Toy testing for the EU, UK and US

Toys get more checks than almost any other product. Marketplaces test them, customs stop them, and parents report them.

The rules differ in each market. Here is what each one asks for.

The three markets at a glance

Toy rules in the EU, Great Britain and the US

	European Union	Great Britain	United States
The law	Toy Safety Directive 2009/48/EC	Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011	CPSIA and 16 CFR part 1250
Main standard	EN 71	EN 71	ASTM F963-23
Who must test	The manufacturer. A notified body is needed in some cases	As in the EU	A CPSC-accepted lab, for toys for ages 12 and under
Your document	EU declaration of conformity	Declaration of conformity	Children’s Product Certificate (CPC)
Mark on the toy	CE	CE or UKCA	No safety mark. A tracking label is required

European Union

The European Commission says every toy sold in the EU must carry a CE mark.

Before you put it on, the manufacturer must:

• carry out a safety assessment of the toy’s hazards: chemical, physical, mechanical, electrical, flammability and hygiene
• test it, usually against the EN 71 standards
• draw up a technical file
• sign an EU declaration of conformity
• print the warnings the toy needs, in the language of the buyer’s country

A notified body, an organisation the EU has named to do this work, must examine the toy in some cases. One example is when the EN 71 standards were not applied in full.

If you sell toys under your own brand, you count as the manufacturer, even if a factory in China makes them.

The new EU toy regulation

The EU has adopted a new law, Regulation (EU) 2025/2509. It replaces the current directive from August 1, 2030.

It brings a digital product passport for every toy. Some of its provisions apply from January 1, 2026.

Your tests and documents today still follow the current directive.

Great Britain

GOV.UK says a law in force since October 1, 2024 keeps the CE mark recognised for toys. You can use CE or UKCA.

The toy must meet the Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011. The GB importer duties apply too.

United States

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) sets the rules.

The standard. ASTM F963 is mandatory. Toys made after April 20, 2024 must meet the 2023 version, ASTM F963-23.

The lab. Toys made mainly for children aged 12 or under must be tested by a third-party lab the CPSC has accepted. You can check a lab on the CPSC’s list.

The certificate. The manufacturer or importer issues a Children’s Product Certificate (CPC). It lists the rules the toy meets, based on those lab tests.

The label. Children’s products need a permanent tracking label on the product and its packaging.

Small batch makers get some relief from third-party testing. But tests for lead in paint and small parts must always go to a CPSC-accepted lab.

New in 2026: eFiling

Since July 8, 2026, importers must file certificate data with the CPSC electronically before regulated goods enter the US.

The CPSC says this creates no new testing duty. It does mean your CPC must exist before the container sails.

Amazon.com

For children’s toys, Amazon asks for more than the law.

• You send documents through a testing company Amazon has authorised, not to Amazon directly.
• The test report must come from a CPSC-accepted lab and be issued within the previous 12 months.
• The CPC and test reports must be in English.
• If a product fails testing or the documents fail review, Amazon deactivates the listing right away.

A report older than a year usually means a new test. Plan it before your old one runs out.

Get your toys tested

Send us photos of the toy, the age group and the markets where you sell. We tell you which tests each market needs and give you one fixed price before any test starts.

See our product testing service.

Selling in the EU? Your toy also needs a responsible person in the EU on its label. Our EU Rep service fills that role. VAT+ is your contact for both.