Then renewal time comes around for their Virginia importer license, the application gets rejected, and they’re left scrambling to figure out why. In many cases, the culprit isn’t something they filed incorrectly. It’s a connected license they didn’t realize was required to be active, managed by someone else, that had lapsed without anyone noticing.

It’s a genuinely frustrating situation, and it happens more often than most people in this industry expect. If you’re registered with us but manage some or all of your URN licenses independently, there are gaps in the renewal process that can cost you time, money, and your compliance standing.

Today, we’ll walk you through what those gaps look like, why Virginia is a particularly useful example of where things can go sideways, and how bringing your license management under GRS closes those gaps entirely.

A Quick Primer on How URN Licensing Works

If you’re importing stuffed articles — pillows, mattresses, furniture, bedding, and similar products — into the United States, you’re required to have a Uniform Registry Number, or URN. That URN is tied to licenses issued by individual states, and those licenses need to be renewed on an ongoing basis to keep your products legally sellable.

There are different types of URN licenses depending on your role in the supply chain. An issuing license is held by the entity that registers and issues the URN, typically a manufacturer. 

An importer license is what companies bringing finished stuffed articles into the U.S. need in order to sell those products. In some states, these two license types are linked, meaning one has to be active before the other can be renewed. That’s where managing licenses independently starts to get complicated.

What It Means to Manage Licenses Outside of GRS

When a license isn’t under GRS management, it means one of two things:

1. You’re renewing directly with the states yourself
2. You’re working with another service to handle it

In either case, we don’t have access to those licenses through the states; we can only see what’s been uploaded to your account.

When a license isn’t under our management, we don’t receive renewal notices for it, we don’t control the deadlines, and we can’t act on your behalf with the state when something comes up. That distinction carries a lot more weight than it might seem at first glance, especially when renewal requirements in certain states depend on the status of licenses we can’t see or control.

Why Virginia Is a Clear Example of Where Things Can Go Wrong

Virginia has specific renewal requirements that make it one of the more challenging states to navigate when licenses aren’t all under one management umbrella.

To renew a Virginia importer license, two conditions have to be met simultaneously:

• The URN issuing license tied to that importer must be active, and a copy must accompany the renewal application
• The Virginia manufacturer’s license (VA MFG) linked to that URN must also be active, even though a physical copy of it isn’t required to be submitted with the paperwork

Here’s what that looks like in practice. Say GRS is renewing a Virginia importer license for URN UT1234CN, and the importer has previously provided a copy of their active Utah issuing license, which is on file. We can submit the VA IMP renewal with that Utah issuing license included but if the Virginia manufacturer’s license tied to that URN has lapsed and we don’t have visibility into it, the renewal application will be rejected.

That’s the main issue. When we’re not managing the VA MFG license, we don’t automatically know whether it’s been renewed, which means we’re submitting renewal paperwork without being able to confirm that one of the conditions for approval is actually met. 

If that connected license isn’t active, the renewal gets kicked back. And from there, you’re looking at delays, potential late fees, and the additional work of correcting and resubmitting everything from scratch.

Virginia is one of the clearest illustrations of how a gap in management can turn a routine renewal into a genuinely complicated situation.

The Broader Risks of Self-Managing URN Licenses

The Virginia scenario is specific, but the underlying risks of managing licenses outside of GRS extend well beyond any one state.

When GRS isn’t handling your renewals, a range of issues can surface depending on the circumstances:

• Delayed renewals — without our automated notification system and a dedicated team tracking your deadlines, renewal windows can slip by before anyone catches them
• Lapsed licenses — a missed renewal can mean your products are no longer legally sellable in certain states until the license is reinstated
• Rejected applications — as with the Virginia example, missing or inactive connected licenses can cause renewal submissions to be turned away entirely
• Late fees — most states charge penalties for renewals submitted after the deadline, and those costs accumulate quickly across multiple licenses
• New registration instead of renewal — in some cases, a lapsed license can’t simply be renewed and has to be treated as a brand-new registration, which takes more time and costs more money
• Potential violation fees — if your products are on retail shelves while a license is lapsed, you’re at risk of in-store violations and the fines that come with them

When GRS is managing your licenses, our team sends out multiple communications to collect sales data and invoice payments well ahead of due dates, so deadlines don’t sneak up on anyone. And if a late fee or violation occurs as a result of an error on our end, we cover it — that’s part of what the Guaranteed Compliance plan is built around.

