Mattress law tags and safety standards
A law tag is one of the few mattress documents written under rules rather than marketing. This shared page explains how to read the Uniform Law Label, decode the Uniform Registry Number, follow IABFLO state reciprocity and tag colors, and understand what the common mattress certificates actually cover.
How to read a mattress law tag
A new mattress usually carries two kinds of labels, and they come from different rules. Federal rules require a flammability label. State bedding laws require a separate law label that lists what is inside.
Federal labels. Under 16 CFR 1632, the federal cigarette ignition standard, each mattress must carry a permanent label with the month and year it was made and the location of the maker. Under 16 CFR 1633, the federal open-flame standard, the label must also name the maker and its full address, the model, a prototype number, and a statement that the mattress meets part 1633. For imported beds, it names the foreign maker and the importer.
State law labels. Filled bedding sold in the United States needs a special law label, and the rules are set state by state. In California, for example, the law label names the maker, its location, and the filling materials. Wording and format rules vary by state, so one state's tag is not a national standard.
- Find the registry number. The law label usually carries a registry number that points to the company that made the bed and where it made it. California lets shoppers look up that number to see who made the product. The next section explains how to read it.
- Read the filling list. The law label lists the filling materials by name. A California health study notes that the law label covers filling materials only, so fibers in the cover or inner sock may not appear there.
- Check for fiberglass by its real names. Look for the words "fiberglass", "glass fiber", or "glass filament" on any label or product page. Federal textile rules use "glass" as the name for a fiber made of glass, and California law defines textile fiberglass by its "continuous glass filaments". In the same California study, one of the two covers that held fiberglass did not disclose it on its labels, so a clean tag is a good sign, not a guarantee.
- Do not read "silica" as fiberglass. The word silica on its own is not a fiberglass name. Some fire barriers use a rayon fiber made with silica: one such fiber is 70 percent cellulose and 30 percent polysilicic acid, which is a different material from glass fiber. If a label says silica and you want to be sure, ask the brand in writing whether the bed contains any glass fiber.
- What the tag and seals do not cover. A certificate covers only what it names. CertiPUR-US certifies flexible polyurethane foam only, not the whole mattress. GOTS can certify a finished textile product, but only when every company that processed it is certified, so check which product the certificate names. Neither a tag nor a seal is a comfort rating, a durability rating, or proof that a bed suits a particular sleeper.
Decoding the Uniform Registry Number (URN)
The Uniform Registry Number (URN) lets a maker list a single state-issued registration number on the law label instead of one number for every state. The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food gives the example UT 12345 (SC).
- First two letters: the issuing state. The first two letters name the state that issued the number, such as UT for Utah.
- Middle: the registration number. This is the number that state gave the registered business. In Pennsylvania, a business with more than one location must register each location for its own number.
- Parentheses: where it was made. The letters in parentheses show the state or country of actual manufacture when it differs from the issuing state. Foreign plants use ISO 3166 country codes, with CD for Canada.
What the URN proves and does not prove
What it proves. In California, the registry number identifies the business that made the product and its location, and shoppers can look it up on the state bureau's website.
What it does not prove. The URN does not tell you what a mattress is made of, how it feels, or how long it will last. Material disclosure lives on the filling list, not in the registry number, and a valid URN is not a quality or safety rating on its own.
IABFLO reciprocity: which states accept which labeling
IABFLO, the International Association of Bedding and Furniture Law Officials, brings state officials and industry members together. According to IABFLO, 13 states and the City of Detroit require registration of bedding makers. Labeling rules still differ from state to state.
- One number, several registrations. A maker gets a URN from one of those states, then uses that number to register with the others. The number must stay current in the state that issued it.
- Registering is still required. The URN does not by itself allow sales everywhere. Utah tells makers to ask each state whether it has a labeling law and requires registration, then apply there with their existing URN. Pennsylvania, for example, accepts registry numbers from other states through reciprocity.
- Texas dropped out. Texas stopped requiring URNs on September 1, 2015.
Tag color classification: white, yellow, and red
Some states use label colors to show whether a product holds new or used filling. Each state sets its own colors, so the same color can mean different things in different states:
- White: new material. In Missouri, Pennsylvania, and California, a white law label means the product is made with new material. Missouri requires the words "ALL NEW MATERIAL".
- Yellow: secondhand or sanitized. In Missouri, a yellow label marks bedding made in whole or in part from secondhand materials. In Pennsylvania, it goes on secondhand or renovated items. In California, yellow is the color of a separate sanitization label.
- Red: secondhand material in California. California uses red law labels for products made with secondhand material, and green law labels for products made with the buyer's own material. A red tag does not mean a bed was seized or failed a fire test.
Certificate glossary
| Certificate or rule | Applies to | What it verifies |
|---|---|---|
| GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) | Textiles made with certified organic natural fibers, up to the finished product | Covers the textile supply chain from fiber processing to finished product, including chemical inputs, wastewater treatment, and social criteria. A product can be sold as GOTS certified only if every company that processed it is certified, so check which product the certificate names. |
| CertiPUR-US | Flexible polyurethane foam only | Certified foam is made without formaldehyde, ozone depleters, mercury, lead and other heavy metals, and without phthalates regulated by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. It is screened for flame retardants and other chemicals classed as carcinogens, mutagens, or reproductive toxins, and has low VOC (volatile organic compound) emissions. The program does not certify whole mattresses. |
| GREENGUARD Gold (UL) | Chemical emissions into indoor air | GREENGUARD certification uses testing standards such as UL 2818 to show a product has low chemical emissions. Gold sets lower VOC limits, is aimed at places like nurseries, schools, and healthcare settings, and requires compliance with California Section 01350. |
| OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 | Textiles and every component of them | Every thread, button, and accessory is tested against a list of over 1,000 harmful substances. Limits depend on intended use across four product classes. Class I, for babies and children up to 3, is the strictest, and it applies only when the item was certified in that class. You can check a certificate number with the OEKO-TEX Label Check. |
| 16 CFR 1632 | Federal cigarette ignition standard (required) | Lighted cigarettes are placed on the mattress surface and between two sheets. Each test spot passes if the char is no more than 2 inches in any direction from the cigarette. |
| 16 CFR 1633 | Federal open-flame standard (required) | A pair of propane burners sets the mattress set on fire. It passes if peak heat release stays at or below 200 kilowatts during the 30-minute test and total heat release stays at or below 15 megajoules in the first 10 minutes. Read more in our 16 CFR 1633 summary. |
| California AB 1059 (a law, not a certificate) | Textile fiberglass in mattresses sold in California | There is no "AB 1059 compliant" mark. The law, signed on October 8, 2023, bans making or selling new mattresses in California that contain textile fiberglass on and after January 1, 2027. It also covers juvenile products and upholstered furniture. |
Each certificate or rule in the table covers a specific, limited claim. Its description comes from the group that runs each program or from the rule text itself.
A glossary entry describes what a certificate or rule covers, not a blanket endorsement of the whole mattress. Read each mark together with the law tag and the filling list.