The Consumer Product Safety Commission has jurisdiction over many types of consumer products, from coffee makers, to toys, to lawn mowers, to fireworks. However, some types of consumer products are covered by other Federal agencies either exclusively or concurrently. For example, automobiles, trucks, and motorcycles are under the jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation; food, drugs (except for child resistant-packaging for these products), and cosmetics are mainly covered by the Food and Drug Administration. As a resource for consumers, such product categories and related topics are presented below, along with links to the appropriate Federal agencies; some other Federal and state consumer links are provided as well. See a complete list of U.S. government agencies here: Federal Register: Agencies.
*Disclaimer: The following list is provided for educational purposes and should not be relied upon for legal determinations. Consult your attorney for business-related needs and jurisdictional determinations.
US Department of Transportation (DOT)
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
- Aircraft
- Airline services (ticketing, baggage, delays/cancellations, privacy, etc.) (Office of Aviation Consumer Protection)
- Service Animals on aircraft (Service Animals)
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
- Automobiles
- Trucks
- Motorcycles
- but CPSC authority covers off-road vehicles like ATVs, ROVs, etc. - Car Seats
- but CPSC may share jurisdiction over car seats.
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
- Roads
Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
- Mass transit
Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)
- Trains
US Coast Guard (USCG)
- Boats (Boating Safety | uscgboating.org)
- Personal flotation devices (life jackets)
- but CPSC may share jurisdiction over life jackets intended for use by children.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
- Advertising
- Business Practices
- Identity theft (IdentityTheft.gov)
- Fraud (ReportFraud.ftc.gov)
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
- Foods (with help from the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service)
- Cosmetics
- Drugs
- but CPSC authority covers child-resistant packaging - Vaccines, Blood, and Biologics
- Animal and Veterinary Products (including pet food)
- Medical Devices
- but CPSC may share jurisdiction over some hazardous substances and some products intended for use by children - Radiation-emitting Products
- Tobacco / Tobacco Products
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Pesticides
- Air quality
- Water sources
- Waste disposal
- Contamination and toxic cleanup
- Environmental justice
US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
- Medicine
- Public health
- Indian Health Service (IHS)
- Administration on Aging | ACL Administration for Community Living
- Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
- Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB)
- Administration for Children and Families (ACF) - Social services
- Health insurance
- Research
- National Institutes of Health (NIH) (List of Institutes and Centers)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (List of Institutes and Centers)
US Department of Labor (DOL)
Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)
- Industrial and Commercial Products that are not consumer products
- Workplace safety (with help from HHS/CDC/National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH))
- Labels on hazardous chemical products that are only for commercial or industrial use (Hazard Communication - Globally Harmonized System)
- Whistleblowers (The Whistleblower Protection Programs | whistleblowers.gov)
- Mine safety and health (Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA))
US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB)
- Industrial chemical accidents and spills
US Department of Justice
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
- Illicit drugs and controlled substances
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
- Firearms and ammunition
- but CPSC authority covers gun safes and gun locks, airsoft guns, toy guns, and imitation guns - Commercial Fireworks
- but CPSC covers consumer fireworks - Alcohol
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
- Counterfeits (with the US Department of Commerce, STOPfakes.gov)
- Intellectual Property rights (in partnership with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HIS) at The National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center — IPRCenter and the US Department of Commerce)
- Terrorism
- Cybercrime
- Counterintelligence
- Civil rights
- Public corruption
- Weapons of mass destruction
- Organized crime
- White-collar crime
- Violent crime
Civil Rights Division
- Americans with Disabilities Act enforcement
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
- Consumer financial products (such as loans, credit cards, bank accounts/services, debt collection, abusive or deceptive business practices, frauds, and scams, etc.)
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
- Stock markets and trading
- Corporation finance
- Investment management
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
- Communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable (includes wireless internet and Bluetooth® connections)
US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Federal Housing Administration (FHA)
- Home ownership
- Rental housing
- Multifamily dwellings
- Manufactured homes
- Hospital facilities
- Residential care facilities
Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA)
- Mortgages
Not all consumer issues are covered by federal authorities. In some instances, state and/or local governments may have relevant rules and regulations.
NON-FEDERAL
State and Local Governments
- Fixed Amusement Rides (Individual State Information)
- but CPSC authority covers mobile amusement rides - Restaurants
- Building codes (see this explanation of how building codes are created (Understanding Building Codes (NIST))
- Hotels and resorts
- Consumer affairs (see your state’s Attorney General’s division of consumer affairs)
- Stuffed Toy Licensing and Labeling Requirements (Stuffed Toys | pa.gov)
- but CPSC also regulates stuffed toys. - Toxics in Packaging (Toxics in Packaging | The Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse)
Plastic Bag Suffocation Warning Labels - Uniform Registration Numbers (URNs) (IABFLO - Uniform Registration Numbers)
- Cancer warning labels - California Proposition 65 (Proposition 65 – California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) | ca.gov)
US Government Recalls
- Recalls.gov