DatasetFrom gov.uk, checked weekly
UK product rules for online sellers, by product type
General safety, UKCA and CE marking, toys, cosmetics, electricals, batteries, WEEE take-back and packaging. Each rule links to the gov.uk or legislation.gov.uk page it comes from, with the date gov.uk last updated it and the date we last checked it.
Selling in Great Britain?Different rules to Northern Ireland.
01Start here
Great Britain and Northern Ireland follow different safety laws
In Great Britain, the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 still apply. In Northern Ireland, the EU General Product Safety Regulation 2023/988 has applied since 13 December 2024. Much of what ranks online for "GPSR" describes the EU rule, so check which market you sell into before acting on it.
- GBGeneral Product Safety Regulations 2005
- NIEU Regulation 2023/988, since 13 December 2024
- 60rules in this directory, from 21 official sources
02The directory
The rules by product type
Jump to a product type, or filter by a word such as battery, label or marketplace.
- General consumer products
- Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025
- UKCA and CE marking
- UK-based economic operator / Responsible Person for non-UK manufacturers
- Toys
- Cosmetics
- Electrical equipment
- Radio equipment
- Batteries
- WEEE
- Packaging EPR
- Product labelling and traceability
- Children's nightwear and furniture fire safety
- Button and coin batteries
| Topic | The rule | Who it applies to | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| General consumer products | Producers may only place a product on the GB market if it is a safe product. This is the baseline rule for consumer goods not covered by a more specific regime. | Great BritainManufacturerImporter | The General Product Safety Regulations 2005 · checked |
| General consumer products | A distributor, including a reseller, must take due care. It must not supply a product it knows, or should have presumed from the information it holds, is dangerous. | Great BritainDistributorOnline seller | The General Product Safety Regulations 2005 · checked |
| General consumer products | Producers must put measures in place to learn of product risks and act on them, which includes showing the producer's name and address and a product or batch reference on the product or packaging unless that is not reasonable. | Great BritainManufacturerImporter | The General Product Safety Regulations 2005 · checked |
| General consumer products | Anyone selling consumer products is told to keep records of who supplied each product so its origin can be traced, and must report safety risks to the manufacturer, supplier or Trading Standards. | Great BritainDistributorOnline seller | Product safety advice for businesses · gov.uk updated 2026-07-21 · checked |
| General consumer products | The 2005 Regulations remain the general product safety law in Great Britain. | Great BritainManufacturerImporterDistributorOnline seller | General product safety regulations: Northern Ireland · gov.uk updated 2025-11-04 · checked |
| General consumer products | Northern Ireland only: from 13 December 2024 the EU General Product Safety Regulation 2023/988 applies in Northern Ireland in place of the 2005 Regulations. | Northern IrelandManufacturerImporterDistributorOnline sellerMarketplace | Product safety advice for businesses · gov.uk updated 2026-07-21 · checked |
| General consumer products | Northern Ireland only: the NI guidance says obligations under the EU regulation reach authorised representatives, importers, distributors, fulfilment service providers and providers of online marketplaces. | Northern IrelandManufacturerImporterDistributorMarketplace | General product safety regulations: Northern Ireland · gov.uk updated 2025-11-04 · checked |
| General consumer products | Northern Ireland only: the EU regulation superseded the 2005 Regulations in Northern Ireland on 13 December 2024. | Northern IrelandManufacturerImporterDistributorOnline sellerMarketplace | General product safety regulations: Northern Ireland · gov.uk updated 2025-11-04 · checked |
| Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 | The Act lets ministers make product regulations that include requirements about marketing products through an online marketplace. It is an enabling Act, so the detailed duties depend on regulations made under it. | Great BritainMarketplace | Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 · checked |
| Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 | The Act covers persons who control access to, or the contents of, an online marketplace, so regulations could place duties on marketplace operators. | Great BritainMarketplace | Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 · checked |
| Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 | gov.uk says the Act's powers will be used to keep product law up to date and to ensure a level playing field between the high street and online marketplaces. | Great BritainMarketplaceOnline seller | Refining the law to better protect consumers · gov.uk updated 2026-04-08 · checked |
| Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 | Three consultations on the new framework, enforcement and upholstered furniture fire safety closed on 23 June 2026. Outcomes were not in the page fetched. | Great BritainManufacturerImporterDistributorOnline sellerMarketplace | Refining the law to better protect consumers · gov.uk updated 2026-04-08 · checked |
