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Last reviewed: September 2026 · Copy link
Button battery requirements for kids’ products
What the rule requires
- Battery compartments must be secured: screws, threaded covers, or equivalent locking mechanisms that require a tool or coordinated dual actions to open.
- Warning text on the product itself and on packaging about ingestion hazards.
- Performance testing so the compartment survives foreseeable use and abuse.
How it fits with your CPC
The button battery rule is a product-safety rule like any other cited on your certificate, and toys citing it also cite the toy standard and the chemical rules where applicable. Keep the compartment design documented, because a redesign that weakens the latch is a re-testing trigger. The rule was named for Reese Hamsmith, whose death prompted it: this is a rule worth taking seriously.
Questions people ask
Does this apply to products with regular AA batteries?
The rule targets button cell and coin batteries specifically. Products with only cylindrical cells follow the general toy and battery safety rules instead.
My supplier says the compartment is already child-resistant. Is that enough?
Ask for the test report proving it: compliance testing to the battery compartment performance requirements, from a lab that can back the claim. Documentation is the difference between a claim and compliance.
Are the warnings standardized?
The rule specifies warning content and format for the product and packaging. Follow the rule text and confirm placement with your compliance reviewer.
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