Other Guides
The BTHA produces other guides for full BTHA members covering a range of other toy safety issues. These relate to requirements for the UK, EU, and the US.
BTHA Age Labelling of Toys Guide
The BTHA has produced guidance outlining the common issues encountered when making age recommendations for toys. The guidance uses examples taken from EN71-1 as these are the most commonly encountered issues, but the principles apply to other toy standards which also contain age-based safety warnings.
BTHA Age Labelling of Toys Guide
Last updated: July 22, 2025
BTHA Food Imitations Guide
The UK Food Imitations (Safety) Regulations 1989 outline the requirements that all companies must meet when placing non-food items that look like food on the UK market. The guide has been developed with the British Retail Consortium, the BTHA Toy Retailer Safety Forum, and the Chartered Trading Standards Institute.
Last updated: May 1, 2024
BTHA Grey Area Product Decisions (Toy or Non-Toy) Guide
The BTHA’s Grey Area guide has been updated to reflect the fact that the UK is no longer part of the EU.
The BTHA’s Primary Authority, Milton Keynes has assured this guidance as Primary Authority Advice.
Any proposed enforcement action in the UK against any of the BTHA members within the ‘regulatory group’ that is inconsistent with this BTHA Primary Authority assured advice, will be ‘directed against’. This means that Milton Keynes Primary Authority may direct an enforcing authority not to take proposed enforcement action (thereby blocking the enforcement action) where such action is inconsistent with primary authority advice.
BTHA Grey Area Products Guide - Toys Vs Non Toys
Last updated: May 1, 2024
The Toy Gun Code
The law on toy guns changed in 2007 with the introduction of the Violent Crime Reduction Act to ensure toy guns could not be accidentally mistaken for real or replica guns.
The BTHA, alongside other toy associations, worked with the police to ensure toy guns, such as water pistols, are brightly coloured to avoid confusion with real or replica guns.
The only exception is toy guns that look like those produced before 1870 such as pirate or cowboy ‘guns’.
Last updated: May 1, 2024
US Federal Requirements For Toys
In the United States, there is toy safety legislation made at the federal level which applies to the whole of the US, and those made at the individual state level. Toy companies selling into the US need to consider both. The BTHA guide covers the federal requirements for toys intended for use in play by children under 14 years of age.
USA Federal requirements for toys
Last updated: May 1, 2024
EU General Product Safety Regulation – Guidance
Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on General Product Safety (GPSR) strengthens product safety requirements to ensure that all consumer products placed on the EU market are safe, particularly considering the growth of online sales and emerging technologies. The GPSR applies to all consumer products made available on the EU market, regardless of whether they are sold online or offline.
The guide is for GPSR and also covers  how it interacts with the Toy Safety Directive (TSD), addressing the common misconception that the GPSR overrides or duplicates requirements already covered by the TSD.
The BTHA has produced a fact sheet giving a summary of the requirements so members can prepare see here.
General Product Safety Regulation – BTHA Fact Sheet
Last updated: July 15, 2025
GPSR Recall Notice Document
GPSR Guidelines for the notification of dangerous consumer products – Recall Notice
GPSR Recall Notice Document – Fact Sheet
Last updated: March 18, 2025
