Washington, D.C. Now Enforcing Bedding Registration & Regulation

Effective August 1, 2023, Washington, D.C. will begin enforcing regulations aimed at manufacturers and retailers of stuffed articles.

Inspectors have already begun inspections in brick-and-mortar stores located in the Washington D.C. area, so manufacturers and retailers must take action now to stay compliant. We put together a quick guide to help you understand your requirements and how to avoid fines and violations.

What Are D.C.’s Regulations?

Washington, D.C. has announced that they will begin enforcement of Code of the District of Columbia, Title 8, Chapter 5 (Manufacture, Renovation, and Sale of Mattresses), effective August 1, 2023. 

These regulations require that manufacturers and retailers of mattresses be registered with their department for a license. 

What Stuffed Articles Will D.C. Regulate?

D.C.’s code only refers to mattresses, but their use of the term is very broad. “Mattress” is defined in their code more broadly as products that are “designed for use for sleeping or reclining purposes”. 

Our team has been in communication with D.C. and they provided a more comprehensive list of common products regulated by their agency, listed below.

Will D.C. Charge Registration Fees?

Yes, D.C. will charge registration fees for manufacturers and retailers of stuffed articles.

Note that retailers are not the same as importers. D.C. defines retailers as owners or managers of establishments where mattresses are stored, sold, or kept for sale. In short, the retailer is the organization making the product available directly to consumers.

Below are the fees for stuffed article manufacturers and retailers:

• Manufacturers — $476 registration fee
• Retailers — $34 registration fee
• Renewal period — every 2 years

Potential Future Regulations

In our conversations with D.C., they have disclosed that an amendment to their code is in progress that may include importer/distributor licensing requirements. 

This change in code will also expand their regulations to include online sales. However, this is not in effect at this time. We will notify you as soon as we receive word that D.C. has implemented this requirement.   

Support for GRS Customers

If you are a GRS customer who is subscribed to a Monitored Service or our Retail Compliance program, you have our full support for Washington, D.C. registration should you need it.

Monitored Services: License Management and Guaranteed Compliance 

Washington, D.C. has been added to all URN tables that have products selected that fall within Washington, D.C.’s regulations. 

Your company’s GRS account has been invoiced for the manufacturer license registration fees for each URN. Once payment is received, our team will register the URN(s) and add the new Washington, D.C. license(s) to your URN table(s) for continued management. 

Inspectors have begun inspections in brick-and-mortar stores located in the Washington, D.C. area, so we encourage you to pay this invoice as soon as possible. 

Monitored Services: GlobalTrak

In addition to the support you get as a GlobalTrak subscriber, GRS also offers registration service and is happy to facilitate Washington, D.C. registrations if needed. Please contact our New Registration Team for an invoice if you would like support with D.C. registration. 

Retail Compliance

If you are enrolled in Retail Compliance with one of our partnered retailers, the license requirement will not affect the URN status for testing until September 15, 2023. At that time, if the Washington, D.C. license has not been uploaded, the test labs will see a status of “Missing Data” for that URN. 

We will continue to provide updates regarding the changes to Washington, D.C.’s code as more information becomes available. As always, please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions you may have.