The General Product Safety Regulations 2005

The general safety net for consumer products in Great Britain: no producer may place a product on the market unless it is safe, and producers and distributors must monitor products and notify authorities about unsafe ones. In Northern Ireland these Regulations were superseded on 13 December 2024 by the EU General Product Safety Regulation (EU) 2023/988.

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Applies to

Consumer products in Great Britain - products intended for or likely, under reasonably foreseeable conditions, to be used by consumers, including products supplied in the course of a service. Where a product is covered by specific product legislation, the 2005 Regulations apply only to the safety aspects not covered by those specific provisions. In Northern Ireland the EU GPSR (EU) 2023/988 applies instead.

Key obligations

01No producer shall place a product on the market unless the product is a safe product (regulation 5) - one which under normal or reasonably foreseeable conditions of use presents no risk, or only the minimum risk compatible with the product's use.source
02Producers must provide consumers with the relevant information to enable them to assess the risks and take precautions, and enable traceability by indicating the producer's name and address on the product or its packaging.source
03Producers must monitor marketed products: sample-test them, investigate and where necessary keep a register of complaints, and keep distributors informed of the results.source
04Distributors must act with due care to help ensure only safe products are supplied and must not supply products that, as a professional, they know or ought to know to be dangerous (regulation 8).source
05Where a producer or distributor knows that a product poses risks incompatible with the general safety requirement, they must forthwith notify an enforcement authority in writing (regulation 9).source

Conformity routes

No conformity assessment - presumption of conformity onlyThere is no conformity-assessment procedure or marking under these Regulations. Regulation 6 ('Presumption of conformity') sets out when a product is presumed to satisfy the general safety requirement; otherwise safety is assessed on the product itself.source

Documentation

Traceability and monitoring recordsNo declaration of conformity or technical file is required. Producers should be able to evidence traceability (name and address on product or packaging), sample testing, complaint investigation and, where necessary, a complaints register.source

Marking requirements

No UKCA or other conformity marking is required by these Regulations ('requirements to mark' in Part 3 are enforcement-notice powers, not conformity marks).source
Producers must enable traceability by indicating on the product or its packaging their name and address (and product reference or batch where appropriate).source

Key dates

2005-10-01The Regulations came into force (made 30 June 2005).source
2024-12-13In Northern Ireland, the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 were superseded by the EU Regulation on general product safety (EU) 2023/988; the 2005 Regulations continue to apply in Great Britain.source
2025-07-21The Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 (c. 20) received Royal Assent, creating powers to make regulations about the marketing or use of products in the UK - the vehicle for future updates to GB product safety law.source

Penalties

Contravening regulation 5 (general safety requirement) or regulation 8(1)(a) is an offence punishable on conviction on indictment by imprisonment for up to 12 months or a fine of up to £20,000, or both (regulation 20). Enforcement authorities can also issue suspension, marking, warning, withdrawal and recall notices, and courts may order forfeiture of unsafe goods.source

Further guidance

Frequently asked

Does GPSR 2005 require UKCA marking or a declaration of conformity?+

No. It is a general safety-net regulation with no conformity marking, declaration of conformity or technical file. Your obligations are that the product is safe, that consumers get the information they need, that you can trace products (name and address on the product or packaging), and that you monitor and notify.

I sell into Northern Ireland - does GPSR 2005 apply there?+

No, not for products placed on the market from 13 December 2024. In Northern Ireland the EU General Product Safety Regulation (EU) 2023/988 applies instead, which among other things requires a responsible economic operator established in Northern Ireland or the EU.

My product already has its own regulations (e.g. toys, electrical). Does GPSR 2005 still apply?+

As a safety net. Where specific provisions cover the safety of a product, the 2005 Regulations do not apply to those aspects - but they do apply to any safety aspects or risks the specific rules don't cover.

What do I do if I discover a product I sold is unsafe?+

Notify the relevant enforcement authority in writing immediately (regulation 9), and take appropriate action - which can include warning consumers, withdrawal from sale or recall. Authorities also have powers to require these steps.

Is GB general product safety law changing?+

The GPSR 2005 remain in force in Great Britain, but the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 (Royal Assent 21 July 2025) gives the government powers to make new product regulations, so expect reform of the GB regime via secondary legislation made under that Act.

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