Business Guidance FAQ

Federal law requires that stationary activity centers (SACs) comply with the Safety Standard for Stationary Activity Centers, 16 CFR part 1238 (Effective December 18, 2019), and with additional requirements, including those specified by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA).

Manufacturers and importers of SACs must certify in a Children's Product Certificate (CPC) that their SACs comply with the mandatory standard and any additional CPSIA requirements after the SACs have been tested for compliance at a CPSC-accepted, third party laboratory. These requirements are discussed below and at: www.cpsc.gov/BusinessEducation.

A “stationary activity center” is a “a freestanding product intended to remain stationary that enables a sitting or standing occupant whose torso is completely surrounded by the product to walk, rock, play, spin or bounce, or all of these, within a limited range of motion.” (Section 3.1.12 of ASTM F2012-18ε1.) SACs are intended for children who are not yet able to walk, but who are able to hold up their heads unassisted.

SACs include products of various designs, but typically consist of a seat that is suspended from a frame by springs or supported from the bottom by a fixed base. ASTM F2012-18ε1 defines three types of SACs: closed-base SACs, open-base SACs, and spring-supported SACs. The standard defines each of these terms, as follows:

• A “closed-base SAC” is “a stationary activity center that does not allow the occupant's feet to contact the floor when the product is in any manufacturer's recommended use position” (section 3.1.1.);
• An “open-base SAC” is “a stationary activity center that allows the occupant's feet to contact the floor” (section 3.1.7); and
• A “spring-supported SAC” is “a stationary activity center in which the sitting or standing platform is supported from below or suspended from above by springs (or equivalent resilient members)” (section 3.1.10).

The Standard seeks to minimize the risk of injury or death associated with a child’s use of a compliant SAC, including falls from elevated surfaces, product disassembly or collapse, stability, and allergic reactions.

The mandatory Safety Standard for Stationary Activity Centers incorporates by reference ASTM F2012-18ε1, Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Stationary Activity Centers.  The Commission published its final rule in June 2018, 84 Fed. Reg. 28205 (June 19, 2018) with an effective date of December 18, 2019. ASTM F2012-18ε1, the Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Stationary Activity Centers, can be purchased from ASTM International. 

The Standard includes performance requirements specific to SACs, general performance requirements, and labeling requirements. The performance requirements address the following:

• Sharp points and edges;
• Small parts;
• Latching or locking mechanisms that prevent unintentional folding;
• Openings;
• Scissoring, shearing, and pinching;
• Exposed coil springs;
• Toy accessories sold with SACs;
• Protective components;
• Spring failures and spring-supported SACs;
• Structural integrity, including requirements related to dynamic load, static load, and leg openings;
• Stability, including tip overs and seat tilts; and
• Motion resistance for open base SACs.

The standard also includes requirements for warning labels and instructional literature.

SACs are subject to requirements for surface coatings, lead, small parts, testing and certification, registration cards, and tracking labels under the CPSIA. These requirements are discussed below and at: www.cpsc.gov/BusinessEducation:

• Surface Coating Limit: SACs must not be painted with paint (or any surface coating) that contains more than 90 ppm (0.009 percent) lead.
• Lead Content Limit: SACs must not contain greater than 100 ppm (0.01 percent) of total lead content in any accessible component part.
• Small Parts Ban: SACs must be tested for small parts. Small parts are banned in products intended for use by children under the age of 3.
• Testing and Certification: SACs, like all products that are designed or intended primarily for children 12 years of age or younger, must be tested by a CPSC-accepted, third party laboratory for compliance with the SAC standard (Effective December 18, 2019) and all other applicable children’s product safety rules. Based on that testing, a domestic manufacturer (or importer) of SACs must issue a Children's Product Certificate specifying each applicable rule and indicating that the product complies with those rules.
• Product and Outer Package Labeling Requirements: Durable infant or toddler products, such as SACs, must be permanently marked with specific labeling information, including tracking labels, on the product and on the packaging. 
• Product Registration Card Requirement: In addition, durable infant or toddler products are required to have additional product markings and a product registration card attached to the product. This chart summarizes the specific labeling and registration requirements that durable infant and toddler products must meet.

