School uniform manufacturing: the safety rules for children's sizes
In the US, school uniforms designed for children aged 12 and under are children's products: they need third-party testing by a CPSC-accepted laboratory and a Children's Product Certificate from the importer, and hood and neck drawstrings are not allowed in sizes 2T to 12. In the EU, they must meet the General Product Safety Regulation, and EN 14682 is the standard for cords and drawstrings.
| Rule | Market | What it means for a school uniform |
|---|---|---|
| Children's Product Certificate | US | Issued by the US importer or domestic manufacturer, based on tests by a third-party CPSC-accepted laboratory, for products designed or intended primarily for children 12 and under |
| Electronic filing | US | From 8 July 2026, most regulated products need their certificates filed electronically with US Customs and Border Protection |
| Total lead content | US | No more than 100 ppm of lead in an accessible component, such as a button, zip or print |
| Drawstrings, 16 CFR 1120 | US | Hood and neck drawstrings on children's upper outerwear in sizes 2T to 12 are a substantial product hazard; waist and bottom drawstrings in sizes 2T to 16 are limited |
| General Product Safety Regulation, (EU) 2023/988 | EU | Applies to clothing since 13 December 2024: products placed on the EU market must be safe |
| EN 14682 | EU | The European standard on cords and drawstrings on children's clothing, up to age 14 |
Which school uniforms count as children's products
In the US, the test is who the garment is designed or intended for: primarily children aged 12 or younger. Polos, shirts, trousers and skirts in children's sizes for a primary school fall under it, so they carry the children's rules below.
What the US importer has to do
- Have the uniform tested by a third-party laboratory that the CPSC has accepted
- Issue a Children's Product Certificate based on those test results
- From 8 July 2026, file the certificate electronically with US Customs and Border Protection for most regulated products
- Keep every accessible component, such as buttons, zips and prints, within the 100 ppm total lead limit
Drawstrings: the rule that catches school hoodies
Hood and neck drawstrings on children's upper outerwear in sizes 2T to 12 are a substantial product hazard in the US. Waist and bottom drawstrings in sizes 2T to 16 may extend no more than 3 inches outside the channel when the garment is fully expanded, with no toggles or knots at the free ends, and a continuous drawstring must be bar-tacked. The simplest school hoodie or sweatshirt has no hood drawstring at all.
The EU: GPSR and EN 14682
In the EU, the General Product Safety Regulation, (EU) 2023/988, has applied to clothing since 13 December 2024. EN 14682 is the European standard on cords and drawstrings on children's clothing up to age 14; in 2011 the Commission decided that its 2007 edition met the general safety requirement of the directive the GPSR later replaced.
How we plan it into a school order
- We agree the test plan with you before production: the market, the laboratory and the components to test
- Children's sizes 2T to 12 for the US are designed without hood or neck drawstrings
- Buttons, zips and prints are chosen with the lead limit in mind
- The laboratory's report is what the importer's certificate is based on
Questions
Do school uniforms need a Children's Product Certificate?
In the US, yes, when they are designed or intended primarily for children aged 12 or younger. The certificate is based on tests by a third-party CPSC-accepted laboratory.
Who issues the Children's Product Certificate?
The US importer, or the domestic manufacturer for goods made in the US. For uniforms made in Egypt, that is normally the school's supplier or the brand importing them.
Can school hoodies have drawstrings?
Not at the hood or neck in children's sizes 2T to 12 for the US. Waist and bottom drawstrings are allowed within strict limits. In the EU, EN 14682 sets the rules for cords and drawstrings up to age 14.
What sizes do you make school uniforms in?
Children's sizes graded to your school's size chart, plus adult sizes S to 6XL for older students and staff.
Products in this guide
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission — Children's Product Certificate (CPC)
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission — Drawstrings in children's upper outerwear (16 CFR 1120)
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission — Total lead content
- Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety
- Commission Decision 2011/196/EU on EN 14682:2007, cords and drawstrings on children's clothing