U.S. Safety Standards

Safety is the toy industry’s No. 1 priority.

From initial toy concept to final product for sale at retail, safety is built into every toy during every step of the production process. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission consistently ranks toys among the safest of 15 consumer product categories found in the home.

U.S. toymakers follow a mandatory set of safety rules and regulations under ASTM F963 – Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety, created under ASTM International. Since 1986, it’s been considered the gold standard in toy safety and is emulated around the globe. The Toy Association leads the multi-stakeholder committee that continually reviews the standard to ensure that it keeps pace with child development research, medical and toy-related incident data, risk assessment techniques, science, and manufacturing innovations. The standard was last revised in 2017.

Toy Association members are encouraged to join our Safety Standards & Technical Committee, which monitors activity on issues related to product safety, standards, and testing. To learn more, contact Joan Lawrence, senior vice president of standards and regulatory affairs or Alan Kaufman, senior vice president of technical affairs.

Information & resources

ASTM International is a globally recognized leader in the development and delivery of voluntary consensus standards. Today, over 12,000 ASTM standards are used globally. The toy industry adheres to ASTM F963. Visit ASTM.org

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is the U.S. government agency charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Visit CPSC.gov or SaferProducts.gov.

The Toy Association’s Safety Education Program is designed to provide participants with a detailed overview of the key state, federal, and international safety regulations and requirements impacting the toy industry.

The Toy Association offers its members issue briefs and guides on a number of important safety laws and regulations, including the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, and more. Visit the Issue Briefs and Guides page to learn more.

The Toy Association’s consumer website, PlaySafe.org, offers parents and caregivers tips for safe and fun play through every stage of a child’s life. The website includes a list of recently recalled products. Visit PlaySafe.org.