CPSC is an independent federal regulatory agency formed in 1972 with a mission to protect the public against unreasonable risks of injury or death from consumer products through education, safety standards activities, regulation, and enforcement. We are a small agency with a large mission, and we work to ensure the safety of consumers every day.

We work to save lives and keep families safe by reducing the unreasonable risk of injuries and deaths associated with consumer products and fulfilling our vision to be the recognized global leader in consumer product safety. We do this by:

• Developing voluntary standards with standards organizations, manufacturers and businesses;
• Issuing and enforcing mandatory standards or banning consumer products if no feasible standard would adequately protect the public;
• Obtaining the recall of products and arranging for a repair, replacement or refund for recalled products;
• Researching potential product hazards; 
• Informing and educating consumers directly and through traditional, online, and social media and by working with foreign, state and local governments and private organizations; and
• Educating manufacturers worldwide about our regulations, supply chain integrity and development of safe products.

CPSC’s annual report, strategic plan and performance reports give detailed information about the agency’s priorities and work.

No. CPSC does not endorse or recommend specific brands of products. We provide information to consumers on what safety features to look for in products.

CPSC has offices in Bethesda, Md., Rockville, Md., and Beijing, China. Our staff is comprised of about 520 people, including about 120 investigators and compliance officers working throughout the country in communities where you live and work and at our nation’s ports.

Our contact information page gives you phone numbers and contact forms to get in touch with us.

CPSC announces recalls of products that present a significant risk to consumers, either because the product could contain a defect or because it violates a mandatory safety standard. 

Typically yes. You should follow the specific guidance in CPSC’s recall announcement for that specific product to secure a replacement, repair or refund.

There is usually no end date to a product recall. Even if you don't learn of the recall for a year or more, you should follow the guidance in the recall notice the CPSC issues. Call the company at the toll-free number or contact the company through its website, both of which are listed in CPSC's news release. This information is listed in the “Consumer Contact” information on more recent recalls. If you are unsuccessful with the company, contact CPSC's toll-free hotline at (800) 638-2772 or send an e-mail via CPSC's Contact Form.

No. Each recall that CPSC announces applies only to the specific brand and model identified in the recall announcement. In many cases, the recall applies only to products manufactured and date-coded for specific time periods (e.g. brand "X", model "Y" manufactured between Aug. 1, 2010, and Oct. 17, 2012). Specific descriptions of each recalled product are given in each CPSC recall announcement.

Not necessarily. There is no one-size-fits-all remedy for recalled products. Remedies typically consist of a refund, repair or replacement. The remedy for consumers is described in each recall announcement.

Here are several easy ways:

• Subscribe to CPSC e-mail alerts. We send these alerts at the end of each business day.
• Follow CPSC @USCPSC on Twitter. CPSC posts most recalls on Twitter at the same time that we post the recall online.
• Subscribe to CPSC’s RSS feed through your e-mail or an RSS reader.
• Check CPSC.gov or SaferProducts.gov frequently.
• If you have your own website or blog, post CPSC recalls by using one of our free widgets.

All of our safety education materials are on CPSC.gov. You can search for them by topic, title, and category. All are free and many of them are available in hard copy. You can order them online by sending an e-mail to info@cpsc.gov. Please include the document number, document name and number of copies that you want in your e-mail. We create many posters in English and Spanish. We encourage you to print and post these in your communities and/or share them online.