Yes, if it's a children's product. Federal law requires a permanent mark on the item and its packaging, so anyone can trace it to its maker, date and batch, to the extent practicable. It isn't a test, and it doesn't go on the certificate.
| The buyer | The manufacturer | |
|---|---|---|
| Who made it (or the private labeler) | Yes | Not in the list |
| Where and when it was made | Yes | Yes |
| The batch or run | Yes | Yes |
| Anything else the maker uses to trace the source | Not in the list | Yes |
On the product and its packaging, permanent, to the extent practicable.
Source: 15 U.S.C. 2063(a)(5)(A); CPSC, Tracking Label guidance and FAQ
A permanent mark, on a children's product and its packaging, that shows where and when it was made and ties it to a production run. The requirement comes from the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008.
The point is tracing. If a safety problem turns up later, the mark lets a recall reach the exact units affected instead of a whole product line. It's a labeling rule, not a testing rule.
The buyer has to be able to work out who made it (or the private labeler), where and when, and the batch or run. The maker also has to be able to trace anything else it uses to pin down the source. The table above lays it out. The marks are permanent, on both the product and the packaging.
Say you import a children's T-shirt. Its label and its bag should let someone work out the maker, where and when it was made, and its batch. "To the extent practicable" allows for a product too small to carry everything; it limits where the mark goes, not whether there is one.
Children's products: ones designed or meant mainly for children 12 or younger. Whether a product is one is the same question behind every children's rule. CPSC weighs the intended use, the packaging and ads, whether people commonly see it as a child's product, and its age guidelines. A general-use product doesn't need a tracking label at all.
No. CPSC says the tracking-label rule doesn't call for testing by a CPSC-accepted lab, and it isn't one of the rules cited on a Children's Product Certificate. So a product can hold a valid certificate and still fail for want of a tracking label, and the reverse. Most children's products need both.
Yes. Durable infant and toddler products, like cribs, high chairs, strollers and play yards, must also carry a permanent mark with the maker's name and contact details, the model name and number, and the date of manufacture, and must come with a postage-paid registration form. That's on top of the tracking label, not instead of it.
The U.S. manufacturer for goods made here, and the importer for goods made abroad. A supplier's own marking doesn't move that duty: the importer is the one CPSC holds responsible, the same party that issues the certificate.
You don't need a new label. The missing details can go on one the item already has, like the care label. Where it was made can be in code, but the maker's, importer's or brand's name has to show.
On fabric, a hangtag or sticker doesn't count: the mark must last as long as the product. A sticker can be enough on the bag. Dyed fabric skips the lead test; a printed or heat-transfer label doesn't. Wash a few before you mark the batch.
The free certificate check answers, as a starting point to confirm, the question a tracking label depends on — whether a product is a children's product and which CPSC safety rules apply — so it is clear whether the tracking-label requirement is even triggered, citing the rule behind each answer.
Check which certificate you need — free →The plan puts it in order for your product: which certificate it needs, what to ask the supplier for, and what a marketplace or customs may ask for. It's free, with no signup.
See the plan for your product →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 2026-10-20.
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.