Amazon Toys & Children’s Products Requirements Guide for Sellers

Planning to sell toys or other children’s products on Amazon? In this article, we explain what Amazon sellers must know about relevant regulations, mandatory safety standards, certification, labeling, and lab testing rules.

More specifically, this guide covers compliance requirements for toys, children’s jewelry, children’s furniture, clothing, baby products, and other related products.

We also explain what documents Amazon’s compliance team often requests from companies selling toys and other children’s products on their platform.

Note

This guide only covers product regulations, standards, and other requirements for selling on Amazon in the United States (e.g. CPSIA). However, the same principles apply when selling products on Amazon in the European Union (e.g. Toy Safety Directive), Australia, Japan, and elsewhere.

Further, Amazon can change its terms and requirements at will. This article serves as an introduction, but not a replacement for the up-to-date seller requirements on Amazon Seller Central.

Children’s Products – General Requirements

Amazon requires children’s products intended for use by children of a maximum of 12 years of age sold on its platform, to comply with applicable federal, state, and local regulations.

Further, Amazon requires children’s products sellers to provide information and documentation as the following:

a. Company name

b. Seller ID/Vendor ID

c. Email address

d. Phone number

e. A list of ASINs (Amazon Standard Identification Number) for the products you are applying to sell

f. A Children’s Product Certificate (CPC) for the ASINs you are applying to sell

g. A CPSIA Tracking Label and relevant warning labels for the ASINs you are applying to sell

h. Test reports from a CPSC-accepted testing laboratory for the ASINs you are applying to sell

Learn more: Click here

CPSIA Hazard Warnings

Amazon also requires children’s product sellers to declare potential hazards (e.g. choking hazards caused by the small parts). Sellers must add applicable hazard warnings to their product listing (on the product detail page), and to the product label, when necessary.

Amazon proposes examples of cautionary statements (warnings) for several products including balloons, which require adult supervision, and toys that contain marbles, which might cause choking hazards.

Toys

As said, Amazon requires children’s products, including toys, to comply with applicable regulations. For some categories of toys, Amazon also created specific informative pages on its Seller Central. This includes:

• Magnetic building tiles
• Squishy toys
• Invisible ink pens
• Fidget spinners

You can access these specific pages by clicking on the link available below.

Requirements

Besides the general requirements listed above, importers and manufacturers of toys should adhere to the standards and requirements stated by the CPSIA or other applicable regulations. This includes but is not limited to:

a. ASTM F963-17 – Standard Consumer Safety Specification For Toy Safety

b. CPSIA limitation on lead and phthalates

c. Other applicable safety standards and substance limitations

Learn more: Click here

Children’s Jewelry

Jewelry products intended or designed for the use of children 12 years of age or under are considered children’s products. Thus, they should comply with CPSIA or any other applicable regulations. Amazon lists examples of children’s jewelry products, such as:

• Anklets
• Bracelets
• Earrings
• Necklaces
• Rings
• Jewelry kits

Requirements

Amazon specifically points out that children’s jewelry products sellers should adhere to the following standard:

a. CSPA phthalates and cadmium restrictions (Washington state)

b. ASTM F2923-14 – Standard Specification for Consumer Product Safety for Children’s Jewelry

Below, we list some of the most common restricted chemical substances by ASTM F2923-14:

• Lead
• Cadmium
• Nickel
• Antimony
• Arsenic
• Barium
• Chromium
• Mercury
• Selenium

Learn more: Click here

Educational Supplies

Amazon requires sellers listing school suppliers on Amazon should abide by the applicable product regulations. The following products are considered school supplies by Amazon:

• School backpacks
• Book covers
• Lunch bags
• Lunch boxes
• Pencil cases
• Pencil pouches

Requirements

Amazon lists the following requirements:

a. CPSIA lead restrictions

b. 16 CFR 1500.50 – Test methods for simulating use and abuse of toys and other articles intended for use by children

c. CSPA phthalates and cadmium restrictions (Washington state)

Learn more: Click here

Child Restraint Systems

Amazon mandates that child safety car seats and other child restraint systems must meet certain standards and requirements in terms of product design, material selection, and more.

These are products designed specifically to protect children from injury or death once vehicle collisions take place. The Amazon Seller Central lists the following types of products:

• Handheld infant carriers
• Booster seats
• Forward-facing child restraint systems
• Rear-facing child restraint systems
• Travel systems

Requirements

In the particular case of booster seats for children riding in cars, Amazon established distinct requirements for two broad categories:

a. Backless child restraint systems must be a seating platform without any elevated portion that would serve to support the child’s back or head but with a component that limits how far forward the child’s torso can move as a result of a head-on collision

b. By contrast, belt-positioning seats must raise a child higher in the vehicle seat so that the built-in seat belts fit the child more snugly and must not include its belt system or other structural elements that would halt the forward motion of the child’s torso after sudden deceleration

Also, Amazon lists the following requirements:

a. CPSIA consumer registration card

b. CPSIA lead restrictions

c. ASTM F2050-19 – Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Hand-Held Infant Carriers

d. ASTM F833-15 – Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Carriages and Strollers

e. 49 CFR 571.213 – Child restraint systems (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Department of Transportation)

Finally, fabric non-framed child restraint systems are prohibited for sale on Amazon.

