Importing apparel and textile products to the United States? If so, you must either include your business name on the product label or use a Registered Identification Number (RN). In this guide, we explain what an RN number is, and how you can apply for one.
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The Registered Identification Number, also known as RN, is a unique number issued by the FTC to companies in the United States that engage in the activities of manufacturing, importing, distributing, or selling products regulated by the Textile, Wool, and Fur Acts.
The main goal of the Registered Identification Number (RN) is to identify the company that manufactures, imports, or distributes the product. The RNs shall be placed on the product’s label.
Is a Registered Identification Number (RN) mandatory?
Product manufacturers, importers, or distributors can choose to either place the Registered Identification Number (RN) or a valid business name on the product label. As such, it’s not mandatory.
Note that if you choose to display your business name in the label, then you shall use the full name of the company, ie. the name that is used on business documents, such as invoices.
You can’t only use a trademark, logo, or brand name unless this is exactly the same as the company name – which is rarely the case.
Which products may be labeled with an RN?
The Registered Identification Number (RN) can be used to label products that are regulated by the Textile, Wool, and Fur Acts. Here are a few examples:
Applicants are required to submit the following information to the FTC:
Business email address
Legal business name / company name
Company address
Company type (ie. LLC, partnership)
Business type (Ie. importer, manufacturer retailer)
Phone number and website URL, if any
Once the application is approved, you will be notified via email, and you will be able to find your Registered Identification Number (RN) also using the RN Lookup Service.
Must the RN be printed on the product?
Generally speaking, textiles shall carry a permanent label, such as a printed label or a nylon patch.
Besides information such as the fiber composition and cared symbols, your product label shall include either your Registered Identification Number (RN) or your company name, in order to ensure product traceability.
Can foreign companies (non-US) apply for an RN?
No, only businesses incorporated in the United States can apply for Registered Identification Number (RN).
If you are a foreign manufacturer, exporter, or distributor of goods in the US, you can label your products with your company name instead.
Do importers need a Registered Identification Number (RN)?
As explained, using a Registered Identification Number (RN) to label your textiles, garments, furs, or wool products is optional, as you can use your company name instead.
Here we list the most common options that can be used to label the product:
Company name of the non-US manufacturer
Company name of the non-US importer
Company name of RN of the US-based importer
Company name of RN of the US-based wholesaler
Company name of RN of the US-based retailer
Note, however, that using the retailer company name or RN might be “risky”. The reason is that if the goods that were supposed to be sold to a retailer are then sold to a different retailer, then the company name or RN must be updated accordingly.
How much does it cost to apply for an RN?
At the moment, applying for a Registered Identification Number (RN) is free of charge.
How long does the RN application process take?
According to the information on FTC’s official webpage, the Registered Identification Number (RN) online application processing time is generally within 3 business days.
For mail or fax application, the processing time could take 7-10 business days. Please note that FTC does not offer one day or express service in any circ*mstances.
How can I update the information related to my RN?
If you do not have an account, create one and fill in all the required information.
If you already have an account, log in and click the “Update RN” button to create and submit an update request.
What is the difference between an RN and a WPL Number?
WPL (Wool Products Labelling) Numbers issued by the FTC for wool textiles and garments.
The WPL used to serve exactly the same purpose of a Registered Identification Number (RN), which is to identify the manufacturer, importer, or distributor.
Although the FTC phased out WPL Numbers and nowadays only issue Registered Identification Numbers (RN), consumers can still find them in some old clothing.
What is the RN Database and what is its goal?
Companies that have registered for the RNs or WPL numbers will be included in the RN and WPL databases.
Consumers and authorities can contact or get knowledge of a company by looking up Registered Identification Numbers (RN) or WPL Numbers from the database.
1) What is an RN? RN stands for Registered Identification Number. It is a number issued by the FTC to U.S. businesses that manufacture, import, distribute, or sell products covered by the Textile, Wool, and Fur Acts. Businesses can use this number on product labels instead of the company name.
The RN number allows consumers and anyone to identify the owner of a garment (Brands, manufacturers, importers, etc.) You can search the company name of an apparel product that has given RN number on the label by using the FTC RN Database.
Look for a label attached to the garment that provides details about the manufacturer, distributor, or importer. The RN number may be listed on this label, commonly near other required information such as fiber content, care instructions, and country of origin.
