Bedding and Upholstery/Stuffed Toys FAQs

If you're selling used mattresses, pillows, or padded furniture that belonged to someone else, you need to get a special number for selling these items. You also need to clean these items the right way.

After cleaning, put a yellow label on the item that tells people it's used but has been made clean and safe. Don't forget to write down what you cleaned, when you cleaned it, and who bought it.

Any business or organization conducting operations regulated by the Bedding and Upholstery Law and Regulations at different addresses/locations is required to register each location for their own registration number.

To apply for a Bedding and Upholstery registration number, you need to fill out the right form and submit it to our office as shown on the form. You must also pay the fee. The current forms and fees can be found on our website at https://www.dli.pa.gov/Individuals/Labor-Management-Relations/bois/Pages/Bedding-and-Upholstery.aspx.

To apply for a Stuffed Toy registration number, complete the Stuffed Toy form with its notarized form. Submit it to our office as specified on the form with the fee and a sample(s) of the toy item(s) being manufactured. The current forms and fees can be found on our website at https://www.dli.pa.gov/Individuals/Labor-Management-Relations/bois/Pages/Stuffed-Toys.aspx.

The Department allows importers to register with a manufacturer. But, they must do so for each factory they want to buy from. When applying in this way, the manufacturer linked to the registration number can only apply it to items made for that importer.

The other option for an importer is to help a factory get its own number. In this case, the manufacturer owns the number. They can apply it to items they make for anyone.

We usually take two weeks to process an application after we get a complete one with its fee and sample(s), if needed. But, the time depends on the volume of applications we get. We process all applications in the order we get them.

If you're applying under the Stuffed Toy Law, you need to submit a sample. This sample must match the product made by the listed manufacturing facility.

No sample is needed if you are registering a product under the Bedding and Upholstery Law.

• The registration lasts for one year and needs to be renewed every year.
• The Department of Labor & Industry will send a renewal certificate about two months before the current one expires. The certificate will be sent by email or mail, depending on the choice of the responsible person.
• The responsible person must renew the registration before it expires to stay certified.

The registration lasts for one year. It must be renewed yearly to stay current. If the registration should expire, the business or organization cannot sell any items covered by the Pennsylvania Bedding & Upholstery Law.

They cannot do so until the registration is renewed. In order to renew an expired registration, all unpaid past years’ renewal fees must be paid.

Pennsylvania accepts URN registrations from States that issue them. You still must submit the completed Pennsylvania bedding and upholstery application. You must also pay the fee. Also, you must include a copy of the other state’s registration certificate and the law label with the registration number.

Once the application is processed, you can use the other state’s registration number on PA products. But, the number must be kept current in both Pennsylvania and the state that issued it.

The registration number begins with the two-letter state abbreviation of the issuing state. The number will end with a two-letter abbreviation. This is for the state or country where the factory is.

Example: UT-#### (TX) - Utah issued this number for a Texas facility. For Stuffed Toy registrations, Pennsylvania does not accept them from other states.

All PA Stuffed Toy registration numbers will start with the letters "PA" and end with a string of numbers. The end will be a two-letter abbreviation for the place where the factory is.

Pennsylvania is reciprocal with Utah’s Sterilization Permit numbers. Pennsylvania will accept a Utah-issued sterilization permit number. But, the following must be submitted for review:

1. A completed Pennsylvania Sterilization Permit Application form and fee

2. A copy of the Utah Sterilization Permit Certificate

3. A copy of the Utah Sterilization Inspection Report

4. A copy of the Inspection’s test results

If you will be selling your bedding or upholstered or stuffed toy products in a state other than Pennsylvania, please visit the website for the International Association of Bedding and Furniture Law Officials for other states’ contact information: http://iabflo.org/Opens In A New Window

PA Bedding and Upholstery: For new and used bedding and upholstery, law label samples are at the end of the Pennsylvania Bedding and Upholstery Regulations.

