Disclaimer

This site is intended for peer-to-peer educational purposes only and is neither legal advice nor an official government site. If you have questions about how to comply with the CPSIA please consult a lawyer.

Questions?

If you have a CPSIA question you'd like us to answer please send it to info [at] whatisthecpsia [dot] com and we'll do our best to include it on the site.

Aren’t things made out of yarn exempt from CPSIA?

Yes, with a couple of caveats.

Who thought we needed the CPSIA and Why?

In 2007, a string of recalls of children’s toys for lead in paint hit the news.  Lead paint had been illegal since 1978, so these toys violated existing laws.  Although no children were poisoned by the lead in these toys, many people thought that action was needed to prevent recalls like these from ever happening.
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I heard that state AGs have power to enforce the law. What does that mean?

State AGs are not bound by any decisions of CPSC, so they can prosecute you for violating CPSIA even if CPSC has decided to stay enforcement.

What materials are exempt from CPSIA lead testing?

Here is a list of materials that you do not have to send to a laboratory in order to prove that they are lead-free.

What does component testing mean?

“Component testing” means testing the components of a product rather than testing an entire finished product.

If CPSIA is so horrible, why haven’t I seen it on the news?

There are many reasons why a story like CPSIA would not be considered newsworthy or would not be covered adequately.