Toy Safety Standards in the UK

Every toy sold in the UK has to meet a set of basic safety rules. These are set out in the Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011, which still form the main piece of toy safety law in Great Britain after Brexit. The rules cover how a toy is made, what it is made from, how it is labelled and how it behaves in normal use, including the kind of rough handling you would expect from a child.

Since 1 January 2023, toys placed on the market in Great Britain can carry either the UKCA marking or the CE marking. The UK government has extended acceptance of CE marked goods, and the current position is that CE marked toys can continue to be sold in Great Britain alongside UKCA marked ones, with the deadline pushed back more than once. Anyone selling or importing toys should check the latest position on GOV.UK rather than rely on a fixed date. Northern Ireland follows EU rules under the Windsor Framework, so toys sold there continue to use the CE marking.

What the CE and UKCA markings mean

Both marks show that the manufacturer has declared the toy meets the relevant safety requirements and that the supporting paperwork exists to back this up. They are aimed at enforcement bodies such as Trading Standards and the Office for Product Safety and Standards, not at parents directly. For a shopper, they are best treated as a minimum check: if a toy has no marking at all, you should avoid it. Without it, there is no easy way to tell whether the maker has followed the rules or tested the product against any recognised standard. Unmarked toys often turn up on online marketplaces from sellers based outside the UK, and these are the products most often pulled from sale after problems are found.

The BS EN 71 standard

The technical detail behind toy safety in the UK sits in the BS EN 71 series, which is one of the designated standards used to show compliance with the 2011 Regulations. It applies to anything intended for play by children under 14, and it also catches products that are not strictly toys but look enough like one that a child might treat them that way, such as some novelty items and decorations.

BS EN 71 is split into several parts. The main ones cover:

  • physical and mechanical properties, including small parts and choking risks
  • flammability
  • migration of certain chemical elements
  • swings, slides and similar activity toys
  • chemical toys other than experimental sets
  • graphical symbols for age warnings, such as the familiar "not suitable for children under three" symbol
  • finger paints
  • organic chemical compounds

Electrical toys sit outside the BS EN 71 series and are dealt with separately under BS EN IEC 62115, which sets safety rules for battery powered and mains powered toys. Tighter limits on chemicals also apply under the UK REACH regulation, covering substances such as phthalates in plastics and heavy metals in paint and coatings.

Age grading and warnings

Age grading is part of the safety system, not just marketing. A toy labelled as unsuitable for children under three is usually labelled that way because it contains small parts that could choke a younger child, not because an older child would necessarily get more out of it. The warning symbol and any written warning have to be clearly visible at the point of sale, including online listings.

Second hand toys and those bought through private sellers come with none of these guarantees. Check the toy yourself for loose parts, sharp edges, frayed cords and battery compartments that will not stay shut. Older toys may also predate current chemical limits, so be cautious with painted surfaces, soft plastics and anything that looks worn. It is also worth searching the Product Safety Database on GOV.UK to see whether the item has been recalled.

What happens when a toy fails the rules

Selling an unsafe toy is a criminal offence. Producers and importers can face fines and, in serious cases, imprisonment. A defence of due diligence is available if the business can show it took all reasonable steps, but that does not save the product itself. Unsafe toys are withdrawn from sale and, where needed, recalled from customers who have already bought them.

Recalls and safety alerts are published on the Product Safety Database run by the Office for Product Safety and Standards, available through GOV.UK. It is worth a quick search there if you are unsure about a particular product, especially one bought online.

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Items that sit outside toy safety law

Some items that look like toys are not legally classed as toys, including:

  • fashion jewellery aimed at children
  • Christmas decorations
  • sports equipment, as opposed to play versions of it
  • collectors' items clearly intended for adults
  • puzzles with more than 500 pieces

This sounds like a loophole, but in practice these products still have to be safe. They fall under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 and the Consumer Protection Act 1987, which set broader duties on anyone supplying goods to consumers in the UK. The rules on chemicals, flammability and electrical safety also apply in their own right, whatever the product is called.

Buying from online marketplaces

Most toy safety problems flagged in recent years have involved goods sold through online marketplaces by third party sellers, often shipped directly from outside the UK. The most common hazards include loose or unsecured small magnets, button batteries that are not held in by a screw or proper catch, excessive lead or cadmium in paint, and slime or putty products with high levels of boron.

When buying through a marketplace, stick to sellers who give a UK business address, check for the UKCA or CE marking on the product itself rather than just the listing, and be wary of toys priced well below the going rate for something similar from a known brand. If a listing has no warnings, no age grading and no maker's name, treat that as a reason not to buy.

If you think a toy is unsafe

If a toy has caused an injury, or you have a genuine concern that it does not meet the rules, report it as soon as you can. You can contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline, which passes reports on to Trading Standards, or report directly through GOV.UK. Keep the toy, the packaging and any proof of purchase, because Trading Standards may want to test it.

Serious incidents involving button batteries, strong magnets or any toy that has caused a child to need medical attention should be reported straight away. These are the categories regulators treat as highest priority, and quick reporting can stop the same product reaching another household.