Which CPSC rules apply to a bicycle helmet?
Which CPSC rules apply to a bicycle helmet, which certificate it needs, the citation codes to put on it, and how the data is eFiled at entry. From CPSC's own citation code list.
Last checked: 2026-09-22 · Source: CPSC eFiling citation code list CPSC and CPSC's certificate guidance CPSC · Licence: CC BY 4.0
A bicycle helmet needs a Children's Product Certificate if it is designed or intended primarily for children 12 and under, and a General Certificate of Conformity if it is general-use. The rules CPSC lists for it: 1203 (16 CFR 1203: Safety Standard for Bicycle Helmets). Sources (3)CPSCCPSC: eFiling Citation and Testing Exception Codes (Excel, Dec 2025)CPSCCPSC: Update on Certificates of Compliance and eFilingFederal Register: CertificatFederal Register: Certificates of Compliance, 90 FR 1800 (8 Jan 2025)
The citation codes
Every code below is one CPSC publishes in its own eFiling citation code list. The certificate names the codes the product was tested and certified to.
| Code | Regulation | When it applies | Testing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1203 | 16 CFR 1203: Safety Standard for Bicycle Helmets | Always, for this product type | — |
| 1278a | 15 USC 1278a: Total Lead Content for Children's Products | if a children's helmet | — |
What goes on the certificate
The certificate is CPC or GCC, depending on whether it is designed primarily for children 12 and under. It carries the seven data elements that get eFiled at entry: the product identified, each citation code above, date and place of manufacture, date of testing, the testing laboratory and a point of contact. How eFiling works sets out the two filing routes; the Product Registry guide covers storing the certificate once and referencing it.
For a bicycle helmet the laboratory must be one CPSC has accepted for this rule, not merely on the list. There are 737 accepted laboratories: check yours, and its scope, in the labs dataset.
CPSC flags HTS codes in its Bicycle Helmets category, 4 codes in all, which is how CBP knows to expect CPSC data on the entry line (flagged HTS dataset). A flagged code is a signal, not the test: the certificate obligation follows the product, not its classification.
What CPSC has actually recalled here
Since 2023, 1 CPSC recall notices carry this product type in their title, 1 of them for China-made goods (100.0%), covering about 215 units. The hazards cited most often: Fall / general injury (1).
Most recent
Matched on the words that name this product type, against the titles in CPSC's recall database, 3,374 notices from 2016-01-05 to 2026-09-17. Full dataset: recalls. A recall is an enforcement outcome, not a rule: it shows what has gone wrong with this product type before.
Limits of this page
- This is our mapping of CPSC's citation codes to a product type: the rules most likely to apply, not every rule that could. Materials, age grading and features change the answer.
- Tracking labels under CPSA section 14(a)(5) also apply to this product. They are a marking duty, not a citation code.
- Confirm against the regulation text and with your testing laboratory before you certify. Independent. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) or U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
How to cite this dataset
ComplyGoods, CPSC requirements for bicycle helmet, version 2026-09-22. https://complygoods.com/data/product-requirements/. Licensed CC BY 4.0.
Machine-readable twin for assistants: https://complygoods.com/data/product-requirements.md
Founder of ComplyGoods. Publishes open data on product-compliance regimes (also eprfrancerep.com and eprgermanyrep.com). Every figure here links to the government file or provider page it was read from.
Razvan Toma on LinkedIn ↗Importing consumer products into the US?
Certificate data is now filed with every entry. Check which CPSC rules your product falls under, then keep every product's certificate data complete, current and provable.