Which safety certificate does my product need?
For marketplaces like Amazon, and for customs. CPC · GCC · FCC · FDA. Free.
Checks the common CPSC safety rules, the FCC authorization path, and FDA's import steps for food, drugs and devices. Other agencies are flagged from the product type.
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 · September 23, 2026
- 75 federal rules watched weekly for changes
- 79 test products run on every change
- Definitions quoted from the regulation
How CPSC decides ▸
- A statement by the manufacturer about the product's intended use, including a label, where that statement is reasonable. An age label or a "not for children" line does not decide it alone: a product whose look, size or marketing is aimed mainly at children can still be one.
- Whether the packaging, display, promotion or advertising presents it as appropriate for children 12 or younger.
- Whether consumers commonly recognise it as intended for a child 12 or younger. Something a parent or caregiver uses in a child's room, and the child does not, is not a children's product.
- The Commission's Age Determination Guidelines (September 2002) and any successor to them.
Common questions
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 (September 23, 2026), the rules it cites are checked every week for amendments, 79 test products run through it on every change, and definitions are quoted from the regulation word for word. It points to an answer; it is not a legal determination.
Does my product need a CPSC certificate?
It depends on what the product is and who it is for. Children's products that are subject to a CPSC safety rule need a Children's Product Certificate (CPC); other regulated consumer products need a General Certificate of Conformity (GCC). The free certificate check routes from a short questionnaire (a 6-digit HS code can be added to also read CPSC's list) to the specific CFR rules that apply, or to a disclaim, and cites each. It names the rules the answers and the code point to; it is not a legal determination that a specific product is regulated.
What is the difference between a CPC and a GCC?
A Children's Product Certificate (CPC) is required for a children's product subject to a CPSC rule and must be based on third-party testing at a CPSC-accepted lab, unless a testing exclusion covers it. A General Certificate of Conformity (GCC) covers a non-children's consumer product subject to a rule and can be based on a test or a reasonable testing program. The check tells you which one the product points to.
Does my product need FCC authorization?
A product that intentionally transmits radio signals (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular) generally needs FCC Certification. A product with digital electronics or a switching power circuit (most chargers, adapters and LED drivers) that only radiates unintentionally generally needs a Supplier's Declaration of Conformity (SDoC) or Certification. So does an appliance that uses radio energy to heat, clean or mist, such as a microwave oven or ultrasonic humidifier, under FCC Part 18. A purely mechanical product is usually outside both. The check identifies the path and cites the CFR; a specialized FCC lab or Telecommunication Certification Body performs the authorization.
My product has a lithium battery. What does Amazon ask for?
Two things when you set up the listing. First, the battery's UN 38.3 test summary: a short report on its safety tests. Amazon says every seller uploads it. The maker, and each company that distributes the battery after, must make it available, so it comes from your supplier. Second, Amazon's battery exemption sheet, an Excel file you upload in Manage dangerous goods classification. With FBA, you also fill in the battery fields: chemistry, watt-hours, weight, how it's packed and state of charge. Amazon can also ask FBA sellers for a safety data sheet from the last 5 years. Lithium-powered electronics and appliances, power banks and loose batteries need at least $1 million of liability insurance before you list. (Amazon's seller help pages, read 27 Sep 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?
A certificate of compliance from the maker or importer, issued in the last 2 years. It lists every standard tested and the accredited lab. TikTok also wants photos 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, TikTok asks for the maker's invoice from the last 365 days, plus the photos. Some listing forms also show a "Radio Frequency Emission & Authorization Status" field to fill in. (TikTok Shop's Electronic Products Requirements, dated 26 Aug 2026, read 27 Sep 2026.)
Is the certificate check free?
Yes — it is free, needs no signup, and has no paywall. It points to the common CPSC safety rules, the FCC authorization path and FDA's import steps for food, drugs and devices, cites each rule it names, flags the other partner agencies (USDA, EPA, DOT, TTB) at a high level, does not cover every federal rule, routes deterministically from a short questionnaire (with an optional 6-digit HS code), and cites every answer to its government source.
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 →