US import compliance — certificate types
GCC requirements: which products need a General Certificate of Conformity
A General Certificate of Conformity (GCC) is the certificate for a general-use consumer product — anything not designed or intended mainly for children 12 and under. It has to cite the CPSC rules that apply, rest on a real test or a reasonable testing programme, and since 8 July 2026 its data must be filed electronically with CBP on every shipment.
The seven data elements on a GCC
The same seven elements as a CPC, and the same seven that get eFiled per entry line (16 CFR 1110). The difference is the testing that sits behind element 6:
- Product identity (a GTIN, UPC, SKU, model or serial number, with a description)
- Each CPSC rule the product is certified against, cited by number
- The date and place of manufacture
- The manufacturer or private labeler's name, address and contact details
- The date and place of testing
- The laboratory that performed the testing
- A point of contact with a name, address and contact details
Every category that takes a GCC
39 of the 80 CPSC rule categories on this site can require a General Certificate of Conformity. 13 of them switch to a CPC when the product is intended for children. Each entry links to the rule citations that apply.
Categories that can take a GCC or a CPC (13)
- All-terrain vehicles — GCC or CPC · 16 CFR part 1420
- Bicycle helmets — GCC or CPC · 16 CFR part 1203
- Bicycles — GCC or CPC · 16 CFR part 1512
- Button cell or coin battery — GCC or CPC · 15 U.S.C. § 2056e, 16 CFR § 1263.3, 16 CFR § 1263.4
- Clothing storage units — GCC or CPC · 16 CFR part 1261
- Dive sticks and other similar articles — GCC or CPC · 16 CFR § 1500.86(a)(7), 16 CFR § 1500.86(a)(8)
- Magnets — GCC or CPC · 16 CFR part 1262
- Mattresses and mattress pads — GCC or CPC · 16 CFR part 1632
- Mattresses and mattress sets — GCC or CPC · 16 CFR part 1633
- Paints and similar surface coatings containing lead — GCC or CPC · 16 CFR part 1303
- Toy, look-alike, and imitation firearms — GCC or CPC · 16 CFR part 1272
- Vinyl plastic film — GCC or CPC · 16 CFR part 1611
- Wearing apparel — GCC or CPC · 16 CFR part 1610
GCC only (26)
- Adult portable bed rail — 16 CFR part 1270
- Architectural glazing materials — 16 CFR part 1201
- Artificial emberizing materials — 16 CFR part 1305
- Bunk beds — 16 CFR part 1213
- Carpets and rugs (large) — 16 CFR part 1630
- Carpets and rugs (small) — 16 CFR part 1631
- CB antennas — 16 CFR part 1204
- Cellulose insulation — 16 CFR part 1209
- Cigarette lighters — 16 CFR part 1210
- Consumer patching compounds — 16 CFR part 1304
- Drywall — 15 U.S.C. § 2056c
- Fireworks — 16 CFR part 1507
- Garage door openers — 16 CFR part 1211
- Lawn darts — 16 CFR part 1306
- Liquid nicotine packaging (CNPPA) — 15 U.S.C. § 1472a
- Matchbooks — 16 CFR part 1202
- Metal-cored candlewicks — 16 CFR § 1500.17(a)(13)
- Multipurpose lighters — 16 CFR part 1212
- Portable fuel containers (flame mitigation device) — 16 CFR part 1461
- Portable fuel containers (special packaging) — 16 CFR part 1460
- Power lawn mowers (walk-behind) — 16 CFR part 1205
- Refrigerator doors — 16 CFR part 1750
- Refuse bins — 16 CFR part 1301
- Special packaging (PPPA) — 16 CFR part 1700
- Swimming pool slides (freestanding) — 16 CFR part 1207
- Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act Regulations — 16 CFR part 1450
What testing supports a GCC
No CPSC-accepted third-party laboratory is required. The certificate must be based on a test of the product, or on a reasonable testing programme the manufacturer documents and follows. In practice that means a real test report for the applicable rule — for a carpet, that is the flammability standard; for a cigarette lighter, the child-resistance requirements — held alongside the certificate for at least five years.
Where GCC paperwork usually fails
- The citation is missing. "Complies with all applicable CPSC standards" is not a citation. The rule number has to appear on the document.
- The wrong certificate type. A product sold to children needs a CPC, and a GCC issued for it does not cover it — this is the single most common failure we see on supplier paperwork.
- Nothing behind it. A certificate with no test report, no manufacturing date and no contact details cannot be eFiled and cannot answer an exam.
Not sure which tests your product actually needs? CPSC testing: what to test and what drives the cost → · Why no product is ever "CPSC certified" →
Frequently asked questions
What is a General Certificate of Conformity?
A GCC is the certificate of compliance for a general-use consumer product — one that is not designed or intended mainly for children 12 and under. It states that the product complies with each CPSC rule that applies to it, and it must be based on a test of the product or on a reasonable testing programme.
Do I need a CPSC-accepted laboratory for a GCC?
No. The mandatory third-party, CPSC-accepted laboratory requirement attaches to children's products and the CPC. A GCC can be supported by testing from any qualified laboratory, or by a documented reasonable testing programme run by the manufacturer. The certificate still has to rest on real test records.
Who issues the GCC?
The manufacturer or the importer. Where the product is imported, the importer is responsible for issuing the certificate. A supplier's 'certificate' that arrives as a blank template, or that cites no rule numbers, is not a GCC and will not stand up to an exam or a hold.
Does the GCC data have to be eFiled?
Yes. Since 8 July 2026 the certificate data for regulated products must be filed electronically with CBP through ACE on every shipment, with no exemption for low-value consignments — the de minimis threshold does not apply. Free trade zone entries phase in on 8 January 2027.
Rule data transcribed from CPSC.gov; not legal advice — review with a qualified compliance professional before filing. EntryReady is operated in Australia.