The Simplest Fix: Letting GRS Take Over Management

Not to put too fine a point on it, but the most straightforward solution is transferring management of your URN licenses to GRS.

Once we’re managing your licenses, we gain direct access to the state information, receive renewal notices on your behalf, and have full visibility and control over the renewal timeline. The disconnects that create situations like the Virginia rejection scenario don’t exist when everything is under one roof.

If transferring full management isn’t something you’re ready to do right now, there are a few steps you can take to reduce your risk in the meantime:

• Upload your URN issuing license to your importer table in your GRS account. There’s a dedicated slot for it, and having it on file means we can reference it when renewal time comes around
• Provide copies of any connected licenses, including your Virginia manufacturer’s license if that applies to your situation so our team isn’t working without key information when we submit your renewal paperwork
• Stay responsive when our team reaches out. When we contact you for information ahead of a renewal deadline, prompt communication makes a significant difference in keeping everything on track

These steps reduce the risk meaningfully, but they’re a workaround rather than a real solution. When something changes with a connected license and we don’t hear about it in time, the same gaps can still open up. The cleaner path is having GRS manage the licenses directly so those gaps don’t exist in the first place.

What GRS License Management Looks Like

GRS offers three tiers of Monitored Services, each designed to give you a different level of support depending on what your business needs. The two higher tiers — License Management and Guaranteed Compliance — are where our team manages the entire renewal coordination process for you.

With either of those plans, GRS receives renewal notices directly from the states, submits your paperwork and payments on your behalf, and acts as your in-house liaison with state officials if anything needs to be addressed or corrected.

With the Guaranteed Compliance plan, GRS also takes on financial responsibility for any penalties or violations that result from errors on our end, including late fees. It’s the most comprehensive option available, and it’s the one that removes the most risk from your plate entirely.

If you’ve been managing your licenses independently and you’re not sure whether your renewal process has any of the gaps described in this post, it’s worth taking a closer look before your next renewal cycle comes around, especially if you’re holding a Virginia importer license or any other license with state-specific dependencies.

Learn more about our monitored services!

Bringing It All Together

Managing your own URN manufacturer licenses creates real gaps in the renewal process that can affect your compliance standing, trigger unexpected fees, and put your products at risk of being pulled from retail shelves. States like Virginia make those gaps especially visible, because their renewal requirements depend on the status of connected licenses that GRS can’t see or act on unless we’re managing them.

Bringing your licenses under GRS management closes those gaps without adding to your costs, and it means you’ve got a dedicated team tracking your deadlines, handling your paperwork, and making sure nothing falls through the cracks so you can put your attention on running your business rather than worrying about whether your next renewal is going to come back rejected.

If you’ve got questions about your current setup or you’d like to explore what management would look like for your specific licenses, we’re happy to help!

Between the roundtables and reconnections, a few specific compliance questions kept coming up again and again. Two of them — North Carolina’s rules around uncovered foam products like yoga mats, and Pennsylvania’s classification of keychain stuffed toys — are worth addressing directly, because if you were asking those questions at the conference, you’re probably not alone.

Here’s a breakdown of what we heard, what the answers are, and a few reflections from GRS’s Vice President, Deven Wisner, on what this year’s conference meant to him.

North Carolina, Uncovered Foam & Yoga Mats

One of the most frequent topics our operations manager, Paige Wellman, fielded at this year’s conference was North Carolina’s rules around uncovered foam products and specifically, how yoga mats fit into that picture.

North Carolina regulates bedding and upholstered furniture products, and the question of what qualifies — and what doesn’t — trips up a lot of manufacturers. Uncovered foam is a category that requires careful attention. Whether a product like a yoga mat falls under NC’s regulatory umbrella depends on how it’s classified, how it’s marketed, and the specific materials involved.

This isn’t a new area of confusion. We’ve written about North Carolina’s product regulation landscape before, and the state has been working through some clarifications of its own. Our post on North Carolina product regulation clarification and expected account changes is a good starting point if you’re trying to get your bearings. 

