Children's Product Certificate
A written certificate confirming that a children's product met the applicable US safety rules after third-party testing.
Aliases: CPC, Children's Product Certificate, 儿童产品证书, CPC证书
Definition
A Children's Product Certificate is a document issued by the manufacturer or importer of a product designed or intended primarily for children aged 12 or younger. It certifies that the product complies with the applicable consumer product safety rules, and it is based on testing performed by a third-party laboratory accepted by the CPSC.
The format and content requirements are set out in 16 CFR Part 1110. The certificate is not issued by the government and has no standard template beyond the required elements.
Required content
- Identification of the product, including a description and the model or item number
- Each consumer product safety rule to which the product is certified
- Identification of the importer or domestic manufacturer responsible for the certificate
- Contact details for the records holder
- The date and place of manufacture and the date and place of testing
- Identification of the third-party laboratory that performed the testing
Missing rule citations are the most common defect. A certificate that says the product meets applicable standards without naming the rules does not satisfy the regulation.
The testing chain
Testing must be carried out by a laboratory accepted by the CPSC, against each applicable rule. Test reports sit behind the certificate and must be retained. The certificate accompanies the shipment and must be provided to distributors and retailers on request.
Periodic testing is required to maintain the certification, and a material change to the product or to the factory restarts the process.
Which products count as children's products
The test is the intended user rather than the marketing. Products with play value, sizing for children, packaging that appeals to children or labels aimed at children are usually in scope. Items such as children's jewellery, pacifiers, sleepwear, toys, school supplies and furniture for children fall in the category.
Consequences of a gap
CBP and CPSC share data at entry, and a shipment of a regulated children's product without a valid certificate can be refused. A recall is the usual outcome once a defect is found in the market, with the associated marketplace removal.
Interaction with other rules
The certificate is a CPSC instrument, related to but distinct from CPSC compliance generally. The same product may also need Proposition 65 warnings, may be exposed to UFLPA tracing, and needs the relevant entry type at import. In the EU, the parallel document is the declaration of conformity described under CE marking.
Primary source: 16 CFR Part 1110; Consumer Product Safety Act, Section 14.