Which safety certificate does my product need?
For marketplaces like Amazon, and for customs. CPC · GCC · FCC · FDA. Free.
Not a category lookup. It reads the rule's own scope sentence, its definitions and its exemptions — the footnote that puts a hat outside the clothing flammability rule, or a coin-cell light inside Reese's Law — and links you to the text it relied on, with the edition it was read from.
- 589 of 589 flagged codes audited · October 22, 2026
- 91 federal rules watched weekly for changes
- 79 test products run on every change
- Definitions quoted from the regulation
Common questions (7)
How is this different from looking up a product category?
Not a category lookup. It reads the rule's own scope sentence, its definitions and its exemptions — the footnote that puts a hat outside the clothing flammability rule, or a coin-cell light inside Reese's Law — and links you to the text it relied on, with the edition it was read from. Every one of the 589 codes on CPSC's flagged list was audited end to end (October 22, 2026). The rules it cites are checked every week for changes, and 79 test products run through it on every change. It points you to an answer. It isn't a legal ruling.
Does my product need a CPSC certificate?
It depends on what it is and who it's for. Made mainly for kids 12 or under, and covered by a CPSC safety rule? It needs a Children's Product Certificate (CPC), backed by tests at a CPSC-accepted lab. A general-use product a CPSC rule covers, like a mattress or an adult bike helmet, needs a General Certificate of Conformity (GCC). If no CPSC rule covers it, it needs neither. Food, drugs, cosmetics and medical devices are FDA's, not CPSC's. The one exception: some must come in child-resistant packaging, and that packaging needs a GCC. The free certificate check asks a few questions about the product and names each rule that applies, with its source. It isn't a legal ruling on your product.
What's the difference between a CPC and a GCC?
A CPC (Children's Product Certificate) is for a children's product that a CPSC rule covers. A CPSC-accepted third-party lab does its tests, unless a testing exclusion applies. A GCC (General Certificate of Conformity) is for a general-use product that a rule covers. It can rest on a test or on a reasonable testing program. The check tells you which one your product points to.
CPC or GCC? Watch the free check sort one product, in 38 seconds.
Real footage of the live tool; the example product shown is illustrative. Watch on YouTube →
Does my product need FCC approval?
If it sends radio signals on purpose (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular), it generally needs FCC Certification. If it has digital electronics or a switching power circuit, like most chargers, adapters and LED drivers, it generally needs a Supplier's Declaration of Conformity (SDoC) or Certification (47 CFR Part 15). So does an appliance that uses radio energy to heat, clean or mist, like a microwave oven or an ultrasonic humidifier (Part 18). A purely mechanical product is usually outside both. The check names the path and cites the rule. An FCC lab or a Telecommunication Certification Body does the authorization itself.
An electronic toy? Watch why one product can need both a CPSC certificate and FCC authorization, in 32 seconds.
Real footage of the live tool; the example product shown is illustrative. Watch on YouTube →
My product has a lithium battery. What does Amazon ask for?
Three things. First, the battery's UN 38.3 test summary, a short report on its safety tests. Amazon asks every seller to upload it when setting up the product. The maker and each distributor have to provide it, so it comes from your supplier. Second, the battery details when you list it, like watt-hours, and Amazon's battery exemption sheet, uploaded in Manage dangerous goods classification. If the details are wrong, FBA can block the product. Third, at least $1 million of liability insurance before you list a lithium battery product. (Amazon's seller help pages, read 20 Oct 2026.) This check doesn't cover battery shipping rules. It shows the FCC path and whether a CPSC certificate applies.
What does TikTok Shop ask for with electronics?
If you made, imported or repacked it, TikTok can ask for a certificate of compliance issued in the last 2 years that lists the U.S. safety standards it was tested to. It also wants a photo of the electrical safety mark, and of the FCC mark for a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi device. If you buy in the U.S. to resell, it asks for the maker's invoice from the last 365 days, plus the photo. TikTok says a device that sends radio signals, like a drone or a router, needs a valid FCC ID, and the listing form has a "Radio Frequency Emission & Authorization Status" field. (TikTok Shop's Electronic Products Requirements, dated 16 Oct 2026, read 20 Oct 2026.)
Is the certificate check free?
Yes. It's free, with no signup and no paywall. It covers the common CPSC safety rules, the FCC authorization path and FDA's import steps for food, drugs and devices, and it cites each rule it names. It flags other agencies (USDA, EPA, DOT, TTB) at a high level, and it doesn't cover every federal rule. It works from a short set of questions about the product, with no customs code needed.
This tool answers one step. The plan lists every step for your product in order, with a source for each line. See the plan for your product →
Watch the whole plan for one product, step by step, in 72 seconds.
Real captures of the live app (the certificate draft is the app's own draft template filled with the example's details); the company, product and documents are a fictional example. Watch on YouTube →