If you sell foam-based products and aren’t sure whether you need a North Carolina license, this is exactly the kind of question our compliance specialists handle every day. GRS’s monitored services are designed to keep manufacturers ahead of these kinds of state-specific changes, so nothing slips through the cracks.

Pennsylvania’s “Keychain" Question And Why Classification Matters

The other topic that generated serious buzz? Pennsylvania’s classification of stuffed toys and specifically, whether items marketed as keychains or accessories fall under the state’s regulatory requirements.

Here’s the short answer: PA’s classification for stuffed toys covers anything with playable value. Items that are genuinely marketed as accessories or keychains — not toys — are not regulated under that framework. We discussed this directly with state representatives, and the guidance is clear on that point.

That said, there’s a nuance worth knowing. If the factory manufacturing your stuffed keychain already holds a PA URN for stuffed toys, and that URN is also registered in Massachusetts and Ohio, you can use it on the product in question. You may already have what you need, it’s just a matter of verifying what’s already in place.

Pennsylvania has become something of a focal point in broader product safety conversations right now, and for good reason. The state’s approach to toy testing and stuffed product regulation is more detailed than many manufacturers expect. If you’re selling stuffed goods and aren’t sure where your products land, read up on Pennsylvania’s new covering testing requirements for stuffed products 

Our Vice President’s Reflections on ICPHSO 2026

GRS Vice President Deven shares what stood out to him this year.

The Mentorship Program

Of all the hats I wear in this industry, serving as Co-Chair of the ICPHSO Annual Mentorship Program remains one of the most rewarding. This program is a deliberate, strategic investment in the future of the product safety profession. And watching mentees engage with mentors, ask hard questions, and leave with renewed confidence in their career paths is a reminder of why we do this work.

I’m incredibly grateful to work alongside my Chair, Sara Bakken of Target, whose leadership and commitment to this program are second to none. And none of this would exist without the vision of the inaugural chairs who built it from the ground up: Mark Fellin of Spin Master and Keith Rhoades of Intertek. The seeds they planted continue to grow, and the mentorship community they created is genuinely thriving.

The field of product safety is complex, demanding, and critically important. It needs talented, well-supported people to carry it forward and this program is one of the ways we make sure that happens.

Relationships

Beyond the formal programming, ICPHSO is simply one of the best gatherings in our industry for the people. There’s something irreplaceable about being in a room with colleagues who speak your language — who understand the nuances of standards, testing, compliance timelines, and the very real stakes of getting product safety wrong.

This year brought the usual joy of reconnecting with long-time colleagues, clients, and partners, alongside the energy of meeting new faces entering the industry. These relationships are the backbone of what makes ICPHSO worth showing up for, year after year.

What This Year’s Conversations Revealed

If there was one theme that cut across nearly every conversation at this year’s conference, it was the growing complexity of state-level product safety regulation. The patchwork of requirements across jurisdictions is real and for manufacturers managing high SKU volumes or navigating unfamiliar states, the margin for error is low.

Pennsylvania dominated a lot of those discussions, but the underlying challenge is broader: understanding the specific contacts involved, knowing the varying formats in which data is requested, and making sure the right information reaches the right people in the right way. For many brands, that’s genuinely hard to do alone.

It’s exactly the kind of challenge GRS was built to solve. The conversations at ICPHSO this year only reinforced what we already know: the need for expert guidance in multi-state compliance has never been greater. If you walked away from the conference with open questions — about NC foam products, PA toy classification, or anything else — we’re here to help.

Missed last year’s ICPHSO recap? Check out our2025 conference post for a look at what the conversation looked like then — and how much the landscape has continued to evolve.

Because Pennsylvania now wants to look at the outside of your product, too.

If you manufacture or import stuffed products for sale in Pennsylvania, there’s a new layer of testing requirements you need to know about and if you’re not already working with GRS to navigate it, this might be a good time to start. 

Pennsylvania’s Testing Evolution

Pennsylvania has always had stricter-than-federal stuffed toy regulations. The state’s requirements stem from the Stuffed Toy Manufacturing Act, which has been in place since 1961 and is enforced by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry’s Bureau of Occupational and Industrial Safety.

