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Selling clothing, footwear and textiles in the US

In the US, textile products such as clothing, bedding and towels carry a label with fibre content, country of origin and the business's name or RN, in English, under FTC rules. Clothing carries care instructions. Clothing textiles meet the CPSC flammability standard, with stricter rules for children's sleepwear and mattresses, and children's clothing is a children's product.

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

Fibre content and origin
Textile Act rules, 16 CFR 303 (FTC)
Wool products
Wool Products Labeling Act, 16 CFR 300
Care labels
Care Labeling Rule, 16 CFR 423
Flammability
16 CFR 1610; children's sleepwear 1615 and 1616
Mattresses
16 CFR 1632 and 1633
Language
English

Before a product goes on sale

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

  1. 1Is the product covered by the Textile Act or the Wool Act? Read more
  2. 2Does the label show fibre content, country of origin and the name or RN? Read more
  3. 3Is it wearing apparel that needs a permanent care label, with evidence behind it? Read more
  4. 4Does the fabric meet the clothing flammability standard? Read more
  5. 5Is it children's sleepwear or a mattress, with its own flammability standard? Read more
  6. 6Is it a children's product, needing third party testing, a CPC and tracking labels? Read more

The rules, by area

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

Fibre content, origin and identity

The label the FTC's Textile Act rules call for.

  • Manufactured fibres are named by their generic name; a hang-tag that names a fibre without the full content says where the full fibre content is shown, according to the FTC.
  • Covered textile products include wearing apparel, handkerchiefs, scarves, bedding, curtains, tablecloths, floor coverings, towels, cushions, throws, sleeping bags, and fibres, yarns and fabrics; belts, shoe laces and coated fabrics are among the exclusions.
  • The label gives the generic names and percentages by weight of the fibres; fibres under 5 percent are shown as 'other fiber' unless they have a clear functional significance. Percentages may vary by up to 3 percent of total fibre weight.
  • Imported products are labelled with the country where they were processed or manufactured; products made in the US of US materials say 'Made in U.S.A.' or an equivalent, and products made in the US of imported materials say so.
  • Garments with a neck carry the country of origin on a label at the inside centre of the neck.
  • The label names the business or gives a registered identification number (RN), issued by the FTC to US businesses through rn.ftc.gov.
  • Wool products are labelled under the Wool Products Labeling Act instead of the Textile Act.

How we help: Compliant Always sets your sewn-in label and hang tag beside 16 CFR 303, and keeps the fibre test and origin evidence with each style. Ask about this

Care labelling

Instructions for regular care, and the evidence behind them.

  • Manufacturers and importers of textile wearing apparel and certain piece goods attach a permanent care label that can be seen or easily found at sale.
  • The label gives a washing or a drycleaning instruction, with water and drying temperatures, ironing, bleaching and warnings where they are needed, or says the product cannot be cleaned without harm.
  • The manufacturer or importer has a reasonable basis for the care information before sale, such as reliable evidence that the product was not harmed when cleaned as instructed.
  • Footwear, gloves and hats are outside the definition of textile wearing apparel; totally reversible items without pockets are exempt, but care information still goes on a hang tag or package.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the wash test behind each care label with the style, and checks the label wording against 16 CFR 423. Ask about this

Flammability

CPSC standards under the Flammable Fabrics Act.

  • Clothing textiles are tested and classed by burn time; Class 3 textiles burn rapidly and intensely, are dangerously flammable and may not be used for clothing.
  • Hats, gloves up to 14 inches, footwear and interlinings are outside the clothing standard; plain fabrics of 2.6 oz per sq yd or more, and fabrics made only of acrylic, modacrylic, nylon, olefin, polyester or wool, are exempt from testing to support guaranties.
  • Children's sleepwear in sizes 0 to 14 meets stricter vertical flame tests in 16 CFR 1615 and 1616; tight-fitting garments are excluded and carry a 'Wear Snug-fitting, Not Flame Resistant' label and hang tag.
  • Mattresses and mattress pads meet a cigarette ignition standard, and mattress sets an open-flame standard, before sale.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps flammability test reports by fabric and production unit, and shows which garments rely on an exemption. Ask about this

Children's clothing

Rules for clothing and textiles made for children.

