What every toy inspection covers
Toys are tested once, at a lab, on samples, and then made in thousands. A toy inspection exists to close the gap between the tested sample and the bulk: the same wood or fabric, the same paint and lac colours, the same eyes and stuffing, the same labels. A toy that passed its lab test can still fail in the shop if the factory changed a paint supplier or tied eyes on with thread instead of washers. Every inspection covers:
- Quantity and assortment by item, colour and set against the purchase order.
- Conformity with the tested sample. Materials, colours, components and construction compared with the golden sample and the lab report's description.
- Safety screening. Sharp points and edges felt and examined; parts checked for looseness by hand; components small enough to choke on identified, especially on toys for under-3s.
- Workmanship. Splinters, rough sanding, paint runs and drips, open seams, stuffing leaks, uneven print.
- Function. Wheels turn, pull cords run, puzzle pieces fit, games have every piece.
- Markings and labels. Age grading, warnings in the right language, CE or UKCA marking, manufacturer and importer details, batch codes and US tracking labels on the toy and packaging.
- Contamination. On soft toys, a needle and metal policy at the factory and, where agreed, a check that every finished toy passed a metal detector.
Any safety finding on a toy is normally classed critical, and the usual acceptance number for critical defects is zero. See the AQL guide for how sample sizes work.
How the checklist changes by toy type
| Toy type | Main risk | What the inspector adds |
|---|---|---|
| Wooden and lacquered toys | Small parts coming off; lead in paint or lac colours | Splinters and edges, wheel and peg fixing, cord length on pull toys, moisture and mould, paint lots against the lab report |
| Soft and plush toys | Eyes or noses pulled off; seams opening and releasing stuffing | Eye and nose fixing, seam strength by hand, stuffing cleanliness, needle control, law labels |
| Educational toys, puzzles and games | Missing pieces; small parts without warnings; magnets and batteries | Piece count, print and die-cut quality, warnings for small parts, magnet and battery compartment checks |
One question comes before all of them: is it a toy? Under EU law, a product designed or intended, whether or not exclusively, for play by children under 14 is a toy. The Directive's Annex I lists products that are not, including decorative objects for festivities, folk and decorative dolls for collectors labelled for ages 14 and over, and puzzles with more than 500 pieces. A painted wooden animal sold in a gift shop may still be a toy. Agree the classification with your importer before testing, because it decides which rules apply. Christmas décor is covered on our festive decorations page.
Market rules for toys
| Market | Rule | What it requires |
|---|---|---|
| US | ASTM F963-23, mandatory under 16 CFR 1250 for toys made after 20 April 2024 | Mechanical, physical and chemical requirements and warnings. See ASTM F963 |
| US | CPSIA and CPSC rules: 100 ppm total lead, 90 ppm lead in paint (16 CFR 1303), phthalates in toys (16 CFR 1307), small parts for under-3s (16 CFR 1501) | Testing by a CPSC-accepted lab, a Children's Product Certificate from the importer, tracking labels on toy and packaging. See CPSIA and CPSC and CPSIA |
| EU | Toy Safety Directive 2009/48/EC, with EN 71 parts 1 to 3 as the usual route | CE marking, EC declaration of conformity, technical file, warnings in the sale language. See EN 71 |
| EU (from 2030) | Regulation (EU) 2025/2509 on the safety of toys, published 12 December 2025, applies from 1 August 2030 | Digital product passport in place of the declaration of conformity; bans on intentionally added PFAS and listed bisphenols |
| UK | Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011 | UKCA or CE marking accepted in Great Britain. See UKCA and CE |
| Canada | Toys Regulations (SOR/2011-17) under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act | Requirements for small parts, stuffing, magnets and flammability, among others |
An inspector can check marks, labels, warnings, construction and visible hazards, and can pull and seal samples for an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited lab through lab testing coordination. For US children's toys the lab must also be CPSC-accepted for the tests in question. The certificate and test reports are always the lab's and the importer's, never ours.
Where toys are made in India
India's toy exports are modest and spread across many factories. We name a place only where an official register supports it, and for toys that means four wooden toy traditions registered as Geographical Indications:
| GI (application number) | State | Registered |
|---|---|---|
| Channapatna Toys & Dolls (23) | Karnataka | Certificate 30 January 2006 |
| Kondapalli Bommallu (44) | Andhra Pradesh | Certificate 12 January 2006 |
| Varanasi Wooden Lacquerware & Toys (457) | Uttar Pradesh | Certificate 30 March 2015 |
| Etikoppaka Toys (482) | Andhra Pradesh | Certificate 24 October 2017 |
A GI protects the name and the craft; it says nothing about export volume or safety testing. We found no official cluster listing for soft toys or educational toys, so we do not name towns for those.
India exported toys (HS 9503) worth US$200.89 million in FY2025-26, up from US$169.46 million in FY2024-25. Non-electronic toys (HS 9503 00 20) were US$101.30 million, electronic toys (HS 9503 00 10) US$23.71 million and other toys (HS 9503 00 99) US$75.65 million (Department of Commerce, TradeStat; FY2025-26 provisional). The HS codes do not separate wooden, soft and educational toys.
Booking a toy inspection
Clear To Load is based in Jodhpur, with inspectors in Jaipur, Saharanpur, Moradabad, Delhi NCR and Kolkata, and covers every city in India. An inspection costs US$249 per man-day; travel to places outside our base cities, such as Channapatna or Kondapalli, is charged at actual cost. See pricing.
For toys, send us the lab reports, the approved golden sample, the age grade, the warning and label artwork for each market, and the tracking label format. The inspector checks bulk production against all of them. If the factory changes a paint, fabric or component after testing, ask for retesting before shipment; a during-production inspection is the point to catch that. The product pages below cover each toy type in detail.
Sources
- IP India GI Registry: Channapatna Toys & Dolls, application 23
- IP India GI Registry: Kondapalli Bommallu, application 44
- IP India GI Registry: Varanasi Wooden Lacquerware & Toys, application 457
- IP India GI Registry: Etikoppaka Toys, application 482
- Department of Commerce, TradeStat: commodity-wise exports (HS 9503, FY2025-26 provisional)
- 16 CFR Part 1250, Safety Standard Mandating ASTM F963 for Toys (eCFR)
- Directive 2009/48/EC on the safety of toys (EUR-Lex)
- Regulation (EU) 2025/2509 on the safety of toys (EUR-Lex)
- The Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011, SI 2011/1881 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Toys Regulations, SOR/2011-17 (Justice Laws Canada)