It means CPSC found that your product breaks a federal safety rule. The letter names the rule and the fix CPSC wants, like stopping sales or a recall. It also says who to answer and by when, and you can send evidence if you think CPSC got it wrong.
| What happens | What the law says |
|---|---|
| Destroyed | The default for goods CPSC refuses to let in |
| Exported | Only if the importer, owner or consignee applies and customs agrees. Then the goods have 90 days to leave |
| Fixed under bond | CPSC can let the goods out so the owner can change them, with CPSC and customs watching |
| Who pays for refused goods | The owner or consignee: storage, moving and destruction. Unpaid costs become a lien on future imports |
Source: 15 U.S.C. 2066(c)–(f); CPSC, The Regulated Products Handbook (2013)
CPSC's Violations page puts it in one line: “The NOV advises the company of the violation, and specifies the appropriate corrective action.” CPSC's handbook for businesses calls the same kind of letter a Letter of Advice.
The handbook lists what's in it. The product and the rule it breaks. The fixes CPSC wants, which can include stopping sales, a recall, holding or getting rid of stock, and changing future production. And the legal steps CPSC can take, including penalties.
For goods stopped at the port, this letter comes separately from the detention notice. It gives CPSC's findings and explains how to ask CPSC to reconsider.
It can be either. CPSC publishes a list of the violations it has sent these letters for, with each firm's name, the product, the rule and the action CPSC asked for. On the list as of October 2026, the three most common violations are lead in a children's product, a tracking label violation and a third-party certificate violation.
So a tracking label or certificate problem can bring the same letter as a failed lab test. One July 2026 entry is an infant sleeper, cited for its certificate testing, with “Seize” as the action asked for.
Yes. The letter says you may show that there's no violation, or that the rule doesn't cover the product. It names who to answer and “will give you a timeframe for the expected response.” You can answer in writing or out loud, and ask to meet CPSC staff.
Evidence can be the test results behind your certificate, new test results showing the product passes, or marketing facts showing the product isn't meant for the group the rule protects. If CPSC staff still disagree, they usually tell you in writing before taking action.
Goods CPSC refuses to let in are destroyed, unless the owner, consignee or importer of record applies to export them and customs agrees. After that, they have 90 days to leave the country, or they're destroyed.
Sometimes CPSC allows a fix instead. It can let the goods out under bond so the owner can change them, with CPSC and customs watching. For goods refused entry, the owner or consignee pays for storage, moving and destruction. Unpaid costs become a lien on their future imports.
The letter goes to the firm CPSC holds responsible: the maker, importer, distributor or seller. For goods at the port, it's the importer, owner or consignee. If you brought the goods in, that's usually you.
You don't have to do it alone. A licensed customs broker can help with the customs side of an export, and a lawyer who knows CPSC rules can help if you plan to disagree.
Think the rule doesn't cover your product? The free certificate check shows which CPSC rules reach it, and which certificate it needs, from the product's own details. Check yours — free.
Check which certificate you need — free →Goods still held at the port? The free customs-hold check reads the detention notice that came with the letter and shows the type of hold and the documents it usually asks for. Nothing is stored. Read the CBP notice — free →
The rules on this page do change — an eFiling date, a list, a threshold. Leave an email and a short note goes out if one does: a few a year at most, one click to stop, and the address is used for nothing else. A summary of the guide and a link arrive now, as confirmation.
Information current as of 2026-10-31.
This report is an automated, informational screening tool only. Tiana & Co. is not a licensed customs broker and does not conduct customs business. This report does not constitute legal advice, a compliance determination, or a certification of admissibility for any supplier, product, or shipment.
Verdicts in this report are produced by deterministic code, not by a language model. The explanatory paragraph accompanying each check is model-generated and checked against the cited sources before delivery. No part of this report is reviewed by a person before it is issued, so every material finding and citation should be confirmed against the underlying government source before it is relied on.
This report reflects data available as of the report date. The OFAC SDN and Consolidated lists, the other U.S. Consolidated Screening List constituents, the UFLPA Entity List, CBP withhold release orders, CPSC's eFiling list, and regulatory guidance are updated frequently and without prior notice. Users should re-screen periodically and consult qualified counsel for compliance decisions.
Name-similarity results do not establish or rule out the identity of any company. Where multiple similarly named records exist, none should be treated as confirmed without independent verification against the primary government source.
This tool is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or a substitute for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, or any other government agency. No warranty is made as to the accuracy, completeness, or currency of any finding.
Use of this report for import, procurement, sanctions-compliance, or investment decisions is at the user's own risk. Anyone with compliance obligations under UFLPA, OFAC, or CPSC regulations should consult qualified legal counsel before making a transactional decision.
This report is an automated, informational screening tool only. Tiana & Co. is not a licensed customs broker and does not conduct customs business. This report does not constitute legal advice, a compliance determination, or a certification of admissibility for any supplier, product, or shipment.
Verdicts in this report are produced by deterministic code, not by a language model. The explanatory paragraph accompanying each check is model-generated and checked against the cited sources before delivery. No part of this report is reviewed by a person before it is issued, so every material finding and citation should be confirmed against the underlying government source before it is relied on.
This report reflects data available as of the report date. The OFAC SDN and Consolidated lists, the other U.S. Consolidated Screening List constituents, the UFLPA Entity List, CBP withhold release orders, CPSC's eFiling list, and regulatory guidance are updated frequently and without prior notice. Users should re-screen periodically and consult qualified counsel for compliance decisions.
Name-similarity results do not establish or rule out the identity of any company. Where multiple similarly named records exist, none should be treated as confirmed without independent verification against the primary government source.
This tool is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or a substitute for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, or any other government agency. No warranty is made as to the accuracy, completeness, or currency of any finding.
Use of this report for import, procurement, sanctions-compliance, or investment decisions is at the user's own risk. Anyone with compliance obligations under UFLPA, OFAC, or CPSC regulations should consult qualified legal counsel before making a transactional decision.