Back in August 2024, Pennsylvania made major waves when it began requiring Flammability and Tolerance Lab Reports to accompany all stuffed toy applications, a significant shift from what manufacturers were previously used to. Now, the state is taking things a step further.

What’s New: The Covering Has to Be Tested, Too

Previously, the focus of required lab testing was on what’s inside the stuffed product — the filling material. Whether you were using polyester fiber, shredded foam, recycled fill, or something else entirely, the fill was the primary subject of testing.

Pennsylvania now requires that the covering — the outer shell or fabric of the stuffed product — also be tested. This falls under 34 Pa. Code §47.321, which governs fabric requirements for stuffed toys and classifies coverings by their flammability characteristics. Classes I, II, and III are accepted as having no unusual burning characteristics; Class IV coverings are considered dangerously flammable and unsuitable for stuffed toys.

In plain terms: the plush, the fabric, the shell — whatever is on the outside of your product — needs to be evaluated and documented, not just the stuffing inside.

This is a meaningful addition to the compliance checklist. Many manufacturers assumed that if their fill was compliant, they were in the clear. The new requirement makes it explicit that the whole product is under review, inside and out.

Why This Makes Sense (Even Though It’s More Work)

Think about how a stuffed toy actually interacts with a child. They’re not touching the polyfill, they’re touching the fabric. They’re sleeping with it, carrying it around, putting it close to their face. The flammability of the outer covering is a genuine safety consideration, and Pennsylvania’s regulators are treating it accordingly.

While the additional requirement may feel like more complexity on your end, the intent is straightforward: ensure the full product meets safety standards.

Every “New" Toy Needs Its Own Registration

One of the more nuanced aspects of Pennsylvania’s program is how the state defines a “new" toy and it’s a detail that catches more manufacturers off guard than you might expect.

Pennsylvania requires that each new toy be independently tested and registered with their department. That part most manufacturers know. What trips people up is what “new" actually means.

In Pennsylvania’s eyes, a toy is considered new if it uses different filling material or is made with a different manufacturing process even if it looks nearly identical to a product you already have registered. So if your company already holds a valid PA Toy URN but you’re now producing something that meets either of those criteria, that product needs its own separate registration.

This matters more than it might seem at first glance. A small change in fill blend, a shift in how a component is manufactured, a new supplier with a slightly different process — any of these can technically create a “new toy" under Pennsylvania’s definition. Submitting it under an existing URN without a new registration can result in a rejection, or worse, a violation.

When you work with us, we help you identify upfront whether your product qualifies as new under PA’s definitions before you invest time and money in a submission that won’t hold up.

Not Just Any Lab Will Do

Here’s something worth knowing before you schedule your testing: Pennsylvania does not accept lab reports from just any facility.

Your Flammability and Tolerance Lab Report must come from either a CPSC-certified lab or a branch of a U.S.-based lab. A report from an uncertified or non-qualifying facility — even a well-regarded one! — will not be accepted, and your application will be rejected.

No Tags, No Labels, No Exceptions

This is one of the most surprisingly common causes of rejection, so it’s worth saying clearly: when you submit a physical toy sample to Pennsylvania, it must arrive with absolutely no tags or labels attached.

That includes law labels, hang tags, and cut tags. If Pennsylvania receives a sample where a tag has been removed and there is visible evidence it was ripped or cut off, they will reject the sample outright.

The state wants to evaluate the toy itself in its clean, untagged state. Any sign of label removal raises an immediate flag. So the sample going to Pennsylvania needs to arrive tag-free, with no evidence that anything was ever attached and taken off.

If You’re Testing Through GRS, You’re Covered

Not to toot our own horn, but when you handle your stuffed product testing through GRS, your testing is structured to satisfy both Pennsylvania and Ohio requirements in one coordinated process. You don’t have to run separate tests, manage two different lab relationships, or figure out on your own how to make your documentation satisfy two distinct state review lenses.

We’ve built our testing facilitation specifically around the way these states review submissions — including knowing which regulatory sections apply, how reports need to be formatted, and what terminology the states expect to see. The difference between a clean first-time approval and a cycle of rejections usually comes down to the details. 

With the new covering/shell testing requirement now in the mix, that expertise matters even more. We know which fabric testing classifications apply to your product type, how to select the right samples, and how to ensure your documentation reflects the full picture — fill and covering — in a way that holds up to Pennsylvania’s scrutiny.

