Regulations last checked for updates: Nov 25, 2024

Title 16 - Commercial Practices last revised: Nov 20, 2024
§ 1272.1 -

This part applies to toy, look-alike, and imitation firearms (“devices”) having the appearance, shape, and/or configuration of a firearm and produced or manufactured and entered into commerce on or after May 5, 1989, including devices modelled on real firearms manufactured, designed, and produced since 1898. This part does not apply to:

(a) Non-firing collector replica antique firearms, which look authentic and may be a scale model but are not intended as toys modelled on real firearms designed, manufactured, and produced prior to 1898;

(b) Traditional B-B, paint-ball, or pellet-firing air guns that expel a projectile through the force of compressed air, compressed gas or mechanical spring action, or any combination thereof, as described in ASTM F589-85, Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Non-Powder Guns. ASTM F589-85, Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Non-Powder Guns, approved June 28, 1985, is incorporated by reference into this section with the approval of the Director of the Federal Register under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. This material is available for inspection at the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Contact CPSC at: Office of the Secretary, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814, telephone (301) 504-7479, email [email protected]. For information on the availability of this material at NARA, visit www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html or email [email protected]. A read-only copy of the standard is available for viewing on the ASTM website at www.astm.org/READINGLIBRARY/. You may obtain a copy from ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, P.O. Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959; telephone (610) 832-9585; www.astm.org.

(c) Decorative, ornamental, and miniature objects having the appearance, shape and/or configuration of a firearm, including those intended to be displayed on a desk or worn on bracelets, necklaces, key chains, and so on, provided that the objects measure no more than thirty-eight (38) millimeters in height by seventy (70) millimeters in length, the length measurement excluding any gun stock length measurement.

§ 1272.2 - Prohibitions.

No person shall manufacture, enter into commerce, ship, transport, or receive any toy, look-alike, or imitation firearm (“device”) covered by this part as set forth in § 1272.1 unless such device contains, or has affixed to it, one of the markings set forth in § 1272.3, or unless this prohibition has been waived by § 1272.4.

§ 1272.3 - Approved markings.

The following markings are approved by the Consumer Product Safety Commission:

(a) A blaze orange (AMS STD 595A-17 color 12199) or orange color brighter than that specified by the AMS standard color number, solid plug permanently affixed to the muzzle end of the barrel as an integral part of the entire device and recessed no more than 6 millimeters from the muzzle end of the barrel.

(b) A blaze orange (AMS STD 595A-17 color 12199) or orange color brighter than that specified by the AMS standard color number, marking permanently affixed to the exterior surface of the barrel, covering the circumference of the barrel from the muzzle end for a depth of at least 6 millimeters.

(c) Construction of the device entirely of transparent or translucent materials which permits unmistakable observation of the device's complete contents.

(d) Coloration of the entire exterior surface of the device in white, bright red, bright orange, bright yellow, bright green, bright blue, bright pink, or bright purple, either singly or as the predominant color in combination with other colors in any pattern.

(e) SAE AMS STD 595A-17, Colors Used in Government Procurement, approved February 10, 2017, is incorporated by reference into this section with the approval of the Director of the Federal Register under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. This material is available for inspection at the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Contact CPSC at: Office of the Secretary, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814, telephone (301) 504-7479, email [email protected]. For information on the availability of this material at NARA, visit www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html or email [email protected]. A read-only copy of the standard is available for viewing on the SAE website at https://www.sae.org/standards/reading-room. You may obtain a copy from SAE International, 400 Commonwealth Dr., Warrendale, PA 15096; telephone (888) 875-3976; www.sae.org.

§ 1272.4 - Waiver.

The prohibitions set forth in § 1272.2 may be waived for any toy, look-alike, or imitation firearm that will be used only in the theatrical, movie, or television industry. A request for such a waiver should be made, in writing, by email to [email protected] and by physical mail to U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Office of Compliance and Field Operations, Regulatory Enforcement Division, 7500 Lindbergh Dr., Unit-A, Gaithersburg, MD 20879-5413. The request must include a sworn affidavit which states that the toy, look-alike, or imitation firearm will be used only in the theatrical, movie, or television industry. A sample of the item must be included with the physically mailed request.

§ 1272.5 - Preemption.

In accordance with section 4(g) of the Federal Energy Management Improvement Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 5001(g)), the provisions of section 4(a) of that Act and the provisions of this part supersede any provision of State or local laws or ordinances which provides for markings or identification inconsistent with the provisions of section 4 of that Act or the provisions of this part.

authority: 15 U.S.C. 5001.
source: 88 FR 30228, May 11, 2023, unless otherwise noted.
cite as: 16 CFR 1272.2