| UKCA and CE marking | GB continues to recognise the CE marking alongside or instead of UKCA for the Great Britain market under the 2024 amendment regulations. Businesses can pick either route. | Great BritainManufacturerImporter | Placing UKCA or CE marked products on the market in Great Britain · gov.uk updated 2026-08-21 · checked |
| UKCA and CE marking | A conformity marking is only needed where sector-specific regulations require one. Not every product must carry UKCA or CE. | Great BritainManufacturerImporter | Placing UKCA or CE marked products on the market in Great Britain · gov.uk updated 2026-08-21 · checked |
| UKCA and CE marking | Until 11pm on 31 December 2027 the UKCA marking can go on a label or accompanying document instead of the product itself, for most sectors. | Great BritainManufacturerImporter | Placing UKCA or CE marked products on the market in Great Britain · gov.uk updated 2026-08-21 · checked |
| UKCA and CE marking | Technical documentation must be kept for the period the legislation sets, typically 10 years from when each product was placed on the GB market. | Great BritainManufacturerImporter | Placing UKCA or CE marked products on the market in Great Britain · gov.uk updated 2026-08-21 · checked |
| UKCA and CE marking | Instructions that come with a product must be clear, legible and in easily understandable English. | Great BritainManufacturer | Placing UKCA or CE marked products on the market in Great Britain · gov.uk updated 2026-08-21 · checked |
| UKCA and CE marking | Northern Ireland only: under the Windsor Framework the relevant EU product rules apply and the route is CE marking, or CE and UKNI marking. | Northern IrelandManufacturerImporterDistributor | Placing CE, or CE and UKNI marked products on the market in Northern Ireland · gov.uk updated 2026-04-08 · checked |
| UK-based economic operator / Responsible Person for non-UK manufacturers | An importer for UKCA or CE purposes is established in the UK and brings in a product from outside the UK, so a non-UK manufacturer needs a UK-established importer or an authorised representative. | Great BritainImporter | Placing UKCA or CE marked products on the market in Great Britain · gov.uk updated 2026-08-21 · checked |
| UK-based economic operator / Responsible Person for non-UK manufacturers | An authorised representative must be established in the UK and is appointed in writing by the manufacturer to do agreed tasks. | Great BritainManufacturer | Placing UKCA or CE marked products on the market in Great Britain · gov.uk updated 2026-08-21 · checked |
| UK-based economic operator / Responsible Person for non-UK manufacturers | Manufacturers and importers must show their name, registered trade name or trademark and a postal address on the product. | Great BritainManufacturerImporter | Placing UKCA or CE marked products on the market in Great Britain · gov.uk updated 2026-08-21 · checked |
| UK-based economic operator / Responsible Person for non-UK manufacturers | A distributor or importer that sells a product under its own name or trademark takes on the manufacturer's responsibilities. | Great BritainImporterDistributorOnline seller | Placing UKCA or CE marked products on the market in Great Britain · gov.uk updated 2026-08-21 · checked |
| Toys | The manufacturer must ensure each toy carries a type, batch, serial or model number and the manufacturer's name or trade name and one contact address. | Great BritainManufacturer | The Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011 · checked |
| Toys | Warnings and safety information must be marked in English in a clearly visible and legible way on the toy, its packaging and instructions. | Great BritainManufacturerImporter | The Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011 · checked |
| Toys | A UK importer is defined as a person established in the UK that places a toy from outside the UK on the market, so a non-UK maker needs one to sell into GB. | Great BritainImporter | The Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011 · checked |
| Cosmetics | Every cosmetic product sold in GB must have a Responsible Person with a UK address. Mail forwarding and PO boxes do not count. | Great BritainManufacturerImporterDistributor | Making cosmetic products available to consumers in Great Britain · gov.uk updated 2021-10-04 · checked |
| Cosmetics | The Responsible Person can be the manufacturer, the importer, a distributor that labels the product as its own, or an appointed person. | Great BritainManufacturerImporterDistributorOnline seller | Submit a cosmetic product notification · gov.uk updated 2020-12-31 · checked |
| Cosmetics | Cosmetic products must be notified on the UK Submit Cosmetic Product Notifications service (SCPN) before they are made available in GB. | Great BritainManufacturerImporterDistributor | Submit a cosmetic product notification · gov.uk updated 2020-12-31 · checked |
| Cosmetics | The container and packaging must show the name and address of the Responsible Person. | Great BritainManufacturerImporterDistributor | Making cosmetic products available to consumers in Great Britain · gov.uk updated 2021-10-04 · checked |
| Cosmetics | A Product Information File, including a safety report by a qualified assessor, must be kept for 10 years after the last batch was made available. | Great BritainManufacturerImporterDistributor | Making cosmetic products available to consumers in Great Britain · gov.uk updated 2021-10-04 · checked |
| Cosmetics | Northern Ireland only: a separate process applies to placing cosmetic products on the market in Northern Ireland. | Northern IrelandManufacturerImporter | Submit a cosmetic product notification · gov.uk updated 2020-12-31 · checked |
