What certifications does my product need? It depends on two things: what the product is and where you sell it. Electronics, children’s products, cosmetics, food-contact items and textiles each follow different rules in the US, the EU and the UK.
This guide answers “what certifications does my product need?” with a table by product type and market. It then explains each regime in plain terms and shows how to plan testing before production starts.
What Certifications Does My Product Need? Start With Two Questions
First, what is it? Note whether it has a battery or a radio, whether it is meant for children, and whether it touches food or skin. Second, where will you sell it? Together, these answers settle the question “what certifications does my product need”, and when each must be in place.
“Certification” also means different things. Some regimes need a third-party test. Others need the manufacturer to declare compliance. CE marking, for example, is the manufacturer’s declaration. It does not mean an EU authority has approved the product.
What Certifications Does My Product Need by Market?
| Product type | United States | European Union | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electronics | FCC authorization for radio frequency devices. UN38.3 for lithium batteries. | CE marking under the LVD, EMC or Radio Equipment Directive. RoHS. UN38.3 for lithium batteries. | UKCA or CE marking. UN38.3 for lithium batteries. |
| Toys and children’s products | Children’s Product Certificate based on third-party tests. | Toys: Toy Safety Directive and CE marking. | Toys: Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011, UKCA or CE. |
| Cosmetics | FDA facility registration and product listing. | EU responsible person, safety report, CPNP notification. | UK responsible person, SCPN notification. |
| Food-contact items | FDA-authorized food contact substances. | Regulation 1935/2004. Plastics: Regulation 10/2011. | The same two regulations as assimilated law in Great Britain. |
| Textiles | FTC fiber, origin and identity labels. Clothing flammability standard. | Fiber labeling under Regulation 1007/2011. | Fiber labeling under UK regulations. |
The table is a starting point. To answer what certifications does my product need for one specific item, find its row and read the matching section below.
Electronics
In the US, radio frequency devices must be authorized before they are marketed or imported. FCC rules set two procedures, Certification and Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity. Equipment approved through Certification must be tested by an FCC-recognized accredited laboratory. A Telecommunication Certification Body then issues the grant. Under Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity, a US-based responsible party keeps the test records and supplies a compliance information statement with the product. Lithium cells and batteries must be of a type that passed the UN38.3 tests. Under US transport rules, the manufacturer and later distributors must make a test summary available.
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In the EU, the Low Voltage, EMC and Radio Equipment Directives usually set the CE requirements for electronics. The RoHS Directive restricts ten hazardous substances in products with electrical or electronic parts. REACH can also apply to chemicals in your materials. Great Britain continues to recognize CE marking alongside UKCA.
Toys and Children’s Products
In the US, a children’s product is one designed or intended mainly for children aged 12 or younger. The importer or domestic manufacturer must issue a Children’s Product Certificate. It must rest on tests by a CPSC-accepted laboratory. Since July 8, 2026, importers of most regulated consumer products must file certificates electronically with US Customs and Border Protection.
In the EU, all toys must carry CE marking. The new Toy Safety Regulation (EU) 2025/2509 replaces the Directive from August 1, 2030. It will require a digital product passport for every toy. In Great Britain, toys can carry CE or UKCA marking.
Cosmetics
Under MoCRA, manufacturers and processors register their facilities with the FDA. The responsible person lists each marketed product and keeps records supporting its safety. The EU requires an EU-based responsible person, a product safety report and notification through the CPNP portal before sale. Great Britain requires a UK-based responsible person and notification through the SCPN service.
Food-Contact Items
In the US, the FDA authorizes food contact substances through its regulations and its notification program. In the EU, Regulation 1935/2004 says materials must not release substances into food at harmful levels. Plastics must also meet Regulation 10/2011, including migration limits and a declaration of compliance. Both regulations continue to apply in Great Britain as assimilated law.
Textiles
US textile labels must show fiber content, country of origin and the maker or dealer’s name or RN number. Clothing textiles also fall under the federal flammability standard in 16 CFR Part 1610. The EU sets fiber names and composition labeling in Regulation 1007/2011. Great Britain enforces fiber labeling through the Textile Products (Labelling and Fibre Composition) Regulations 2012.
How to Plan Testing Before Production
Once you have answered “what certifications does my product need?”, build the tests into your schedule.
- List every market at the design stage. Materials and components chosen for one market may fail in another.
- Test production-intent samples. A report covers the version that was tested. Later changes to parts or materials can mean retesting.
- Control the bill of materials. A substituted component can put a passed test out of date.
- Keep the documents together. Test reports, declarations and technical files should be ready before goods ship.
Our quality assurance guide covers the checks that run during production. Our quality assurance service checks production against the certified samples. For food-contact plastics, see our guide to food grade plastics.
Final Thoughts
What certifications does my product need is a question to answer before you lock the design. Start with the product type and target markets, then map the rules in the table above. Test early, on samples that match production. Settle the question “what certifications does my product need?” at the start, and testing is far less likely to hold up your first shipment.
Our electronics production package plans FCC, CE and UN38.3 testing alongside development rather than after it.