16 CFR § 1130.2(a) defines a durable infant or toddler product as a product intended for use, or that may be reasonably expected to be used, by children under the age of 5 years and is one of the following:

• Cribs (full size and non-full size)
• Toddler beds
• Highchairs, booster seats, and hook-on chairs
• Bath seats
• Gates and enclosures
• Play yards
• Stationary activity centers
• Infant carriers (soft infant and toddler carriers, hand-held infant carriers, sling carriers, and frame child carriers)
• Strollers
• Walkers
• Swings
• Bassinets and cradles (includes bedside sleepers and infant sleep products)
• Children’s folding chairs and children’s folding stools
• Baby changing products
• Infant bouncers
• Infant bathtubs
• Bed rails
• Crib mattresses

All durable infant or toddler products must meet certain children’s product safety requirements, such as lead in surface coatings, lead content, phthalate content (in certain circumstances), mandatory testing by a CPSC-accepted laboratory, certification, registration cards, and tracking labels and other markings.

In addition, durable infant or toddler products for which the Commission has issued final regulations must comply with additional performance requirements.

For more information, visit our durable infant or toddler products business guidance page.

To improve recall effectiveness, Congress has required that manufacturers and importers of durable infant or toddler products:

1. Provide consumers with a postage-paid product registration form (also known as registration cards) with each product;
2. Maintain a record of the names, addresses, e-mail addresses, and other contact information of consumers who register their products; and
3. Permanently place the manufacturer/importer, U.S. contact information, model name and number, and the date of manufacture on each durable infant or toddler product.

For more information, visit our registration forms business guidance page.

Yes. When the Commission adopts a new mandatory safety rule, it publishes the rule and its effective date in the Federal Register. Durable infant or toddler products must be tested and certified by that effective date. For durable infant or toddler products, the effective date has typically been set at six months after publication of the new rule in the Federal Register. Based on passing test results, manufacturers of importers of durable infant or toddler products must issue a Children’s Product Certificate (CPC). For more information, visit our CPC business guidance page.

This is commonly referred to as retrospective testing where testing to a standard was conducted prior to that standard being made mandatory. Such testing may be acceptable as the basis for certifying a product as compliant provided that certain guidelines are met. CPSC has provided an outline of some of the conditions previously required in the question "Does the CPSC accept testing performed before the effective date of a new mandatory standard for a children's product?" on our Initial Testing FAQ page.

The standards organization that issued the voluntary standard must provide notice to the Commission that the standard has been updated/revised. Thereafter, the updated/revised voluntary standard automatically will be considered to be the new mandatory children’s product safety rule 180 days after notification to the Commission by the standards organization unless the Commission takes additional action. If, after receiving notification of an update/revision to the standard, the Commission determines that the proposed revision(s) does not improve the safety of the consumer product covered by the standard within 90 days from the date of notification to it, and the Commission notifies the standards organization of its determination, the revisions to the voluntary standard do not take effect, and the applicable mandatory children’s product safety rule remains unchanged. The latest, Commission-accepted version of the voluntary standard that is mandatory is referenced within the CFR part that establishes a mandatory safety standard for the product.

SBO’s Business Education newsletter (check the box for “Business Education”) compiles Commission actions and provides summaries of updates on rulemaking and other activities. Commission rules are listed in the CFR.

Regulations.gov has a list of all rules open for comment. You can filter results by agency, whether it’s a rule or proposed rule, or even when the comment period ends.

Subscribing to CPSC’s Federal Register notices will send email notifications anytime CPSC posts requests for information pursuant to rulemaking, notices of proposed rulemaking, or final rules.

You can always contact the SBO directly for guidance on CPSC’s regulations. You can reach the SBO through their contact form, by phone toll-free at (888) 531-9070, or by email to SBO@cpsc.gov.

In order to improve recall effectiveness, Congress has required that manufacturers of covered products:

1. Provide consumers with a postage-paid registration form (also known as registration card) with each product;
2. Maintain a record of the names, addresses, e-mail addresses, and other contact information of consumers who register their products; and
3. Permanently place the manufacturer name and contact information, model name and number, and the date of manufacture on each durable infant or toddler product.

For more information, visit our registration form business guidance page.