| Electrical equipment | Electrical equipment must be marked with the manufacturer's name or trade mark and one postal address, or this goes on the packaging or a document if the product is too small. | Great BritainManufacturer | The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 · checked |
| Radio equipment | The Radio Equipment Regulations 2017 apply when placing radio equipment on the GB market. | Great BritainManufacturerImporterDistributor | Radio equipment regulations · gov.uk updated 2025-12-16 · checked |
| Radio equipment | Northern Ireland only: the Regulations were modified on 28 December 2024 by the Radio Equipment (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2024. | Northern IrelandManufacturerImporterDistributor | Radio equipment regulations · gov.uk updated 2025-12-16 · checked |
| Batteries | The first business in the UK chain to place batteries on the market, including batteries inside products, is the battery producer and carries the compliance duties if it has a UK presence. | Great BritainManufacturerImporter | Regulations: waste batteries · gov.uk updated 2021-01-01 · checked |
| Batteries | UK distributors and retailers selling or supplying more than 32 kg of batteries a year must offer a take-back service for waste portable batteries. | Great BritainDistributorOnline seller | Regulations: waste batteries · gov.uk updated 2021-01-01 · checked |
| Batteries | Portable battery producers placing more than 1 tonne a year on the market must join a Battery Compliance Scheme. | Great BritainManufacturerImporter | Regulations: waste batteries · gov.uk updated 2021-01-01 · checked |
| Batteries | Battery producers placing 1 tonne or less a year must register with the environmental regulator of the UK country where their registered office is. | Great BritainManufacturerImporter | Waste batteries: producer responsibility · gov.uk updated 2026-05-11 · checked |
| Batteries | A business placing products that contain batteries is still a battery producer even if the product is outside the WEEE Regulations. | Great BritainManufacturerImporter | Waste batteries: producer responsibility · gov.uk updated 2026-05-11 · checked |
| WEEE | All distributors, including online sellers, must offer free take-back of old WEEE from customers buying like-for-like products, in store, online or by mail order. | Great BritainDistributorOnline seller | Regulations: Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) · gov.uk updated 2025-08-12 · checked |
| WEEE | A business selling less than £100,000 of EEE a year, or selling only online, can join the Distributor Takeback Scheme instead of running its own take-back. | Great BritainDistributorOnline seller | Regulations: Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) · gov.uk updated 2025-08-12 · checked |
| WEEE | Online retailers must publish take-back information for customers on their website. | Great BritainOnline seller | Electrical waste: retailer and distributor responsibilities · gov.uk updated 2015-04-02 · checked |
| WEEE | The WEEE rules apply however the product is sold, including internet, mail order or telephone. | Great BritainDistributorOnline seller | Electrical waste: retailer and distributor responsibilities · gov.uk updated 2015-04-02 · checked |
| WEEE | The Distributor Takeback Scheme fee covers a seller's WEEE take-back duties until 31 December 2026. | Great BritainDistributorOnline seller | Electrical waste: retailer and distributor responsibilities · gov.uk updated 2015-04-02 · checked |
| WEEE | Operators of online marketplaces that place EEE on the UK market from non-UK suppliers, and non-UK sellers supplying UK end users by distance selling, count as producers. | Great BritainMarketplaceImporterOnline seller | Regulations: Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) · gov.uk updated 2025-08-12 · checked |
| WEEE | Producers placing under 5 tonnes of EEE a year can register directly with their regulator; above 5 tonnes they must join a producer compliance scheme. | Great BritainManufacturerImporter | Regulations: Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) · gov.uk updated 2025-08-12 · checked |
| WEEE | Distributors must keep a record of all WEEE taken back for at least four years. | Great BritainDistributorOnline seller | Regulations: Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) · gov.uk updated 2025-08-12 · checked |
| Packaging EPR | Owning an online marketplace where packaged goods are supplied in the UK from outside the UK counts as a packaging activity, which makes the owner a producer of packaging. | Great BritainMarketplace | Check if you must comply with EPR for packaging · gov.uk updated 2026-08-19 · checked |
| Packaging EPR | An obligated producer must be established in the UK, have supplied or imported more than 25 tonnes of packaging in the previous year and have annual worldwide turnover of £1 million or more. | Great BritainManufacturerImporterOnline sellerMarketplace | Check if you must comply with EPR for packaging · gov.uk updated 2026-08-19 · checked |
| Packaging EPR | Turnover test: annual worldwide turnover of £1 million or more. | Great BritainManufacturerImporterOnline sellerMarketplace | Check if you must comply with EPR for packaging · gov.uk updated 2026-08-19 · checked |
| Packaging EPR | Large producer: more than 50 tonnes and turnover above £2 million. Small producer: 25 to 50 tonnes from £1 million, or more than 50 tonnes between £1 million and £2 million. | Great BritainManufacturerImporterOnline sellerMarketplace | Check if you must comply with EPR for packaging · gov.uk updated 2026-08-19 · checked |