A Quick Checklist: What PA Now Requires for New Stuffed Toy Applications

Here’s what needs to accompany a new Pennsylvania stuffed toy application:

• Product sample (selected at random from manufacturing)
• Completed application form (current version)
• Notarized Affidavit
• Flammability and Tolerance Lab Report covering both filling material (§47.317, §47.322) and the outer covering/fabric (§47.321)
• Manufacturer attestation that no child, forced, or slave labor was used
• Application fee

If any of these elements are missing or incorrectly formatted, Pennsylvania will reject the application and charge an additional fee for resubmission. There is no grace period remaining,  enforcement is active now.

For more detail directly from the state, visit the PA Department of Labor & Industry’s Stuffed Toys page and their Bedding and Upholstery / Stuffed Toy FAQs.

Don’t Let a Covering Requirement Uncover a Compliance Gap

Regulatory updates have a way of sneaking up on even the most diligent manufacturers. If you’re already in the GRS ecosystem, you’re in the right hands, and if you’re not, this is a great moment to change that!

We’re here to make sure your stuffed products are tested correctly, documented properly, and approved efficiently — whether you’re navigating Pennsylvania, Ohio, or both.

Ready to get started?Get in touch today and let’s make sure your compliance is airtight, inside and out.

Except it wasn’t.

Their factory signage said ABC Company. Their California license application said ABC Company Inc.

That tiny “Inc.” — which they never use publicly — was enough to stop the entire application in its tracks. And this happens more often than you think. California and Ohio are two frequently mentioned states when it comes to name accuracy. One extra word, missing letter, or abbreviation, and your license can get delayed or denied.

If you sell products in California or Ohio, you’ll want to keep reading. And before you read this article and get worried, know that GRS will reach out if any additional information is needed. If you have any questions in the meantime, feel free to contact your compliance specialist. We’re here to help!

Why Accurate Business Names Matter More Than You Think

Name accuracy isn’t a nitpicky technical requirement, it’s part of a much bigger consumer-protection framework. States want to ensure that the company listed on a law label or registration is the same business name consumers see on packaging, storefronts, websites, and signage.

This is also why GRS continually monitors regulatory trends, because across the country, enforcement is tightening. For example, North Carolina recently expanded its regulated product categories, a move that caught many manufacturers off-guard.

California and Ohio fall squarely into this pattern: they want clarity, consistency, and full transparency in how your business represents itself.

California’s Marketing-Name Rule, What It Means, and Why It Trips Up Many Manufacturers

California’s Bureau takes a different approach than most states: California regulations don’t allow additional wording if it’s not part of the name consumers see. Their goal is to ensure that the license’s marketing name reflects the business identity customers interact with.

Your marketing name is the name a customer would see on your:

• building signage
• website header
• catalogs
• marketing materials and packaging

California wants the name you’re marketing as — not your legal entity name, shortened name, or your “official” version that includes qualifiers like Inc, LLC, or Ltd. If your business presents itself publicly as ABC Company, then your California license must list ABC Company exactly. Examples of what not to use includes:

• ABC Company Inc
• ABC Company LLC
• ABC Company Ltd
• ABC Co.

Violations and Warnings Are Increasing

We’ve seen California issue more warnings this year related to name mismatches. A reminder: these aren’t optional corrections. California can hold or deny a license if the name doesn’t match the marketed version.

A quick internal audit now can prevent a bigger compliance problem later.

The 65-Character Barrier

California’s current system can’t process license names longer than 65 characters. That means if your business name is long or includes multiple components, the system may simply reject it. This limitation surprises many manufacturers, especially those with multi-division or multi-descriptor names.

To prevent this, you can:

• Shorten the marketed name (if that shorter name is in actual use)

or

• Request a manual certificate from the bureau

Ohio’s Exact-Match Rule: Zero Exceptions, Zero Abbreviations

While California focuses on marketing names, Ohio focuses on registered names. And when Ohio says “exact match,” they really mean it.

The name and address on your law label must have identical spelling, spacing, and punctuation to what is on file in Ohio’s licensing system.