The Federal Trade Commission issues only one RN number per company. So, you don't need a new RN for every style, color, size of your garments. RN numbers are free and only take a few days to have one assigned. There is also an equivalent in Canada called a CA Identification number.
It is the Employer Identification Number, i.e. an identification number provided by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to every American business, whether incorporated or not, with or without employees.
This can be found on your registration documents or any documents you receive from the registrar such as account reminders. More information on this number can be found through the Secretary of State or State website.
If you are making garments for the USA apparel Brands, you might have already seen a 5 digit number RN number (7 digit code starting with RN 99999) in the label (one of the labels).
RN numbers issued from 1952 through 1959 starting at 00101 continued to 04086. If the RN number is 13670 then your garment is younger than 1959! Please remember that the RN number does NOT show the number of when a garment was made, but the date of when the RN number was issued!
Registered Identification Numbers (RN) are required in the US for businesses involved in the production, distribution, or finishing of a garment. The RN number system first came about in 1952 and, up until 1959, used RN numbers 00101 to 04086. In 1959, the numbering system underwent a makeover and started at 13670.
The barcode which refers to the product code of the apparel brand is the UPC. By scanning it while initiating quality inspection, the application will link the order with predefined order, and item details related to the scanned UPC.
What is the difference between an RN and a WPL Number? WPL (Wool Products Labelling) Numbers issued by the FTC for wool textiles and garments. The WPL used to serve exactly the same purpose of a Registered Identification Number (RN), which is to identify the manufacturer, importer, or distributor.
Those refer to the maximum recommended water temperature for the garment, but in Celsius instead of Fahrenheit. To translate, 30°C (85°F) indicates a cold wash; 40°C (105°F) indicates a warm wash; 50°C (120°F) means a warm/hot cycle; the 60 refers to a hot of around 140°F.
SIZE: Tells what size the garment is. May list a numeric size or size class such as Small (S), Medium (M), Large (L), X-Large (XL). There is no uniform standard for sizing in the U.S.
CA identification number is a number used to identify a company who deals with textile products in Canada. The textile dealer, apparel manufacturing companies, apparel and textile brands uses the CA number on products in place of a name and a postal address.
Generally speaking, a business registration certificate is what allows the state to identify and recognize your business as a separate legal entity. Upon the successful completion of the filing process, the state will confer the legal benefits of registration on your business.
This number is commonly called an Employer Identification Number (EIN) or a Federal Tax Identification Number (TIN). This federal number is issued to all American businesses by the IRS (Internal Revenue Service), whether or not they are incorporated.
An LLC number, also known as an EIN or tax identification number, is a nine-digit number assigned to each business entity as identification for taxation purposes. An LLC number is the business equivalent of a personal Social Security number.
Corporations and LLCs receive a corporate number upon approval of their articles of incorporation. This number is equivalent to the federal (TIN) or an EIN.
The United States does not have a national registry of companies. Companies are registered in an individual state. To find information on a company, you must search the appropriate database of the state where the company is registered.
Nursing is the nation's largest healthcare profession, with nearly 4.2 million registered nurses (RNs) nationwide. Of all licensed RNs, 84.1% are employed in nursing. The federal government projects that more than 203,000 new registered nurse positions will be created each year from 2021-2031.
The CA# on a label is used in Canada as an identifier for the Canadian dealer (manufacturer, importer, or seller of the product) in place of the company name and address. Businesses can register for a CA number through the Canadian Competition Bureau.
For clothing to be considered vintage, a garment or accessory has to be more than 20 years old. This means there is plenty of vintage to be found in all sorts of places in a myriad of styles, maybe even in your Mom's closet.
A generally accepted industry standard is that items made between 20 and 100 years ago are considered "vintage" if they clearly reflect the styles and trends of the era they represent. These clothing items come with a sense of history attached to them, which is one of the reasons they are valued by vintage enthusiasts.
A garment label on a textile product sold in the USA must feature the registered identification number (RN) of the manufacturer, importer, or corporate entity handling the sale of the product. All domestic textile companies and importers are required to have RNs.
UPC-A is a variation of UPC and uses 12 digits for information encoding. Out of these 12 digits, 11 digits contain the product information while the last digit is the checksum digit. The eleven product digits are further divided into three logical categories.
