How CertPrepy works

The workflow

1. 1

   1. Scope check (free)

   Choose a product type, say whether it is designed primarily for children 12 or younger, and optionally enter a 6-digit HTS subheading. You get the CPSC rules that likely apply, whether a GCC or a CPC fits, and whether testing by a CPSC-accepted lab is needed. The result is general information, not a determination. Run a scope check.
2. 2

   2. Upload the lab report

   Upload the PDF test report from your lab. CertPrepy extracts the certificate fields, such as lab, test date, standards tested and manufacturer. Extraction is a suggestion. You review and confirm every field before anything is used.
3. 3

   3. We check it against the Registry's rules and known traps

   Before you upload anything to the Registry we check the data for mistakes that cause errors or get records ignored:

   • A CPSC-accepted lab entered as type LAB instead of ITL, which means it is not recognized as an independent third-party lab.
   • Missing ASTM F963 section citations. For toys, each tested section is listed, not just the regulation.
   • Commas inside CSV values.
   • A Version ID reused after the Registry's editing window.
4. 4

   4. Export, certify, hand off

   You get the certificate PDF, a Registry CSV (or an API upload where available), and a broker packet. You upload to the Registry and someone at your company clicks Certify. Then you give your broker the Certifier ID, Product ID and Version ID for each product.

Sources: SGS: 11 questions to improve eFiling data management (October 2026); CPSC Product Registry FAQ; CPSC user guide for CSV upload (V3); CPSC eFiling Quick Start Guide

Who does what

The importer is the certifier for imported regulated products. The Registry does not communicate with CBP's ACE system, so the IDs have to be passed to the broker.

Sources: Federal Register: Certificates of Compliance (90 FR 1800); CPSC eFiling Quick Start Guide; CPSC: eFiling and the CPSC Product Registry

The three IDs

• Certifier ID: chosen by the importer when the Registry business account is created, up to 23 characters.
• Product ID: one of GTIN, SKU, UPC, model number, serial number, registered number or alternate ID.
• Version ID: unique per product. It is the ID that changes when the certificate is updated, for example after retesting.

Sources: CPSC eFiling Quick Start Guide; CPSC Product Registry FAQ

After you have your IDs

On Starter and Growth, CertPrepy keeps watching: recall matches against your products, alerts when a lab is withdrawn, and reminders for retests and expiring Registry API tokens. A retest creates a new version of the certificate, with a new Version ID for your broker.

The product boundary

CertPrepy stores and manages certificates in the Registry only through your own API token, and hands off the three IDs. It never:

• We never certify for you.

  You are the certifier. Someone at your company clicks Certify in the CPSC Product Registry. We never click it for you.

• We never build your per-entry CBP data.

  We do not choose which certificate goes on which invoice line. Your customs broker builds the entry.

• We never suggest tariff codes beyond 6 digits.

  Full classification is customs business. Your broker does it.

• We never file anything with CBP.

  The Registry does not talk to CBP's ACE system. You hand the three IDs to your broker.

• We never tell you your product complies.

  Our output is general information and a checklist of what to prepare. Whether a product meets the rules is for you, your lab and your attorney.

Why the line is here: CBP ruling HQ H350722 held that an unlicensed entity cannot decide what data appears on an entry, and that classification beyond 6 digits that may be used for an entry is customs business (CBP). 16 CFR 1110.15 lets certifiers use a third-party certificate platform, but they stay legally responsible (eCFR). Read more in the disclaimer.