Children Product Certificate (CPC)

What's included in your Children's Product Certificate service

Who needs a Children's Product Certificate

• Importers of children's products into the United States
• Amazon US sellers asked to provide a CPC
• UK and EU brands exporting toys or children's accessories to the US
• Play-makeup brands whose kits include toys or accessories
• US manufacturers of products for children aged 12 and under

What this CPC service does not include

• Laboratory testing. A CPC must be based on tests by a CPSC-accepted third-party laboratory. The laboratory carries out and charges for that testing, and testing time is not part of the 72, 48 or 24-hour delivery time.
• The cosmetic formula itself. Cosmetics are regulated in the US by the FDA, not the CPSC, so a CPC is not issued for a cosmetic. For UK and EU cosmetic compliance, see CPSR for a single beauty product or the All-in-One CPSR, PIF, SDS & UK/EU Notification.
• US customs filing. Importers must eFile certificate data with US Customs and Border Protection. Your CPC contains the data needed, but the filing is made by the importer or its customs broker.
• Products not primarily for children. General-use products need a General Certificate of Conformity (GCC) instead, where a CPSC rule applies.

How it works

1. Tell us about your product Send the product description, intended age group, materials, and where and when it is made.
2. Scope and test plan We confirm which CPSC rules apply and which tests to request from a CPSC-accepted laboratory.
3. Laboratory testing Your samples are tested by the laboratory; testing time depends on the lab and comes before our delivery time.
4. CPC prepared We prepare your certificate within 72, 48 or 24 hours (Basic, Standard or Premium) of receiving passing test reports.

What is a Children's Product Certificate (CPC)?

A Children's Product Certificate (CPC) is a written certificate in which the US importer, or the US manufacturer, of a children's product certifies that it complies with every applicable Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) rule. A children's product is one designed or intended primarily for children aged 12 or younger. The requirement comes from the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), and every CPC must be based on passing tests from a CPSC-accepted third-party laboratory.

We identify the rules that apply to your product, tell you which tests to order, review the laboratory reports and prepare a CPC with every required element, ready for retailers, marketplaces and US customs.

CPSC rules a Children's Product Certificate can cover

Depending on the product, the certificate may need to cite:

• Lead in substrate — no more than 100 ppm total lead in accessible parts (CPSIA section 101).
• Lead in paint and surface coatings — no more than 90 ppm (16 CFR 1303).
• Phthalates — prohibited phthalates limited to 0.1% in children's toys and child care articles (16 CFR 1307).
• Toy safety — ASTM F963, made mandatory for toys by 16 CFR 1250.
• Small parts — choking-hazard rules for products for children under 3 (16 CFR 1501).
• Tracking labels — permanent marks on the product and its packaging (CPSIA section 103).

Children's cosmetics and play makeup:

Cosmetics are excluded from the CPSC's definition of a consumer product. They are regulated by the FDA under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as amended by the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA). A CPC is not issued for the cosmetic itself, but toys, accessories and other non-cosmetic items sold for children, including those packed in play-makeup kits, can need one.

US customs eFiling:

Since 8 July 2026, importers of CPSC-regulated products, including children's products, must electronically file certificate data with US Customs and Border Protection at entry. The data elements match those on the CPC.

What every CPC must include

• Product identification — a description specific enough to match the certificate to the product.
• Each CPSC rule the product is certified to.
• Importer or US manufacturer — name, address and telephone number.
• Records contact — the person who holds the test records.
• Date and place of manufacture.
• Date and place of testing.
• Third-party laboratory — the CPSC-accepted laboratory that performed the tests.

The CPC and the supporting test reports must be in English.

What we need from you:

The product description, intended age group, materials, manufacturer details and, once testing is complete, the laboratory test reports.

Legal framework

• Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) — requires third-party testing and a CPC for children's products subject to a CPSC children's product safety rule.
• 16 CFR Part 1110 — the content and form of certificates of compliance, including CPCs and eFiling.
• CPSIA section 101 and 16 CFR 1303 — lead in substrate and in paint and surface coatings.
• 16 CFR 1307 — prohibited phthalates in children's toys and child care articles.
• 16 CFR 1250 (ASTM F963) — mandatory toy safety standard.
• 16 CFR 1501 — small parts for children under 3.
• CPSIA section 103 — tracking labels on children's products.
• Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and MoCRA — FDA rules for cosmetics, including cosmetics marketed to children.

Official sources:

• Children's Product Certificate (CPC) — CPSC
• eFiling of certificate data — CPSC
• Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA) — FDA

Why brands choose Phoenix for Children's Product Certificates

• Rules scoped before you test — so you know which tests to order from the laboratory
• All seven required elements checked on every certificate
• Clear on cosmetics — we tell you where FDA rules apply instead of CPSC rules
• Fast delivery options — Basic (72 Hours), Standard (48 Hours) or Premium (24 Hours), counted from receipt of your test reports
• Trusted by 1,400+ brands over 14 years, including The Beard Struggle, The Essence Vault, Parfum Fabric and Junaid Jamshed

Start your Children's Product Certificate today. Choose your delivery option above, or message us on WhatsApp on +44 7346 009332 and we will confirm which rules and tests apply to your product first.

Frequently asked questions