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Recall basicsGuide

How to Get Recall Alerts for Baby Products

Send in the registration card or register online, then add CPSC, NHTSA and FDA recall emails, so a recall on your crib, stroller or car seat reaches you.

By Baby Product Recalls editorial teamUpdated 3 min readHow we research

A metal U.S. Mail roadside mailbox with its red flag up

To get recall alerts for baby products, register each crib, stroller, high chair, swing or car seat with its maker, by the postage-paid card in the box or online. Then sign up for the agency lists: CPSC recall emails, NHTSA’s car seat alerts or SaferCar app, and the FDA list for formula. A registered owner can be contacted directly.

Registration is the only way a company knows how to reach you. A recall announcement only helps if you see it.

How does product registration work?

A metal U.S. Mail roadside mailbox with its red flag up

Federal rule 16 CFR Part 1130 requires the maker of every durable infant or toddler product to put a postage-paid registration card on it. The card is attached so that you “must notice and handle the form” after buying, and it must offer online registration too.

The top of the card is printed: “PRODUCT REGISTRATION FOR SAFETY ALERT OR RECALL ONLY.”

The rule covers cribs and toddler beds, high chairs and booster and hook-on chairs, bath seats and infant tubs, gates, play yards, activity centers, carriers and slings, strollers, walkers, swings, bassinets and cradles, bouncers, changing products, bed rails, crib mattresses, nursing pillows and infant support cushions.

What the rule says about your details:

  • What you give: name, address, phone and email, plus the product’s model name and number and date of manufacture. On the website form, phone and email are optional.
  • How it can be used: only to tell you about a recall or safety alert. The card must say the company will not sell, rent or share your information.
  • How long it is kept: at least six years after the date of manufacture.

The card also tells you to keep its top half, which repeats the model number and date. That half is useful later if the label on the product wears off; see where to find the model number.

Which recall lists should a parent sign up for?

Source What it covers How to sign up
Product registration Your exact product, direct from the maker Card in the box, or “Product Registration” on the maker’s site
CPSC recall emails Cribs, strollers, toys and most baby gear cpsc.gov/Newsroom/Subscribe
NHTSA Car seats and booster seats Email alerts, or the free SaferCar app, from nhtsa.gov/recalls
FDA Infant formula and baby food Sign-up link on the FDA recalls page

CPSC’s resellers guide says its email alerts “are updated at the end of each business day.” The agency lists cover every recall in their area, so expect many that do not apply to you. Registration is the one channel that is about your own product.

Why registration matters more for some recalls

CPSC uses a “Recall Alert” when a company can reach its buyers directly. Its guidance says that for a Recall Alert, the company must provide its end-user list and “be able to directly contact all end users.” In other words, some recalls are announced mainly by direct contact, and registered owners are the ones on that list.

Car seats follow the same logic. NHTSA says manufacturers notify registered owners by first-class mail within 60 days of notifying NHTSA of a recall decision. See how to register a car seat.

A simple routine

When a new product arrives

Photograph the label, register the product the same day, and file the top half of the card with the receipt. NHTSA’s advice for vehicles, tires and car seats is to register them and check recalls twice a year.

For products you already own, a one-time check covers the past: how to check a baby product for a recall. The section overview, how baby product recalls work, explains what each agency covers.

Frequently asked questions

Will registering my baby product get me marketing emails?

It should not. Under 16 CFR Part 1130, information you give on a durable baby product's registration card or registration page may be used only to contact you about a recall or safety alert, and the card must say the company will not sell, rent or share it.

I lost the registration card. Can I still register?

Yes. The rule requires the card to offer online registration, and the company's website must have a clearly marked Product Registration link. You will need the model name and number and the date of manufacture from the product's label.

Can I register a secondhand crib or stroller?

Usually, yes: the registration page asks for your contact details, the model name and number and the date of manufacture, not proof of purchase. Check the product for recalls first.

How long does a company keep my registration?

The rule requires makers of durable baby gear to keep registration records for at least six years after the product's date of manufacture.

Sources

  1. 16 CFR Part 1130: Requirements for Consumer Registration of Durable Infant or Toddler ProductsElectronic Code of Federal Regulations
  2. SubscriptionsU.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
  3. Resellers Guide to Selling Safer Products (Publication 254, February 2025)U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
  4. Car Seats and Booster Seats (Registration)National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  5. Check for Recalls: Vehicle, Car Seat, Tire, EquipmentNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  6. Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety AlertsU.S. Food and Drug Administration
  7. Recall Notification TypesU.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Filed under Recall basicsStart with How Baby Product Recalls Work in the U.S.

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How Baby Product Recalls Work in the U.S.

Who recalls cribs, car seats and formula, what a recall notice tells you, what a Recall Alert is, and where to check a baby product before you use it.