Overview

Amazon now requires every U.S. marketplace seller to finish an annual INFORM Act certification directly in Seller Central. The prompt appears as a dashboard alert and gives sellers roughly a month to verify that each of their listings complies with U.S. safety and labeling rules. Missing the cutoff can lead to listing removal, payment delays, or a temporary suspension, making the certification a non‑negotiable compliance milestone.

Key Points

• 30‑day window — After the alert shows up, sellers generally have a 30‑day period to submit the required information; for example, a notice received on April 2 must be completed by May 1.
• All SKUs included — The certification applies to every product ID sold in the United States, from electronics to children’s toys; a vendor with 1,200 distinct SKUs must address each category, not only the high‑risk items.
• Document bundle — Sellers must provide safety test reports, material‑safety data sheets (MSDS), and labeling compliance files; a company selling silicone baby bottles would attach the latest CPSIA certification for that product line.
• Self‑attestation questionnaire — The workflow presents a series of yes/no questions about testing, recall history, and hazardous‑material handling; selecting “yes” to a recall‑related query automatically triggers a deeper review by Amazon’s compliance team.
• Consequences of non‑completion — Failure to certify within the allotted time can cause listing suppression, holds on disbursements, or a short‑term account suspension; a seller who missed the deadline in Q2 2023 experienced a 15‑day suspension and delayed payouts.
• New‑listing block — Amazon prevents the creation of fresh ASINs for accounts that have not finished the certification, meaning a brand planning a July seasonal launch must first clear the compliance hurdle.

How the INFORM Act Certification Works

1. Alert appears — A banner on the Seller Central homepage announces “Annual INFORM Act Certification Required.” For instance, a home‑goods retailer sees the notice on March 12 and clicks the embedded link to start.