Which rules apply to dinosaur toys
- Dinosaur figures and play sets are toys: small-parts review (horns, tails, and legs after torque and tension), lead and phthalates in PVC and painted figures, and sharp-edge review on sculpted details.
- 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 the small-parts cylinder on horns, claws, and tails after use-and-abuse; lead in paint and substrate (detailed sculpts mean more painted surfaces); phthalates in soft vinyl figures; and sharp-edge review on sculpted ridges.
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
Do soft vinyl dinosaurs need phthalate testing?
Yes: soft plastic figures are the classic phthalate test subject. Hard ABS figures test lead and mechanical instead — material decides.
Are sculpted details a sharp-edge risk?
Sculpted ridges and teeth are reviewed with sharp-edge probes after drop testing — sculpt details can create edges the mold design missed.
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