Product InspectionWhich CPSC rules require third-party testing: reading the list page (small parts, sleepwear and others)
Sources checked
The CPSC page "Rules Requiring Third-Party Testing and a Children's Product Certificate" lists children's product safety rules that require third-party testing, and gives the legal citation to use for each one on a Children's Product Certificate (CPC). The page says the list is complete as of December 5, 2024. For an up-to-date list, the page points to 16 CFR § 1112.15.
What the page says about the list
The intro on the CPSC list page says the page lists children's product safety rules that require third-party testing, with the legal citation to be used on a CPC.
The page says third-party testing is required to support a certification of compliance to the rules shown on the page for children's products.
The page also notes that CPSC periodically updates existing mandatory rules, or publishes new mandatory rules, and that new requirements are added when it does.
The page says the list is complete as of December 5, 2024. It says an up-to-date list for rules requiring third-party testing is codified at 16 CFR § 1112.15.
The page says qualifying and registered small batch manufacturers (SBM) may be able to receive relief from third-party testing to certain safety rules, which the page calls Group B requirements. It also says registered SBMs may certify to Group B requirements by means other than testing by third-party, CPSC-accepted laboratories.
The list
The list on the CPSC list page, in the page's order:
| Product or issue category | Legal citation |
|---|---|
| All-terrain vehicles | 16 CFR part 1420 |
| Baby changing products | 16 CFR part 1235 |
| Bassinets and cradles | 16 CFR part 1218 |
| Bedside sleepers | 16 CFR part 1222 |
| Bicycle helmets | 16 CFR part 1203 |
| Bicycles | 16 CFR part 1512 |
| Booster seats | 16 CFR part 1237 |
| Bunk beds (for children) | 16 CFR part 1513 |
| Button cell or coin battery | 15 U.S.C. § 2056e ; 16 CFR § 1263.3 ; 16 CFR § 1263.4 |
| Carpets and rugs | 16 CFR part 1630 |
| Carriages and strollers | 16 CFR part 1227 |
| Children’s folding chairs and stools | 16 CFR part 1232 |
| Children’s sleepwear: sizes 0 through 6X (FF 3-71) | 16 CFR part 1615 |
| Children’s sleepwear: sizes 7 through 14 (FF 5-74) | 16 CFR part 1616 |
| Children’s toys (ASTM F963) [1] | 16 CFR part 1250 |
| Clacker balls | 16 CFR § 1500.86(a)(5) |
| Clothing storage units | 16 CFR part 1261 |
| Crib mattresses | 16 CFR part 1241 |
| Dive sticks and other similar articles | 16 CFR § 1500.86(a)(7) ; 16 CFR § 1500.86(a)(8) |
| Electrically operated toys or articles | 16 CFR part 1505 |
| Frame child carriers | 16 CFR part 1230 |
| Full-size cribs | 16 CFR part 1219 |
| Gates and enclosures | 16 CFR part 1239 |
| Hand-held infant carriers | 16 CFR part 1225 |
| High chairs | 16 CFR part 1231 |
| Infant bath seats | 16 CFR part 1215 |
| Infant bath tubs | 16 CFR part 1234 |
| Infant bouncer seats | 16 CFR part 1229 |
| Infant sleep products | 16 CFR part 1236 |
| Infant support cushions | 16 CFR part 1243 |
| Infant swings | 16 CFR part 1223 |
| Infant walkers | 16 CFR part 1216 |
| Magnets | 16 CFR part 1262 |
| Mattresses and mattress pads | 16 CFR part 1632 |
| Mattresses and mattress sets | 16 CFR part 1633 |
| Non-full-size cribs | 16 CFR part 1220 |
| Nursing Pillows | 16 CFR part 1242 |
| Pacifiers | 16 CFR part 1511 |
| Paints and similar surface coatings containing lead [2] | 16 CFR part 1303 |
| Phthalates [2] | 16 CFR part 1307 |
| Play yards | 16 CFR part 1221 |
| Portable bedrails | 16 CFR part 1224 |
| Portable hook-on chairs | 16 CFR part 1233 |
| Rattles | 16 CFR part 1510 |
| Sling carriers | 16 CFR part 1228 |
| Small carpets and rugs | 16 CFR part 1631 |
| Small parts | 16 CFR part 1501 |
| Soft infant and toddler carriers | 16 CFR part 1226 |
| Wearing apparel | 16 CFR part 1610 |
| Stationary activity centers | 16 CFR part 1238 |
| Toddler beds | 16 CFR part 1217 |
| Total lead content [2] | 15 U.S.C. § 1278a |
| Toy, look-alike, and imitation firearms | 16 CFR part 1272 |
| Vinyl plastic film | 16 CFR part 1611 |
The two footnotes
Footnote [1] is attached to the "Children's toys (ASTM F963) [1]" row. The footnote says the CPC must also include the individual sections of the currently accepted version of ASTM F963 applicable to the product, and not simply cite 16 CFR part 1250.
Footnote [2] is attached to three rows: "Paints and similar surface coatings containing lead [2]", "Phthalates [2]" and "Total lead content [2]". The footnote points to CPSC's chemical testing methods. The list page gives the footnote as a link, which this article does not reproduce.
Reading three rows
The "Small parts" row cites 16 CFR part 1501. The CPC example for a toy, which its own disclaimer describes as a fictitious example, states that for products intended for children under 3 years of age, the appropriate citation for the small parts requirement is 16 CFR Part 1501. The example does not say which products fall into that age group, and this article does not either.
The list has two sleepwear rows, divided by size range. The row for sizes 0 through 6X gives the citation 16 CFR part 1615 with the label FF 3-71. The row for sizes 7 through 14 gives 16 CFR part 1616 with the label FF 5-74. The list page uses these size ranges to separate the two rows, so a reader needs to check the size range that applies to a product before reading either citation.
What the list does not settle
The list page itself points to 16 CFR § 1112.15 for the up-to-date list, and the list page is dated December 5, 2024. Whether a rule applies to a particular product is not decided by the list page. This article does not explain what any rule requires.
Certificate content is a separate question. 16 CFR 1110.11 covers it, and this article does not cover that section.
A banner on the list page gives July 8, 2026 as the date from which importers of most regulated consumer products will be required to eFile certificates of compliance with CBP. The banner says the guidance on the page may not include information on this new eFiling requirement.
Sources
- Rules Requiring Third-Party Testing and a Children's Product Certificate, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
- CPC Example – Toy, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Checked 11 October 2026.
This page is an unofficial summary, not affiliated with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the official text governs.