Product registration cards are required for all durable infant and toddler products in order to enable the manufacturer or retailer of the product to contact consumers with recall or other safety information. The exact requirements for the postage-paid cards – the details of the text and the required format – are described in detail in the final rule, as corrected. More information on product registration cards is provided in the FAQs below.

The product registration card must be attached to the surface of the durable infant or toddler product so that the consumer will notice and handle the form after purchasing the product.

The product registration card has certain information already on it, such as the manufacturer's name and contact information, the model name and number (or other identifier), and the date of manufacture. The consumer provides his/her name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address.

The product registration card must provide an option for the consumer to register the product through the internet or via e-mail.

Firms must maintain a record of the names, addresses, e-mail addresses, and other contact information of consumers who register their ownership of a durable infant or toddler product. Firms must only use this information to notify the consumer of safety alerts or recalls regarding the product and are prohibited from using this information for marketing, promotional, or any other purpose.

The domestic manufacturer or importer must permanently place the firm’s name and contact information (U.S. address and phone number, toll-free if available), model name and number, and the date of manufacture on each durable infant or toddler product.

The rule applies to the following product categories: 

• Baby Changing Products
• Bassinets and Cradles
• Bedside Sleepers
• Booster Seats
• Carriages and Strollers
• Children’s Folding Chairs and Stools
• Crib Mattresses
• Cribs (Full-Size)
• Cribs (Non Full-Size)
• Frame Child Carriers
• Gates and Enclosures
• Hand-Held Infant Carriers
• High Chairs
• Infant Bath Seats
• Infant Bath Tubs
• Infant Bouncer Seats
• Infant Sleep Products
• Infant Swings
• Infant Walkers
• Play Yards
• Portable Bed Rails
• Portable Hook-On Chairs
• Sling Carriers
• Soft Infant and Toddler Carriers
• Stationary Activity Centers
• Toddler Beds

No.  A single product registration card attached to one of the principal components is sufficient. 

No. Accessories sold separately are not covered by the registration rule.

The domestic manufacturer or the importer (of foreign made products) is responsible for compliance.

Marking or labeling must be permanently affixed to the product.

Yes. Section 104(d) of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act states that the product registration rule, which contains these requirements for marking or labeling, is a consumer product safety rule. A consumer product that fails to comply with an applicable consumer product safety rule shall be refused admission per 15 U.S.C. § 2066(a)(1). Alternatively, the CPSC may request that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seize and forfeit the product under the Tariff Act.

If a product is not marked or labeled at the time of importation, it still may be physically entered into the United States, but it will not be deemed legally admissible into the United States until marking or labeling occurs.

The product can be entered into the United States for warehousing, and it can be marked or labeled in the warehouse before it is withdrawn for consumption. You can file a consumption entry with Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the product may be released conditionally by the CPSC and CBP under the CBP basic importation bond for the purposes of marking or labeling the product at the importer's premises or another location agreeable to the CPSC and CBP.

If an importer seeks to use these options to mark or label its product, the product is subject to an inspection by CPSC staff to verify that the newly affixed markings and labels satisfy the requirements.

The CPSC will notify the importer of the duration of the conditional release period on a case-by-case basis, although the typical timeframe will be 30 days. Individual circumstances concerning the type of product and the complexity of marking and labeling will be taken into account.

If a product is refused admission, it must be destroyed at the importer's expense or exported under government supervision. Failure to export or destroy the product will result in the assessment of liquidated damages against the importer, usually in an amount equal to three times the value of the product upon entry into the United States. Alternatively, the CPSC may request that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seize and forfeit the product under the Tariff Act.

If the importer did not make registration cards available, or failed to attach the registration cards to the products that are subject to the requirements, the importer may be held liable.

No. The importer may use a website established by others, or the importer may provide an e-mail address where consumers can send their registration information, but only if the importer lacks a website for consumers to register their products. If importers provide an e-mail address, the e-mail address must be set up to provide an automatic reply to confirm receipt of the consumer's information. Limited information is required for the consumer to submit the registration form.

Yes. If necessary, the importer is allowed to use the facilities and capabilities of a third party located in the United States for maintaining these records.

No. The primary requirement is to have a postage-paid registration form physically attached to the product. A website or email registration is a secondary requirement that does not replace the physical form requirement. Both requirements must be fulfilled to comply.