No Room for Creativity Or Abbreviations

If your Ohio registration says Global Registration Services, your law label cannot be shortened to GRS, have attached qualifiers like Inc or LLC, Global Registration Svcs, or miss any letters from its name. 

Ohio enforces this strictly because it strengthens traceability, a principle widely supported in regulatory literature.

DBAs: The Most Common Ohio Mistake

Ohio requires full DBA structures to be printed exactly as registered.

If your registration says ABC Company dba Alphabet, your label must also say ABC Company dba Alphabet. You cannot print ABC Company or Alphabet. 

This catches many businesses off guard, especially those used to other states with more flexible DBA rules. When it comes to Ohio, precision is the rule—not the exception.

What This Means for Your Brand 

If your products are sold in California or Ohio, these two states’ name rules should be on your radar year-round. Here’s how to stay proactive:

1. Audit the Name You Market Under – Compare your signage, website header, packaging, and marketing materials. If the name differs from your legal entity name, California will expect the marketing version.
2. Compare Your Ohio Registration Against Your Labels – Print out the registered name and hold it next to your latest artwork. Every character must match – even the punctuation.
3. Check for 65+ Character Names in CA – If your marketed name is long, address this early so renewals don’t stall.
4. Review DBA Structures Carefully – California and Ohio treat DBAs very differently.
   • California focuses on your marketing name and will only accept a DBA if your company publicly markets itself exactly as “ABC Company dba Alphabet.” The issue is that most brands don’t actually use the “dba” wording in their marketing, which causes delays or rejections.
   • Ohio will accept any of the following options if and only if that exact name is on the law label:
     • the official company name itself
     • the DBA name itself
     • the full legal name + DBA structure, if and only if that exact name is on the law label.
5. Don’t Wait for a Rejection to Fix the Issue – A small review now saves a big delay later.
6. Lean on GRS. This Is What We Do Every Day!

We catch name mismatches immediately because we review thousands of applications, labels, and renewals. We know where states are picky, where they’re flexible, and where small errors cause big headaches.

If you want to prevent denials, avoid warnings, or check whether your company name passes CA and OH standards, get in touch! A quick audit now can save weeks of delays later.

Here’s a recap of the costs you will incur if you don’t keep your products compliant.

Violations

Violations are no small matter. They can expose you to the risk of monetary fines and off sales or worse, including getting slapped with a misdemeanor and prison time.

• California: Each separate item is a separate offense
  • Fines up to $2,500
  • Misdemeanor
  • Prison time: 3–6 months
  • Off sales
• Connecticut
  • Fines up to $200
  • Off sales
• Delaware: Each separate item is a separate offense
  • Fines from $20–50
  • Prison time from 10 days to 10 months
• Detroit
  • Fines up to $100 for the second violation, and up to $500 for subsequent violations within one year
  • Misdemeanor
  • Prison time up to 90 days
  • Off sales
• Massachusetts
  • Fines from $25–500
  • Prison time up to 6 months
  • Off sales
• New York
  • Fines up to $1,000
  • Off sales
• North Carolina: Each day after written notice from the commissioner is a separate offense
  • Fines up to $2,500
  • Class 2 misdemeanor
  • Off sales
• Ohio: Each day in violation is a separate offense
  • Fines up to $500
  • Misdemeanor
  • Off sales
• Oklahoma
  • Off sales
• Pennsylvania: Each separate item is a separate offense
  • Fines from $50–100
  • Prison time from 1–6 months
  • Off sales
• Rhode Island
  • Fines up to $500
  • Misdemeanor
  • Prison time up to 6 months
  • Off sales
• Utah: Each separate item is a separate offense
  • Off sales
• Virginia: Each day in violation is a separate offense
  • Fines up to $25,000
  • Class 2 misdemeanor
• Washington, D.C.
  • Fines up to $500
  • Prison time up to 6 months
• West Virginia
  • Fines from $50–500 on first offense, and from $100–1,000 for subsequent violations
  • Misdemeanor
  • Prison time up to 30 days
  • Off sales

Late Fees

All licenses expire, and six government agencies add late fees to all unpaid license renewals on a certain date. They might not seem like a huge penalty, but trust us, they add up quick!

