Importer License Guide

If you want to print the importer’s name on a stuffed article label, you’ll need an importer license. 

In this brief guide, we will explore the benefits of importer licensing, the agencies that offer it, the different types of importer licensing, and how to conveniently store and manage your licenses with support from GRS.

What is Importer Licensing?

If a company is shipping, selling or importing products that were not made at their own facility, that company may be required to obtain importer licensing with up to 8 U.S. regulatory agencies, depending on the type of product.

In order to apply for an importer license, the factory that manufactures the stuffed article must already have an active manufacturer registration number. The URN must be registered with every agency that regulates the product type.

Keep in mind that applying for an importer license:

• Does not result in a new registration number for your product
• Does not make the product compliant on its own

Law Label Changes with Importer Licensing

Importer licensing allows the importer’s name to be printed on a stuffed article label instead of the manufacturer’s name. Here is how that information will be presented.

URN

As long as the manufacturing factory’s URN is not jointly held with another importer, you are allowed to print the manufacturer’s URN with the importer’s company’s name and address when you are properly registered as an importer.

MADE FOR / IMPORTED BY / DISTRIBUTED BY

Importer’s Name

Importer’s Address

MADE IN

The country of origin should still list the manufacturing location’s country.

Types of Importer Licenses

There are eight (8) regulatory agencies that require importer licensing, but there are different requirements for each license. Some agencies issue “blanket” licenses while others issue URN-specific licenses.

Keep in mind that licensing requirements are driven by product type, as each agency regulates different products. You might have to apply with some or all of the agencies below depending on your product type. 

Blanket Licenses

For “blanket” licenses, the importer only needs one license, no matter how many factories/URNs they work with.

Blanket importer licensing is offered by the following agencies:

• California

  • Cost: $750
  • Expiration Date: 2 years after issue

• Connecticut

  • Cost: $100
  • Expiration Date: April 30

• Massachusetts

  • Cost: $300
  • Expiration Date: 1 year after issue

• Ohio

  • Cost: $50
  • Expiration Date: 1 year after issue

• Utah

  • Cost: $105
  • Expiration Date: December 31  

URN-Specific Licenses

For URN-specific licenses, the importer needs a license for each factory/URN they work with.

URN-specific importer licensing is offered by the following agencies:

• Detroit, MI

  • Cost: $150 
  • Expiration Date: December 31

• Oklahoma

  • Cost: $5 
  • Expiration Date: June 30  

• Virginia

  • Cost: $100
  • Expiration Date: 1 year after issue 

Importer License Storage & Management with GRS

As an importer, it can be tricky to stay on top of your various importer licenses and their respective expiration dates. That’s why GRS offers a simple solution: uniform license tables for importer licenses.

License tables are a simple, automated tool that helps importers keep track of the compliance status of each of their products — and they are an exclusive benefit of working with GRS.

Perks of GRS Importer License Storage & Management

• GRS manages importer license renewals on your behalf
• Enjoy simple, unified billing instead of individual bills from each regulatory agency
• Easily add or cease renewal of URN-specific licenses if you change manufacturers
• See one simple table for blanket licenses, or individual tables for each URN-specific license sorted by factory

Importer License Storage & Management Pricing

Since license requirements are driven by product type, your product may need some of all of the licenses listed below.

GRS will help determine where your products are regulated to ensure you get the correct pricing for your necessary registrations.

Get Your Importer License with Support from GRS

Ready to apply for importer licensing? Applying is simple when you have support from the experts at GRS. Tap the button below to get started today.

Not sure if you need importer licensing? Need help registering for licenses you’re missing? Email us at newreg@globalrsinc.com for a free consultation. We can help you determine the specific registrations needed for your product to get fully compliant.

Already have importer licenses? Contact LM@globalrsinc.com to enroll your existing licenses in a GRS Monitored Service to get them added to your importer table.