  • Children's upper outerwear in sizes 2T to 16 with drawstrings that do not meet ASTM F1816-97 is deemed a substantial product hazard.
  • Products designed or intended primarily for children 12 and under are subject to the CPSIA lead content limits; paint and coatings on them are limited to 0.009 percent lead.
  • Children's products are tested by a CPSC-accepted third party laboratory and certified in a Children's Product Certificate, eFiled at import.
  • A children's product and its packaging carry permanent tracking marks, where practicable, with the maker, place and date of production and batch.

How we help: Compliant Always ties each children's style to its CPC, lab reports and batch marks, and shows when periodic testing is due. Ask about this

Records and guaranties

What a textile business keeps.

  • Textile manufacturers keep records of fibre content, the name or RN and the country of origin for at least three years, to trace the line from raw material to finished product.
  • A seller may receive a separate or continuing guaranty from its supplier on fibre content labelling, in the form 16 CFR 303 sets.
  • A business issuing a flammability guaranty runs a programme of reasonable and representative tests, at least one test, and keeps records of them.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps guaranties, test reports and label records by supplier and style, dated, and shows what is missing or expiring. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
ManufacturerThe fibre, origin and identity label, care label, flammability testing and records.Labels, tests and records kept together by style.
ImporterCare labels and the country of origin label, and for children's products the CPC.Overseas suppliers' reports and labels read before the goods ship.
Brand or retailerIts name or RN on the label, and guaranties from its suppliers.Supplier guaranties collected and checked by style.

Federal and state

Federal agencies set the national rules. States can add their own: California's Proposition 65, for example, can call for a warning on a product sold there.

Retailers and marketplaces often ask for more than the law does, such as test reports by lot or third party certificates.

Questions businesses ask

What must a clothing label show in the US?
Fibre content by generic name and percentage, the country of origin, and the business's name or RN, in English, plus a care label for wearing apparel.
What is an RN number?
A registered identification number issued by the FTC, through rn.ftc.gov, to qualified businesses in the US. It can be used on labels in place of the business name.
Where does the country of origin go on a shirt?
On a garment with a neck, on a label at the inside centre of the neck, midway between the shoulder seams or close to another label there.
How accurate must fibre percentages be?
Within 3 percent of the total fibre weight of the product, except where the product is said to be wholly one fibre.
Do clothes need care labels?
Yes. Textile wearing apparel carries a permanent care label with washing or drycleaning instructions, and the manufacturer or importer must have a reasonable basis for them.
Does footwear need a fibre or care label?
Footwear is outside the care label rule's definition of wearing apparel and outside the clothing flammability standard; children's footwear is still a children's product.
What flammability rules apply to clothing?
The Standard for the Flammability of Clothing Textiles, 16 CFR 1610. Textiles that burn rapidly and intensely (Class 3) may not be used for clothing.
What are the rules for children's sleepwear?
Sleepwear in sizes 0 to 14 meets the stricter standards in 16 CFR 1615 and 1616. Tight-fitting garments are excluded and carry a 'Wear Snug-fitting, Not Flame Resistant' label.
Are drawstrings allowed on children's jackets?
Children's upper outerwear in sizes 2T to 16 with drawstrings that do not meet ASTM F1816-97 is deemed a substantial product hazard.
How long are textile labelling records kept?
At least three years, showing fibre content, the name or RN and the country of origin.
Can a hang-tag name just one fibre?
Yes, if it also says the full fibre content is on the label, for example "See label for the product's full fiber content", according to the FTC's Textile and Wool Acts guidance.
How does Compliant Always help with selling in the US?
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 federal 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 the US and what your paperwork needs to show.

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