• California: $100 after expiration. $225 after 90 days ($325 total).
• Connecticut: $10 after expiration
• Detroit: $50 after expiration
• Oklahoma: $2.50 after expiration
• Utah: $25 after expiration
• West Virginia: $25 if expired past July 15th

You can always see when each regulatory agency will add late fees on our Late Fees page. Or sign up for a GRS-managed Monitored Service and we’ll keep track of renewal dates so you don’t have to!

Back Fees

If you don’t renew your expired licenses, late fees aren’t all you’ll have to worry about. The same six states also add back fees when you finally renew your license, which you will have to pay for every year the license is expired.

• California: $751
• Connecticut: $100
• Massachusetts: $300.35
• Oklahoma: $5
• Pennsylvania: Amount varies each year
• Utah: $105

How Do I Stay Compliant?

That one’s easy—lean on GRS to keep your stuffed articles in good standing with the law. Our team of compliance experts handle every element of compliance from proper registration to matters of ongoing compliance. We give you complete peace of mind that your products are fully compliant and you can avoid back fees and violations.

Not sure if your product is compliant? GRS offers law label audits, where we’ll perform a thorough check of every element that could get you in trouble with the regulatory agencies. If we notice an issue, you can lean on us to fix it, too! Email us using the button below to request your audit.

We put together this quick rundown of the different departments within GRS, how they support compliance for our customers, and who to reach out to when you need a helping hand.

New Registration

Bringing a new stuffed article to market? Our New Registration team helps you take the first critical steps for your product’s compliance.

Services

• Obtaining a URN
• State-by-state registration based on product type(s)
  • Bedding
  • Furniture
  • Stuffed Toys
  • Quilted Clothing
• Importer registration

Get Support from New Registration

Lexi Monroy, Department Manager

• newreg@globalrsinc.com
• (312) 405–9467 Option 1

Monitored Services

Compliance isn’t “one and done." Our Monitored Services team supports our customers with ongoing compliance to avoid violations and off-sales for all the years to come.

Services

• Monitored Services: GlobalTrak, License Management, Guaranteed Compliance
• License Renewals
• Sales reporting
• Violation Resolution
• URN Research
• Name/Address Changes

Get Support from Monitored Services

Lilia B., Compliance Assurance Manager
Brittany Tobias, Compliance Specialist
Maggie Chiara, Compliance Specialist
Sylvia Estrada, Compliance Assistant

• LM@globalrsinc.com
• (312) 405–9467 Option 2

Documentation

As the counterpart to our Monitored Services team, our Documentation team is the hands behind the scenes keeping GRS customers compliant. They process license renewals for companies under a GRS-managed Monitored Service (License Management or Guaranteed Compliance).

That work includes filing paperwork, tracking down licenses from regulatory agencies, making license corrections, and uploading licenses to customer accounts.

Meet the Documentation Team

Paige Wellman, Department Manager
Hayden Neeley, Documentation Specialist
Molly Zamora, Documentation Assistant

Labeling

Need a new label, or want to make sure your existing label is current with recent labeling laws? Our Labeling team can help!

Services

• Label design
• Label printing
• Label auditing
• Pennsylvania toy registration testing facilitation
• Ohio bedding, furniture, and toy registration testing facilitation
• Pennsylvania variance submission
• Product regulation audits

Get Support from Labeling

Ashley Ufford, Regulatory & Compliance Manager, Operations Manager (American Law Label)
Lucy Corvalan, Design Specialist
Michel Land, Compliance Assistant

• LL@globalrsinc.com ; (312) 405–9467 Option 4
• info@americanlawlabel.com ; 1-888-LAW-LABELS

Retail Compliance

Are you supplying to one of GRS’ partnered retailers? Or are you a retailer seeking a solution to vendor compliance issues? Meet our comprehensive compliance verification solution to reduce marketplace violations, fines, and off-sales.

Services

• Vendor license compliance verification
• Law Label Lookup (online law label storage / visibility solution)
• Test lab integration

Get Support from Labeling

Lilia B., Compliance Assurance Manager
Brittany Tobias, Compliance Specialist
Maggie Chiara, Compliance Specialist

• RC@globalrsinc.com
• (312) 405–9467 Option 3

Need Help With Something Else?

GRS support your comprehensive compliance. If you need help with something that isn’t listed here, or just have a general question, we’ve got your back!