Clothing label requirements in the United States come down to four things, if you sell apparel at retail in the United States: fiber content, country of origin, the identity of the manufacturer or dealer, and care instructions. Three of those come from the Textile Fiber Products Identification Act, and care instructions come from a separate rule.
This guide covers what each one means, where it has to sit on the garment, and what changes when you sell into the EU or the UK.
This is a starting point, not legal advice. Super Label Store makes labels; we do not advise on compliance. Requirements differ by product and market and they change over time, so confirm the current rules with the relevant authority before you label a production run.
1. Fiber content
What the garment is made of, by generic fiber name, in order of predominance by weight, with percentages.
So "60% cotton, 40% polyester" rather than "cotton blend", and cotton first because there is more of it. Generic names are the standard ones: cotton, polyester, wool, nylon, silk, linen. A trade name can appear alongside the generic name but not instead of it.
Fibers present at under 5% are generally grouped as "other fiber" unless the fiber has a functional significance worth naming, elastane being the usual example. Check the current threshold and wording, because this is the detail most often out of date in guides like this one.
2. Country of origin
Where the garment was made. "Made in USA" if it was, or the country of manufacture if it was not.
Two things catch people out here.
The placement is specified. For a garment with a neck, country of origin has to appear on the inside centre of the neck, midway between the shoulder seams, or somewhere else conspicuous and readily accessible if the garment has no neck. It is not enough to have it somewhere on the garment.
An unqualified "Made in USA" claim has a high bar. The FTC standard is that the product must be all or virtually all made in the United States: final assembly here, all significant processing here, and all or virtually all components made and sourced here. Assembling imported components domestically at the last step does not normally qualify. More on that on our Made in USA labels page.
3. Manufacturer or dealer identity
Who is responsible for the garment. Either the full legal business name, or a Registered Identification Number.
An RN number is free and you apply online. This is the single most useful thing in this guide for a new brand, and most people do not know it exists. The FTC issues RN numbers to businesses that manufacture, import, distribute or sell textile products in the United States, at no cost, through a short online application.
Why brands use one: an RN is shorter than a legal business name, it fits better on a small label, and it does not reveal your registered company name to anyone reading the garment. If you trade under a brand name that differs from your legal entity, an RN keeps that separation.
The RN goes on the label as "RN" followed by the number. Note that a trademark or brand name alone does not satisfy this requirement, which is a common misunderstanding.
4. Care instructions
How to clean the garment without ruining it. This comes from a separate rule to the three above, and it works differently.
The label has to give at least one safe method: washing or drycleaning. It also has to give warnings where a normal cleaning procedure would damage the garment, so "do not bleach" belongs on a label if bleach would harm it, and can be left off if it would not.
Three requirements that shape the label itself:
- It has to be permanent. Attached so it stays with the garment and stays legible for its useful life. That rules out anything that fades or peels, which is why care labels are printed by thermal transfer on satin rather than by inkjet on cotton.
- You need a reasonable basis for the instruction. You cannot guess. The instruction has to rest on evidence, whether that is your own testing, the fabric supplier's data, or industry experience with the same construction.
- Symbols may be used in place of words under the current rule, referencing the ASTM symbol standard. Confirm the current position before you produce symbol-only labels, particularly if you also sell outside the US.
Our custom care labels are printed by thermal transfer on OEKO-TEX certified satin, which is the standard construction for a label that has to stay legible through the life of the garment.
Where each requirement goes on the garment
The clothing label requirements say what has to be present, and one of them says where. That leaves you some freedom, and most brands settle on the same arrangement for practical reasons.
The neck label carries the brand and the size, and it carries country of origin because that placement is specified for garments with a neck. On a small woven label, brand plus size plus origin is usually the limit before the text gets too small to read.
A side seam label carries fiber content, care instructions and the RN or business name. There is more space there, nobody sees it from the outside, and it can be a printed satin label where fine multi-line text is easier to reproduce than in weaving.
Two labels rather than one is the norm for a reason: the branding you want people to see and the information the law requires have different jobs, different amounts of text and different best materials.
The trap when you relabel blanks
Worth its own section, because it is the mistake that turns a compliant garment into a non-compliant one.
If you buy blank shirts and cut out the manufacturer's neck label to sew in your own, you have just removed the fiber content, the care instructions and the country of origin along with it. Those still have to be on the garment.
