Product Certification Requirements in the United States: A Complete Guide

Product certification is mandatory when importing and selling certain products in the United States. In this guide, we introduce you to product certification requirements covering toys and children’s products, electronics, wooden products, and more.

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Children’s Product Certificate (CPC)

A Children’s Product Certificate (CPC) is mandatory when importing children’s products in the United States. The CPC is part of the CPSIA, which defines a children’s product as any product commonly sold to 12-year-olds or younger.

The CPC is self-issued by the importer (or domestic US manufacturer) and based on the lab test result. As such, you cannot issue a valid CPC without a third-party lab test report to support it.

Here is an overview of the information you must include in the CPC:

1. Product name and description

2. List of applied and mandatory ASTM and CPSC standards (e.g ASTM F963)

3. Importer information (US company name, US address, e-mail, phone)

4. Contact information of the person with access to the test report (name, address, e-mail, phone)

5. Manufacturing location (city, province, country) and date (month, year)

6. Testing date (month, year) and location (city, province, country)

7. CPSC accepted third-party lab testing company (company, contact person, address, phone, e-mail)

Note that you can find CPC templates on the official CPSC website.

General Certificate of Conformity (GCC)

The General Certificate of Conformity (GCC) is similar to the Children’s Product Certificate (CPC). The big difference is that the GCC is only applicable to certain products. Here are a few examples:

• Apparel
• Bicycle Helmets
• ATVs
• Paints
• Bunk Beds
• Lighters
• Mattresses
• Bikes
• Pool drain covers

Here is an overview of the information you must include in the GCC:

1. Product name and description

2. List of applicable CPSC safety rules and ASTM standards

3. Your company name

4. Contact details: Mailing address, e-mail address, phone number

5. Name of the person holding the test report

6. Date (month, year) and place (city, country) of production

7. Date (month, year) and place (city, country) of product testing

8. Third-party testing company, contact person, e-mail, phone number and address

The GCC is issued by the importer but is not necessarily supported by a lab test report.

APHIS Permits & Certification

A USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Permit is required when importing certain types of wooden products to the United States, including furniture and handicrafts. In order to get the permit, importers must apply online before the arrival of the shipment.

This information is included in the permit:

• Importer
• Permit number
• Application number
• Date issued
• Expiry date
• Product/Article(s)
• Country of origin
• Type of timber
• Bark: With/Without
• Required Processing/Treatment
• Special instructions

FCC SDoC

A Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity (SDoC) is required when importing electronics without radio transmitters (in which case other compliance documents may be required). This includes non-WiFi/Bluetooth/LTE/5G enabled equipment, such as LED light bulbs, computer accessories and other electronic devices.ä

This information is normally included in the SDoC:

• SKU/Product name
• Company name
• Address
• Contact details
• FCC compliance declaration

FAQ

Do I need product certification to sell on Amazon?

Amazon requires that products sold on its marketplace are compliant with mandatory safety standards and certification requirements. For example, selling children’s products to consumers in the USA on Amazon.com requires that your product is fully compliant with CPSIA.

As mentioned, the CPSIA requires that the importer or manufacturer issues a Children’s Product Certificate (CPC). Amazon sellers must submit a valid CPC before they can start selling children’s products.

That said, Amazon doesn’t have its own product certification schemes – at least not yet. In short, whether you need a product certificate depends on whether a CPC, GCC or other certificate is required when importing and selling your product in the USA.

How do I get the right certificate for my product?

Most product certificates are self-issued. For example, issuing a CPC is not more complicated than editing the template available on the CPSC website. That said, you must still obtain a third-party lab test report before you can issue a valid CPC.

Can I get a product certificate from my supplier?

Most manufacturers outside the United States don’t have the necessary expertise to issue product certificates, such as a CPC and GCC. Further, some product certificates can only be issued by a US importer or manufacturer.

What can happen if I don’t have a product certificate?

There are a few scenarios to take into consideration:

1. Your product may be held by the US customs

2. Amazon may reject your product

3. Your product may be subject to a forced recall