The most common EAN barcode is thirteen digits long and is known as EAN-13. This code was an offspring of the original 12-digit UPC-A code. EAN-13 numbers contain a 2-3 digit GS1 prefix, which identifies the country of registration or special type of product.
SKUs are alphanumeric codes, meaning that they include both letters and numbers, and can technically be any length.UPCs can only include numbers, and are limited to 12 digits.
Federal law requires that most textile and wool products have a label that lists the fiber content, the country of origin, and the identity of the manufacturer or another business responsible for marketing or handling the product.
The letters A, F or P inside a circle on your garment's care tag indicates that the item should be dry cleaned and instructs the dry cleaner what type of cleaner to use. An A means they can use any solvent, an F means any solvent except Trichloroethylene and a P directs them to use petroleum solvents only. Dry Clean.
LOOK FOR … an RN number of five to six numbers, proceeded with “RN.” HOW OLD? 1959 and earlier for numbers listed 00101 to 04086 and post 1959 for numbers listed as 13670 or larger. WHY IT'S VINTAGE: RN numbers were first used in 1952 and listed from 00101 (first number) to 04086 (last number).
WPL numbers date between 1941 and 1959. After 1959, new WPL numbers were not issued. However, manufacturers can still identify by using WPL numbers previously issued. Starting in 1959, the FTC switched to RN numbers.
The ABC in Lululemon's ABC line stands for “anti-ball crushing,” and you might be asking how that informs the design. The pants feature ergonomic gussets, or extra fabric, sewn between the legs of the pants for more mobility and less tension.
They are the initials of Chandler Rhea, daughter of Rhea Follett, the founder and owner of CR RanchWear. It's a brand commonly seen in show arenas, loping and warm-up pens, and training barns in Western disciplines.
The idea behind Project 333 is simple: Wear only 33 articles of clothing for the next 3 months. All clothing, accessories, jewelry, outerwear, and shoes count towards your number. Exceptions include wedding rings, underwear, sleepwear, in-home loungewear, and workout clothing.
The style numbers help you identify the specific garment. When you are a small company it is easy for you to keep track of every style and its specifics.
Google Lens is a popular image recognition tool that can identify wearables, apparel, personal accessories like jewelry, necklaces, and so much more. This is the most sure-shot way to scour the internet in an attempt to find that eye-catching dress you saw someone wearing.
All chest sizes come in three length: R(Regular), L(Long) and S(Short). An easy way to explain the difference between "Regular", "Long" and "Short" is, for "Short", both the sleeves and length of the overall jacket will be 1" - 1.5" shorter than "Regular", and same applies to "Regular" vs "Long". 36 SHORT.
A cut-make-trim (CMT) factory is one that covers only three processes: cutting, sewing and quality control. Such a factory is able to offer lower pricing because of the simplicity of the products it offers – plain t-shirts and hoodies without labelling, printing/embroidery, or embellishment cost the least.
The CA# on a label is used in Canada as an identifier for the Canadian dealer (manufacturer, importer, or seller of the product) in place of the company name and address.
How can I check the status of my request? If you submitted your request through the FTC's Public Access Link, or PAL, click here. Or you could email us at FOIA@ftc.gov . Can a request be expedited?
Businesses can use a registered identification number (RN) in place of a company name on the required label. Businesses can apply to the FTC for an RN or to update an existing RN, free of charge. An RN is not required.
Nursing is the nation's largest healthcare profession, with nearly 4.2 million registered nurses (RNs) nationwide. Of all licensed RNs, 84.1% are employed in nursing. The federal government projects that more than 203,000 new registered nurse positions will be created each year from 2021-2031.
CA Number. In-State Carriers: An in-state carrier operating a commercial vehicle within California must obtain a Motor Carrier Permit, a CA number, and as of September 2016 a U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Number as well. See Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration website: US DOT Number.
Usually, if there are sufficient funds to provide a meaningful refund amount to recipients and to pay for the related costs, the FTC sends a second round of payments. Generally, to be eligible for an additional payment, the consumer must have cashed their previous payment.
Most antique dealers consider an item to be vintage if it is at least 40 years old. So, in the context of this blog date, a vintage item would be made between 1918 and 1978. Even though many vintage items are nostalgic, they are sought after for many reasons besides their age. This includes decorating and collecting.
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