Learn more: Click here

Baby Beds

As with other products sold on Amazon, sellers should ensure their toddler beds conform to Amazon’s policies, as well as any applicable local, state, and federal laws.

According to Amazon, toddler beds include any bed meant for children who are at least 15 months old and less than 50 lb (27.7 kg). The bed should allow the child to freely get on and off a full-size crib mattress that has the following dimensions:

• Length: 51 and 5/8 inches (1310 mm)
• Width: 27 and 1/4 inches (690 mm)

Requirements

Amazon specifies that toddler beds should comply with CPSIA requirements such as the following:

a. CPSIA restrictions on lead and phthalates

b. CPSIA consumer registration card

In addition to the above, sellers should make sure that their toddler beds conform with ASTM F1821 – Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toddler Beds, which is incorporated by reference in 16 CFR Part 1217 – Safety Standard for Toddler Beds.

Learn more: Click here

Children’s clothing with drawstrings

Amazon requires sellers to ensure that they comply with its policy when listing and selling children’s clothing that are in sizes 2T to 16 and have drawstrings. Such children’s clothing includes:

• Hoodies
• Outerwear

Requirements

If you sell children’s clothing sized 2T to 16, with drawstrings at the waist you are mandated to provide evidence that your products comply with all of the following requirements:

a. CPSIA lead restrictions

b. 16 CFR 1610 – Standard for the flammability of clothing textiles

c. ASTM F1816 – Standard Safety Specification for Drawstrings on Children’s Upper Outerwear

Since the drawstrings at the waist may pose a danger if entangled with other objects, the drawstrings should not:

• Exceed 3 inches outside the drawstring channel
• Have knots or other attachments at the ends

As for children’s clothing sized 2T to 12 with hood and neck drawstrings (including hoodies and outerwear), sellers are currently barred from listing and selling them because the potential entanglement of the drawstrings may present a choking hazard.

Learn more: Click here

Infant bedside sleepers

Infant bedside sleepers are designed for infants until they reach approximately five months of age. The sleepers are supposed to be securely placed at the side of the adult bed so that the caregiver can have easy access to the infant when necessary.

Requirements

If you sell infant bedside sleepers, you are mandated by Amazon’s policy to provide evidence that your products conform to CPSIA requirements such as the following:

• CPSIA lead and phthalates restrictions
• CPSIA consumer registration card

In addition to the above, Amazon requires you to provide documentation proving that your infant bedside sleepers comply with ASTM F2906 – Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Bedside Sleepers, which is incorporated by reference in 16 CFR Part 1222 – Safety standard for bedside sleepers.

Learn more: Click here

Children’s Sleepwear

Amazon’s policy covers children’s sleepwear sized 0 months to size 14, which also includes tight and snug-fitting sleepwear for children. Children’s sleepwear in general is primarily meant for children ages 12 and below to sleep in and includes clothing items such as:

• Nightgown
• Pajama
• Robe
• Loungewear

Requirements

If you sell children’s sleepwear (sizes 0 months to 14), you should have documentation demonstrating they conform to the following:

a. ASTM D6545 – Standard Test Method for Flammability of Textiles Used in Children’s Sleepwear

b. 16 CFR Part 1501 – Method for identifying toys and other articles intended for use by children under 3 years of age that present choking, aspiration, or ingestion hazards because of small parts

c. 16 CFR Part 1611 – Standard for the flammability of vinyl plastic film

d. CPSIA lead and phthalates restrictions

If you sell children’s tight or snug-fitting sleepwear (sizes 0 months to 14), your products should conform to the above as well as have a hang-tag warning label. The label should provide the following statement:

“For child’s safety, garment should fit snugly. This garment is not flame resistant. Loose-fitting garment is more likely to catch fire”

Learn more: Click here

High Chairs

High chairs are designed for a child up to three years old. To be classified as a high chair, the chair’s seating surface should be raised more than 15 inches off the floor so that the child may eat or be fed.

The high chairs may or may not have a tray, and often are sold with a padded seat. Sometimes the high chairs have adjustable heights, or may even have a reclination feature.

According to Amazon, these chairs are usually made from materials such as:

• Plastic
• Metal
• Wood

Requirements

Amazon mandates sellers to prove that their high chairs comply with the following requirements:

• CPSIA lead and phthalates restrictions
• CPSIA consumer registration card

Sellers are also required to provide evidence of compliance with ASTM F404 – Standard Consumer Safety Specification for High Chairs, which is incorporated by reference in 16 CFR Part 1231 – Safety Standard for High Chairs per the CPSIA.