You will need to contact a printer that specializes in law labels to have them made. We recommend you contact the other states that require registration. Do this where you will be selling your product. This is so your one law label meets all law label requirements there.

Pennsylvania Regulations regarding labeling requirements for Bedding and Upholstery.

For stuffed toy articles, a Pennsylvania Stuffed Toy law label has only two requirements. It must say "All New Material" and have your Pennsylvania Registration number from Stuffed Toy Regulation 47.315.

We recommend you contact the other states that require registration. You will be selling your product there. This will ensure your one law label complies with all their requirements.

Secondhand articles include any bedding or upholstered item that contains a filling material which has been previously used. This would include items that you can sit on, recline on, lay on, or cover up with. This does not include stuffed toys, clothing, or linens.

All secondhand dealers, auctioneers, renovators, and rental stores must be registered. They must be registered to sell secondhand items. Also, all bedding and upholstered furniture must be disinfected. Use an approved disinfectant, currently Steri-Fab or Microban. They must also have a yellow law label attached.

The label must state the registration number. It must also state the permit number of the individual or business that did the disinfecting.

There are two approved sprays for used items: SteriFab® and Microban® X-580 with Tracer. You can buy them from their distributors. Find these sellers on the companies' websites or ask for a distributor list. Properly stored, the sprays last a long time. But, it's best to contact the company about your specific product and storage.

We will use disinfection spray as recommended by the manufacturer. The Bedding & Upholstery Law mandates treating all surfaces. After applying the spray, items must stay in the isolation area for at least 30 minutes.

All businesses disinfecting items must keep a record. They need to follow the Bedding & Upholstery Law. After disinfecting, they must attach a yellow label. This label should be in a visible spot for consumers. It can be sewn, tacked, or pasted.

No, the only items that are required to be sprayed with the disinfection spray prior to being sold are secondhand bedding and upholstered items.

An auction house or secondhand store can sell items with our office's label. They don't need to re-spray or re-tag these items. However, if an item lacks this label, they must apply their own label before selling it.

Per Steri-Fab, this should only be possible with high usage or unless a high-speed vacuum is used on the product; therefore, it is very unlikely.

To get a copy of your certificate or invoice, request a duplicate from the Bedding and Upholstery Division. Include a check or money order for the fee. The division's address is below. You can check the fee schedule.

For new applications, payment must be in the form of a money order or a US funded check. The check must be drawn off of a US bank branch. Foreign checks, cash, credit cards, and electronic transfers are NOT acceptable forms of payment. The fee schedule is available here.

Online payments are now accepted to renew Secondhand Registration and Disinfection Permit certificates and Stuffed Toy Registration certificates. With your unpaid invoice in hand, click on this link to make your online payment: https://www.dli.pa.gov/Individuals/Labor-Management-Relations/bois/Pages/Online-Payments.aspx.

Bedding & Upholstery and Sterilization Permit holders CANNOT renew their certificates online at this time.

The list includes some known products. They are regulated by the Bedding and Upholstery Law and Regulations. This does not mean that if your product is not on the list, it does not need to meet the Law/Regulations.

A good gauge for a regulated item is anything you can sit on, lay on, recline on, or cover up with. It must also have hidden filling. The item may be covered in any material, like leather, pleather, plastic, or vinyl. If you don’t see your item listed and have a question on if registration, disinfection, or tagging is required, please contact the Department of Labor & Industry for help.

You may find an electronic copy of the Law and Regulations by clicking on the following links:

• Bedding and Upholstery Law
  
• Bedding and Upholstery Regulations
  
• Stuffed Toy Law
  
• Stuffed Toy Regulations

You may also request a paper copy of the Law and Regulations for Bedding and Upholstery or Stuffed Toys by contacting the Division of Bedding and Upholstery at:

Department of Labor & Industry
Division of Bedding and Upholstery
651 Boas Street, Room 1606
Harrisburg, PA 17121

Telephone: (717) 787-6848
Fax: (717) 787-6925
Email: BUTOYS@pa.gov