General Certificate of Conformity (GCC)

General Certificate of Conformity (GCC)

Manufacturers and importers of general use products (i.e., non-children’s products) for which consumer product safety rules apply, must certify, in a written General Certificate of Conformity (GCC) based on testing or a reasonable testing program, that their products comply with those applicable rules. Below on this page, CPSC provides two samples of GCCs for fictitious products, showing example layouts of the GCC's required elements; one for adult clothing and one for mattresses. These samples are illustrative and do not capture every possible consumer product safety rule that may apply to a consumer product. The GCC and supporting test reports must be in English.

Also see frequently asked questions (FAQs) about GCCs.

(Note: All manufacturers and importers of children’s products must certify those products in a written Children’s Product Certificate (CPC.) View a sample CPC.)

Elements Required in a GCC

1.     Identification of the product covered by this certificate:Describe the product(s) covered by this certification in enough detail to match the certificate to each product it covers and no others.

2.     Citation to each consumer product safety regulation to which this product is being certified:The certificate must identify separately each consumer product safety rule administered by the Commission that is applicable to the product.

3.     Identification of the U.S. importer or domestic manufacturer certifying compliance of the product:Provide the name, full mailing address, and telephone number of the importer or U.S. domestic manufacturer certifying the product.

4.     Contact information for the individual maintaining records of test results:Provide the name, full mailing address, e-mail address, and telephone number of the person maintaining test records in support of the certification.

5.     Date and place where this product was manufactured:For the date(s) when the product was manufactured, provide at least the month and year. For the place of manufacture provide at least the city (or administrative region) and country where the product was manufactured or finally assembled. If the same manufacturer operates more than one location in the same city, provide the street address of the factory.

6.     Provide the date(s) and place when the product was tested for compliance with the consumer product safety rule(s) cited above:Provide the location(s) of the testing and the date(s) of the test(s) or test report(s) on which certification is being based.

7.     Identification of any third party laboratory on whose testing the certificate depends:Generally, this section should be labeled “N/A” for a GCC because third party laboratory testing is not a requirement for non-children’s products. (It is only a requirement for children’s products and must be included in a CPC.) However, if a certifier voluntarily uses test results from a third party laboratory as the basis for issuing its GCC, the law requires that the certifier must then provide the name, full mailing address, and telephone number of the third party laboratory.

GCC may be used only for general use, or non-children’s products. Children’s products require a “children’s product certificate,” or CPC.

General Certificate of Conformity - Sample #1

(Available at www.chinos1.net/5aaTy)

1.     Identification of the product covered by this certificate:

Men’s chino pants model CH-123 (Sizes 28-36)

2.     Citation to each CPSC product safety regulation to which this product is being certified:

16 CFR Part 1610, Standard for the Flammability of Clothing Textiles.

In this example, the standard for flammability of clothing textiles is the only applicable requirement.

3.     Identification of the U.S. importer or domestic manufacturer certifying compliance of the product:

Chino Pants Importers
123 Fabric Way
Smithfield, IL 12345
(538) 763-0980 

4.     Contact information for the individual maintaining records of test results:

Bob Smith, Compliance Manager
Chino Pants Importers
123 Fabric Way
Smithfield, IL 12345
(538) 763-0987, bsmith@chinos1.net

5.     Date and place where this product was manufactured:

September 2011, Svay Rieng Province, Cambodia

6.     Date and place where this product was tested for compliance with the regulation(s) cited above:

N/A. Exempted from testing per 16 CFR § 1610(1)(d) 

In this example, the pants are exempt from testing because they are made from 100% plain surface cotton with a fabric weight of 2.6 ounces or more per square yard. See 16 CFR §§ 1610.1(c) and 1610.1(d)  for other exceptions and exemptions..

7.     Identification of an third party laboratory on whose testing the certificate depends:

N/A 

A GCC may be used only for general use, or non-children’s products. Children’s products require a “children’s product certificate,” or CPC.

General Certificate of Conformity - Sample #2

(Available at www.mattresssafety1.net/9aaITy)

1.     Identification of the product covered by this certificate:

Luxe Mattress Models #456, 789 (Queen, King)

2.     Citation to each CPSC product safety regulation to which this product is being certified:

16 CFR Part 1632, Standard for the Flammability of Mattresses and Mattress Pads

16 CFR Part 1633, Standard for the Flammability (Open Flame) of Mattress Sets

In this example, the two standards for mattress flammability are the only applicable requirements.

3.     Identification of the U.S. importer or domestic manufacturer certifying compliance of the product:

MattressSafety USA Importers
123 Good Sleep Way
Springfield, MA 12345
(549) 456-7890 

4.     Contact information for the individual maintaining records of test results:

Mary Smith, Compliance and Quality Control
MattressSafety USA Importers
123 Good Sleep Way
Springfield, MA 12345
(549) 456-7890 ext. 99, mary@mattressafety101.net

5.     Date and place where this product was manufactured:

May 2011, Guangzhou, China

6.     Date and place where this product was tested for compliance with the regulation(s) cited above:

June 2011
Guangzhou, China 

7.     Identification of an accredited laboratory accepted by the CPSC on whose testing the certificate depends:

Guangzhou Quality Labs
No. 023 Shi Nan Road
Dong Zhou, Pan Zi
Guangzhou City
Guangdong Province, China. 511453
+(86) 20 09 7723 5467 

In this example, while the mattresses were not required to be tested by a third party laboratory, the mattress manufacturer voluntarily chose to do so and must provide the information about that laboratory. If you do not use a third party laboratory, you may label this section “N/A.” If the mattresses being certified are for cribs or children’s size mattresses, please see the requirements for issuing a CPC.