Learn more: Click here

Bassinets and Cradles

Amazon covers bassinets and cradles, which are designed for infants to sleep in. Its policy for bassinets does not cover toddler beds, as those are covered by a separate policy.

Both bassinets and cradles are meant to have a surface for sleeping that is at most 10 degrees from horizontal, and can:

• Be supported by a rocking base
• Swing when it is relative to a stationary base

Bassinets can be supported by:

• Free-standing legs
• A stand or a stationary frame
• A base with wheels

Requirements

If you sell bassinets and cradles on Amazon, you are mandated to comply with requirements such as the following:

• CPSIA lead and phthalates restrictions
• CPSIA consumer registration card

Amazon’s policy also requires you to provide evidence that your bassinets and cradles demonstrate compliance with ASTM F2194 – Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Bassinets and Cradles, which is incorporated by reference in 16 CFR Part 1218 under the CPSIA.

Learn more: Click here

Children’s Helmets

Children’s helmets are headgear that should be worn by children to protect them from injuring their heads while carrying out sporting activities. Amazon has a policy for the following two types of children’s helmets:

• Bicycle helmets
• Ski and snowboard helmets

Amazon’s policy for children’s bicycle helmets does not cover general-use or adult-use helmets (or other helmets for non-bicycle activities).

Requirements

There are a few requirements that apply to both children’s bicycle helmets and children’s ski and snowboard helmets. If you sell either products on Amazon, your must comply with requirements such as the following:

a. CPSIA lead restrictions

b. 16 CFR Part 1501 – Method for identifying toys and other articles intended for use by children under 3 years of age which present choking, aspiration, or ingestion hazards because of small parts

c. 16 CFR Part 1500.19 and 16 CFR 1500.20 (small parts labeling)

The requirements that Amazon mandates you comply with if you sell children’s bicycle helmets are slightly different than those that you must conform with if you sell children’s ski and snowboard helmets. We list the specific requirements below.

Children’s bicycle helmets

Amazon mandates that you provide evidence your children’s bicycle helmets comply with:

a. Snell standards B-90A or B-95

b. ASTM F1447 – Standard for Helmets Used in Recreational Bicycling or Roller Skating (as incorporated by reference in 16 CFR Part 1203 – Safety standard for bicycle helmets)

c. ASTM F1898 – Standard for Helmets for Non-Motorized Wheeled Vehicles Used by Infant and Toddlers

Children’s ski and snowboard helmets

If you sell children’s ski and snowboard helmets on Amazon, you are mandated to prove that your products conform with requirements such as:

a. Snell standard RS-98

b. SA Z263.1 – Canadian Recreational Alpine Skiing and Snowboarding Helmet Standard

c. ASTM F2040 – Standard for Helmets Used for Recreational Snow Sports

Learn more: Click here

Other Information

If you sell products on Amazon, you may need to comply with rules regarding the following:

• Amazon compliance checks
• Lab testing
• Product packaging
• Restricted products
• Prohibited items

Amazon Compliance Checks

Amazon’s compliance team regularly reaches out to children’s product sellers requesting relevant compliance documents, if required. For example, when selling on Amazon in the United States you might need to submit the following documents:

• Children’s Product Certificate (CPC)
• CPSIA Tracking Label
• Lab test report
• Invoice
• Product photos

Failing to provide the required compliance documents can result in your product listing being suspended.

Lab Testing

Children’s products are highly regulated by CPSC under the CPSIA in the United States. Other than that, individual states employ various regulations on children’s products.

Therefore, you should find a CPSC-accepted lab testing company such as QIMA, Intertek, or SGS to carry on the required tests.

Product Packaging

FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) sellers should follow the packaging instructions provided by Amazon, or the products are likely to be rejected.

Here we list some of Amazon’s guidelines for packing children’s products:

a. Items that occupy a surface bigger than one square foot and intended for children above 4 years should be packaged

b. Products for children below 4 years old that are packed in a sealed bag or have an opening greater than one square foot must be placed in a sealed plastic bag

c. Baby products might need to be put in transparent sealed bags that include a suffocation warning label.

d. Make sure the unit is sealed

e. Product packages surface should not have an exposed area of up to one square foot

Importers and Amazon sellers should keep up with the latest requirements for infant and children’s product packing methods from the Amazon Seller Central.

Restricted Products

There are children’s products that are restricted from sale by Amazon because they are deemed as being dangerous enough to potentially cause harm to the users.

Prohibited Items

Amazon forbids the sales of any kind of mat with bolsters infant sleep positioning products, as the FDA warns that it could cause suffocation to the babies.

Dangerous Goods (Hazmat)

Amazon has special policies on a variety of products that are considered dangerous. This includes:

• Battery-operated toys
• Arts and crafts for children
• Building kits for children
• Chemistry sets for children
• Painting and repair kits for children

If you are selling these products on Amazon, you might be required to submit a copy of the Safety Data Sheet, declaring product information and documentation of the dangerous goods.

Please refer to Amazon Seller Center for more information.