What to do instead: leave the original care and content label in place if it sits in the side seam, and only replace the neck label. If everything was on one neck label, you have to reproduce the required information on a label of your own.
Also note that country of origin stays the country where the garment was made, not where you relabeled it. A shirt made in Honduras and relabeled in Ohio is still made in Honduras.
More on relabeling on our shirt labels page.
Selling into the EU and the UK
The rules are different, and in one respect the difference surprises people.
Fiber composition is mandatory under the EU textile regulation, in the official language or languages of the member state where the product is sold. So a garment sold in France needs French, and one sold across several markets needs several languages, which is why multilingual side seam labels are common in European retail.
Care labeling is not legally mandatory in the EU as it is in the US. In practice nearly every brand includes it, because retailers expect it and consumers need it, but the legal driver is different.
The care symbols themselves are trademarked in Europe by GINETEX, and their use may require a license depending on your market and volume. This catches brands out because the symbols appear to be a public standard. Check your position before you produce symbol labels for the European market.
The UK retained the EU textile regulation after leaving the EU, so fiber composition requirements are broadly similar. Confirm the current position, since divergence over time is possible.
A practical order of work
If you are meeting apparel labeling requirements for a first production run, this sequence avoids the usual reworks.
- Apply for an RN number. Free, online, and it decides what goes on the label. Do this before you design anything.
- Get the fiber composition from your fabric supplier in writing. Not from the swatch card, from the supplier, and keep it on file.
- Establish the care instruction. Test a sample garment through the cleaning method you intend to specify, and keep a record of what you did.
- Decide the label split. Neck label for brand, size and origin; side seam label for content, care and RN.
- Check the proof at actual size. Print it, cut it out and read it at arm's length. Required information that is technically present but unreadable helps nobody.
- Confirm the current rules with the relevant authority before you commit to a production run.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the clothing label requirements in the USA?
Four things: fiber content by generic name with percentages, country of origin, the identity of the manufacturer or dealer as a business name or RN number, and care instructions. Requirements differ by product and market, so confirm the current rules before labeling a production run.
What is an RN number and do I need one?
A Registered Identification Number issued free by the FTC to businesses that manufacture, import, distribute or sell textile products in the United States. You do not have to have one, since a full legal business name also satisfies the requirement, but an RN is shorter, fits a small label better and keeps your registered company name off the garment.
Where does the country of origin have to go?
For a garment with a neck, on the inside centre of the neck, midway between the shoulder seams. For a garment with no neck, somewhere conspicuous and readily accessible. It is one of the few placement rules that is actually specified.
Can I put everything on one label?
You can if it fits and stays readable, but most brands use two. Country of origin has a specified neck placement, while fiber content and care instructions need more space than a neck label usually has. Brand and size on the neck label, content and care in the side seam is the common split.
Do I need a care label if I only sell online?
Yes. The care labeling rule applies to the garment rather than the sales channel, so selling direct or through a marketplace does not change it.
Can I use care symbols instead of words?
In the US, symbols may be used in place of words under the current rule, referencing the ASTM symbol standard. In Europe the symbols are trademarked by GINETEX and using them can require a licence. Confirm your position for each market before producing symbol-only labels.
What happens if I cut the label out of a blank shirt?
You remove the fiber content, care instructions and country of origin along with it, and those still have to be on the garment. Either leave the original side seam label in place and replace only the neck label, or reproduce the required information on your own label.
Does relabeling change the country of origin?
No. Country of origin is where the garment was made, not where it was relabeled. A shirt made abroad and relabeled domestically is still made abroad.
Are apparel labeling requirements the same in the EU?
No. Fiber composition is mandatory under the EU textile regulation and has to appear in the official language of the market, while care labeling is not legally mandatory in the same way it is in the US. Most brands include it anyway because retailers expect it.
What does the care label have to be made of?
Nothing specific, but it has to stay attached and legible for the useful life of the garment. In practice that means printed satin rather than anything that fades or peels, which is why care information is printed by thermal transfer rather than by inkjet.
Before you order
Confirm the current requirements with the relevant authority for each market you sell into. This guide is a starting point written by a label manufacturer, not legal advice, and the rules change.
When you know what has to go on the garment, care labels start at 100 pieces and woven labels at 5.