| Packaging EPR | Selling filled packaging to a consumer or business is a packaging activity, so sellers must count it in the threshold test. | Great BritainOnline seller | Check if you must comply with EPR for packaging · gov.uk updated 2026-08-19 · checked |
| Packaging EPR | Small producers must register, report packaging data every year and keep data for 7 years. | Great BritainManufacturerImporterOnline seller | Check if you must comply with EPR for packaging · gov.uk updated 2026-08-19 · checked |
| Product labelling and traceability | Food contact materials and articles must be traceable at every stage, and businesses need systems to identify who they bought from and sold to. | Great BritainManufacturerImporterDistributorOnline seller | Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 October 2004 on materials and articles intended to come into contact with food and repealing Directives 80/590/EEC and 89/109/EEC · checked |
| Product labelling and traceability | Materials not yet in contact with food must come with a food-contact indication or the glass-and-fork symbol, any special use instructions, and the maker or seller's name and address. | Great BritainManufacturerImporterDistributor | Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 October 2004 on materials and articles intended to come into contact with food and repealing Directives 80/590/EEC and 89/109/EEC · checked |
| Children's nightwear and furniture fire safety | Children's nightwear fabric must meet the flammability performance requirements, with labelling rules for items such as pyjamas and babies' garments. | Great BritainManufacturerImporterDistributor | The Nightwear (Safety) Regulations 1985 · checked |
| Children's nightwear and furniture fire safety | No one may supply nightwear that does not meet the Regulations. | Great BritainManufacturerImporterDistributorOnline seller | The Nightwear (Safety) Regulations 1985 · checked |
| Children's nightwear and furniture fire safety | gov.uk says the amendment regulations remove the requirement for manufacturers to fix a display label to new furniture products. | Great BritainManufacturerImporterDistributor | Furniture and furnishings fire safety regulations · gov.uk updated 2025-04-30 · checked |
| Button and coin batteries | gov.uk's button and coin battery guidance sets out best practice and introduces no new rules. | Great BritainManufacturerImporterDistributorOnline seller | Using button and coin batteries · gov.uk updated 2025-07-10 · checked |
| Button and coin batteries | For online sales, distributors are encouraged to show battery warnings in product descriptions or images before the buyer commits to purchase. | Great BritainDistributorOnline seller | Using button and coin batteries · gov.uk updated 2025-07-10 · checked |
Rules are summarised in our words. Each one links to its source, and the exact wording we checked is in the CSV and JSON downloads. This is a guide to the official sources, not legal advice.
03On Temu
Where this shows up in a Temu listing
Safety questions
Every Temu UK template asks whether the product has been placed on the EU or Northern Ireland market after 13 December 2024, and if so asks for a manufacturer, an EU responsible person and a batch or serial number.
Label photos
Templates have room for up to 45 photos of the packaging with its label showing, plus origin label photos. A clear name and address on the product helps here too.
Category details
Toys ask for an age group, electricals for battery and power details.
04Method
How we collect this
We read each source from our own server, through the GOV.UK Content API for guidance pages and from legislation.gov.uk for the regulations themselves. For every rule we store the exact sentence it rests on. Each week a checker reads every source again and records the date gov.uk says the page was last updated.
If the sentence is still there, the check date moves forward. If it has gone, the rule is flagged for one of us to reread the source and rewrite it by hand. Rules marked Northern Ireland apply there only.
Not covered yet: medical devices, food, vapes, chemicals and pesticides, and any regulations made under the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 after this date.
FAQQuick answers
Questions
Does GPSR apply to UK sellers?
In Great Britain the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 continue to apply. The EU General Product Safety Regulation 2023/988 applies in Northern Ireland from 13 December 2024, and to products you sell into the EU.
Do I need UKCA marking, or is CE enough?
Great Britain continues to recognise the CE marking alongside or in place of UKCA. A conformity marking is only needed where the rules for that product sector require one.
Do online sellers have to take back old electricals?
Yes. Distributors, including online sellers, must offer free take-back of old electrical items when a customer buys a like-for-like product. Sellers with under £100,000 of electrical sales a year, or online-only sellers, can join the Distributor Takeback Scheme instead.
Who needs a UK Responsible Person for cosmetics?
Every cosmetic product sold in Great Britain needs a Responsible Person with a UK address, and must be notified on the Submit Cosmetic Product Notifications service before it is sold.
Does packaging EPR apply to small online sellers?
Packaging producer duties apply to UK businesses that handled more than 25 tonnes of packaging in the previous year and have an annual turnover of £1 million or more. Below either figure, the obligations do not apply.
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