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Selling toys in Singapore

In Singapore, toys are general consumer goods under the Consumer Protection (Consumer Goods Safety Requirements) Regulations 2011, run by the Consumer Product Safety Office. There is no pre-market registration: a toy meets an applicable ISO, IEC, EN or ASTM standard plus CPSO limits on phthalates, and the CPSO can stop the sale of unsafe toys.

Updated · Each section links to the official source it comes from

Regulator
Consumer Product Safety Office (CPSO), overseen by CCS
Main text
Consumer Protection (Consumer Goods Safety Requirements) Regulations 2011
Toy standards
EN 71, ASTM F963 or ISO 8124; EN or IEC 62115 for electric toys
Before sale
No registration or approval; post-market surveillance
Phthalates
No more than 0.1% by mass of each listed phthalate
Toy
Designed or intended for play by children under 14

Before a product goes on sale

The questions to answer, in the order they usually come up.

  1. 1Is it a toy or childcare article under the CGSR? Read more
  2. 2Which ISO, IEC, EN or ASTM standard applies, and is there a test report against it? Read more
  3. 3Do plasticised parts meet the CPSO's phthalate limits? Read more
  4. 4Does it come with an AC adaptor or batteries that have their own rules? Read more
  5. 5What happens if a safety problem is found after sale? Read more

The rules, by area

What each area covers, the texts that set it, and what the official pages say.

Toys under the CGSR

How toys are regulated, and who answers for them.

  • The CGSR, in force since 1 April 2011, covers general consumer goods not under other regulations, including toys and children's products.
  • A toy is any product or material designed or intended for use in play by children under 14 years.
  • The CGSR relies on post-market surveillance; there is no requirement for pre-market testing, certification or approval by the CPSO.
  • In an investigation, the CPSO may ask for test reports and information showing that reasonable means were taken to meet the safety requirements.
  • Suppliers include manufacturers, importers, distributors, retailers and anyone who gives the product as a prize or gift for commercial purposes.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the test reports and supplier information behind each toy with the product, ready when the CPSO asks. Ask about this

Safety standards and phthalates

The standards a toy meets, and the CPSO's additional requirement.

  • Goods with an applicable ISO, IEC, EN or ASTM standard (Category 1) meet at least one such standard plus any additional CPSO requirements; others meet applicable regional or national standards.
  • The CPSO lists EN 71, ASTM F963 and ISO 8124 for toys such as balloons, balls, marbles, projectile toys and stuffed toys, and adds EN 62115 or IEC 62115 for electric toys.
  • Plasticised materials in toys and childcare articles must not contain more than 0.1% by mass of DEHP, DBP or BBP, each computed individually.
  • Plasticised materials that can be placed in the mouth, any part smaller than 5 cm in one dimension, must not contain more than 0.1% by mass of DINP, DIDP or DnOP, each individually.
  • The CPSO advises that a CE marking, being a supplier's declaration, is no assurance that a product has been tested to the relevant EN standard.
  • The CPSO has told suppliers not to supply children's toys that come with sharp needle syringes.

How we help: Upload a test report and Compliant Always reads it against the standard and the phthalate limits, and keeps it with the toy and the lot. Ask about this

AC adaptors and batteries

Parts of a toy that fall under other rules.

  • AC adaptors designed to supply power for applications including toys are Controlled Goods under the Consumer Protection (Safety Requirements) Regulations: tested, registered with the CPSO and marked with the SAFETY Mark before sale.
  • Batteries, including button cells, containing more than 0.0005% mercury by weight per cell may not be manufactured, imported or exported after 31 March 2018.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the adaptor's SAFETY Mark registration and the battery declarations with the toy they come with. Ask about this

Stop-sale and safety issues

What the CPSO can do, and what suppliers do when they find a problem.

  • The CPSO can stop the sale of unsafe goods and publicise them; once a good is publicised as unsafe, supplying it is not allowed.
  • The CPSO can also direct suppliers to inform users of the potential dangers of the goods.
  • Suppliers who learn that goods they sell are unsafe should stop selling them immediately and notify the CPSO.
  • Failing to follow a direction, or selling after a public notice, carries a fine of up to $2,000 or up to 12 months' imprisonment on first conviction, and up to $10,000 or two years after that.

How we help: Compliant Always ties each document to the batch it covers, so a question about one batch is answered from the record. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
Manufacturer or brandMeeting an applicable safety standard and the CPSO's additional requirements, with warnings where needed.Test reports and specifications kept with each toy.
ImporterSupplying only safe toys, and acting on a CPSO direction.Supplier test reports read and dated before the goods arrive.
Retailer or online sellerStopping sale and notifying the CPSO when a toy turns out to be unsafe.The documents behind each toy shown when a buyer or the CPSO asks.

Questions businesses ask

Do toys need to be registered in Singapore?
No. Toys are general consumer goods under the CGSR, which relies on post-market surveillance. There is no requirement for pre-market testing, certification or approval by the CPSO.
Which safety standard must a toy meet in Singapore?
At least one applicable ISO, IEC, EN or ASTM standard. The CPSO lists EN 71, ASTM F963 and ISO 8124 for toys, and EN 62115 or IEC 62115 for electric toys.
What are Singapore's phthalate limits for toys?
Plasticised materials must not contain more than 0.1% by mass of DEHP, DBP or BBP each; parts that can be placed in the mouth must also not exceed 0.1% of DINP, DIDP or DnOP each.
What counts as a toy in Singapore?
Any product or material designed or intended for use in play by children of less than 14 years.
Do I need a test report to sell toys?
Not before sale. But in an investigation the CPSO may ask for test reports and information showing reasonable means were taken to meet the safety requirements.
Is a CE mark enough for Singapore?
The CPSO notes that the CE marking is based on the supplier's declaration and is no assurance that a product has been tested to the relevant EN standard.
Does a toy's AC adaptor need the SAFETY Mark?
Yes. AC adaptors, including those designed to power toys, are Controlled Goods under the CPSR, and must be registered with the CPSO and carry the SAFETY Mark.
What happens if a toy is found to be unsafe?
The CPSO can direct suppliers to stop supplying it and inform users of the dangers, and can publicise it as unsafe. Selling it after that is an offence.
What should I do if I find a safety problem with a toy I sell?
Stop supplying it immediately and notify the CPSO.
How does Compliant Always help with selling in Singapore?
Our team reads the rules for the markets you sell in. Compliant Always shows which apply to your product, keeps the documents behind each one ready, and watches the sources for changes. It shows what the requirements say and what your documents show; you decide.

Sources

Compliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.

Tell us what you make, and we will show you the rules for it.

Name the product and the markets you sell in. We will come back to you with what applies in Singapore and what your paperwork needs to show.

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