Do plush toys need a CPC to sell in the US?

Yes, a plush toy for children needs a Children's Product Certificate, or CPC, and a CPSC-accepted lab report. The toy safety standard is ASTM F963-23, incorporated through 16 CFR 1250 (16 CFR 1250).

Which certificate you need

For an imported plush toy, your US importer must issue the CPC before entry; a factory-issued CPC doesn't count (16 CFR 1110.7).

Since July 8, 2026, the importer must electronically file certificate data in ACE when filing entry for each shipment, regardless of its value (16 CFR 1110.13).

Check that the lab behind your plush toy's tests appears in the CPSC's accepted lab directory. Its acceptance scope must cover the tested provisions, with a report for every model and color. Verify the report number with the lab (CPSC lab search).

Which tests apply

For a plush toy intended for children under three, small-parts testing applies unless the toy falls within an exclusion in 1501.3 (16 CFR 1501). Sharp-point and sharp-edge requirements apply below age eight when the points or edges fall within those provisions and no exemption applies (16 CFR 1500.48; 16 CFR 1500.49).

Torque and tension are part of the use and abuse tests (16 CFR 1500.50). These tests apply to toys for children aged 96 months or younger where the applicable provision requires them, using the corresponding age group and exceptions (16 CFR 1500.53).

Lead testing and the eight phthalates are also part of the toy requirements. Each of those phthalates must stay at or below 0.1% (16 CFR 1307). If your toy has paint or a similar surface coating, coating lead can't exceed 90 ppm, measured against the dry paint film or total nonvolatile weight (16 CFR 1303).

What goes on the label

Your plush toy needs a tracking label and an age marking. Small-parts warnings are another label requirement, alongside the age-dependent physical safety provisions (16 CFR 1500).