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Last reviewed: September 2026 · Copy link

CPC for back-to-school supplies

Back-to-school supplies designed or marketed to children 12 and under are children’s products: they need third-party testing at a CPSC-accepted laboratory and a Children’s Product Certificate citing lead, phthalate, LHAMA, and children’s-product rules, plus tracking labels on the product and packaging. The importer or US manufacturer issues the CPC — marketplaces can request it at any time.
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Which rules apply to back-to-school suppliesThe testing and certification path
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Which rules apply to back-to-school supplies

  • Back-to-school supplies — backpacks, lunch boxes, pencil cases, crayons, markers, erasers — are children’s products with a documented enforcement season: lead in printed artwork and metal components, phthalates in plasticized cases, and LHAMA labeling on art supplies.
  • CPSIA section 101 total lead content in accessible substrate materials.
  • 16 CFR part 1303 lead in paint and surface coatings where painted or coated.
  • CPSIA section 103 tracking labels: manufacturer, location, and date of manufacture on product and packaging.

The testing and certification path

Testing covers each supply type: lead in printed artwork and metal hardware (the classic school-supply finds), phthalates in plasticized pencil cases, and LHAMA review for art supplies. August is the enforcement and buying wave — certificates should exist before the season, not after the first request.

Book testing at a laboratory that is CPSC-accepted for each rule, issue the CPC in your own name citing the rules your report supports, and keep the certificate with its test report for at least five years. Marketplaces ask for the pair, not the certificate alone.

Questions people ask

Which school supplies fail most often?

Printed and coated items (pencil cases, printed metal clips) and imported crayons and markers — the lead and phthalate failures concentrate there.

Do I need separate certificates per supply?

One certificate can cover the set when testing represents each item; separate SKUs generally need their own certificates. Group honestly.

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