Regulatory overview

CPSC eFiling, in plain language

What a certificate must contain, how its data reaches CPSC at entry, and the dates that apply.

Last reviewed: 29 October 2026

Four parts of eFiling

How certificate data moves from your documents to the customs entry.

01 · Certificate content

What a General Certificate of Conformity (GCC) or Children’s Product Certificate (CPC) must say, set by 16 CFR part 1110.

Importer or manufacturer certifies

02 · Product Registry preparation

Organising that certificate data so it can be entered in CPSC’s Product Registry for reference filing.

We prepare · you enter and certify

03 · Broker handoff

Giving your customs broker the certificate details, or the Registry reference, needed for each entry.

We prepare · your broker uses it

04 · Electronic filing

Submitting certificate data with the entry in CBP’s ACE system, using CPSC’s PGA Message Set.

Importer, usually through its broker

Certificate content

A certificate identifies the product and states:

  • Identification of the product
  • Each safety rule the product is certified to
  • The certifier, and who keeps the test records
  • Date and place of manufacture
  • Date and place of testing, and the lab used
  • An attestation that the product complies

Two ways to file

  • Full PGA Message Set: all certificate data elements are submitted through ACE with each entry.
  • Reference PGA Message Set: certificate data is entered in advance in CPSC’s Product Registry, and a unique reference identifier is submitted with the entry.

Per the final rule, certificate data for products imported by international mail must be entered in the Product Registry before the shipment arrives.

Effective dates

  • 8 July 2026: eFiling effective for CPSC-regulated products that must be certified, except entries from foreign trade zones.
  • 8 January 2027: eFiling effective for products entered from a foreign trade zone for consumption or warehousing.

Dates checked on 29 October 2026 against the final rule published in the Federal Register (8 January 2025, document 2024-30826). Requirements can change; always confirm with CPSC.

Where we fit

We review certificate content against your source documents and prepare the Product Registry and broker handoff files (parts 01 to 03 above, for your review). We do not file (part 04), and we do not decide which rules apply to a product.

A plain-language orientation, not legal advice and not an official CPSC publication. eFiling Ready is not affiliated with CPSC or CBP.

Official sources