Candle Labeling Requirements: Warning Labels, Net Weight and What the Law Says

A US candle label needs three things: a fire safety warning in the format of ASTM F2058 (the safety alert symbol, the word WARNING, and the burn-within-sight, keep-away-from-things-that-catch-fire and keep-away-from-children statements), a net quantity statement in both ounces and grams, and the name and place of business of whoever makes or sells it. The warning comes from a voluntary industry standard; the net weight and business name come from federal packaging rules. Here is what each one means in practice, plus the extra rules if you ship to Europe.

The candle warning label: ASTM F2058

ASTM F2058, Standard Specification for Candle Fire Safety Labeling, sets out the cautionary information that goes on a candle's unit of sale. The National Candle Association, which has worked with ASTM International on candle standards since 1997, sums up its content as three cautions: always burn a candle within sight, keep candles away from things that can catch fire, and keep candles out of the reach of children.

• Format, text version: the safety alert symbol (a triangle with an exclamation mark), followed immediately by the signal word WARNING in bold uppercase letters, then the statements.
• Format, pictogram version: the safety alert symbol followed immediately by pictograms in place of the text.
• Placement: on the unit of sale, visible to the consumer at the point of sale.
• Not covered: the manufacturer, distributor or retailer must not cover, obstruct or remove the warning. A price sticker over the warning breaks the standard.

Most makers add their own burn instructions below the warning: trim the wick to 1/4 inch, let the first burn reach the edges, stop when half an inch of wax is left. Ours follow how to burn a soy candle. Keep them separate from the warning block so the required part stays easy to find.

Net weight and business name: FTC packaging rules

The FTC's regulations under the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (16 CFR part 500) apply to consumer commodities, and they contain a candle-specific provision, so candles are clearly in scope. For a container candle that means:

• Statement of identity on the principal display panel, the front of the label: what the product is, for example "Soy Candle".
• Net quantity of contents on the principal display panel, as a distinct item separated from other text, without qualifiers like "jumbo" or "minimum".
• By weight, in both units: a solid is declared by weight, in avoirdupois ounces and metric grams, for example "Net Wt 7 oz (198 g)". That is the weight of the candle, not the jar.
• Name and place of business of the manufacturer, packer or distributor, including street address, city, state and ZIP. If someone else makes the candle for you, qualify it: "Made for" or "Distributed by".

Tapers and irregularly shaped decorative candles that are hand dipped or molded get an exemption: they can be declared by count and length or height in inches, without the diameter. Decorative shapes poured in silicone molds, like those in our candle molds guide, can fall under it.

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What CPSC actually requires

The Consumer Product Safety Commission lists the ASTM candle standards (F2058 labeling, F2417 fire safety, F2179 glass containers and others) as voluntary standards. Its mandatory rules for candles are narrower:

• Lead in wicks: metal-cored wicks, and candles that use them, must not contain more than 0.06% lead by weight in the metal core. Bulk shipments must carry the statement "Conforms to 16 CFR 1500.17(a)(13)", and a General Certificate of Conformity citing that rule is needed for candles with metal-cored wicks.
• No certificate for other wicks: according to CPSC, there is no certification requirement for candles with non-metal-cored wicks, which covers the cotton and wood wicks most soy candle makers use.
• Hazardous substances: a candle that contains a hazardous substance as defined under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act must carry cautionary labeling under that act.

Fire safety by design: ASTM F2417

A label warns; ASTM F2417, Standard Specification for Fire Safety for Candles, is about the candle itself. It sets minimum requirements for maximum flame height, stability (tip-over), secondary ignition, and end-of-useful-life behavior, so that a candle does not flare up, ignite its own label, or overheat its container when it burns down. The current edition is F2417-26. For a small maker, the practical side of it is a proper burn test of every new wick and container combination: flame height, a full melt pool, no soot, and a jar that is not dangerously hot at the end. Wick sizing is in our candle wick size chart.

Selling into the EU or UK

If you list on Etsy and ship to Europe, the rules change. In the EU and the UK a scented candle is treated as a chemical mixture on a carrier (the wick) under CLP, Regulation (EC) 1272/2008 and its UK equivalent. The classification comes from the safety data sheet of your fragrance oil: when a skin sensitizer in the oil passes the classification threshold, the label needs the exclamation mark pictogram, the signal word Warning and "May cause an allergic skin reaction"; at lower levels it still needs the statement "Contains (substance name). May produce an allergic reaction." A classified candle's CLP label also needs the supplier's name, address and telephone number and the nominal quantity, in the language of the country of sale. More on fragrance allergens in are soy candles safe.

• GPSR, Regulation (EU) 2023/988, in force since 13 December 2024: an internal risk analysis and technical documentation kept for 10 years, a type or batch number on the product, and your name plus postal and electronic address on the product or packaging.
• Online listings to EU buyers must show the manufacturer's details, a picture and type of the product, and its warnings and safety information.
• Warning label: in Europe the fire safety pictograms follow EN 15494 rather than ASTM F2058.

Candle label checklist

1. Front panel: product identity ("Soy Candle") and net weight in oz and g, e.g. "Net Wt 7 oz (198 g)".
2. Warning block: safety alert symbol, WARNING, and the three ASTM F2058 cautions, visible at the point of sale and not covered by a price tag.
3. Your business name and address, with street, city, state and ZIP.
4. Burn instructions, kept separate from the warning.
5. Wicks without metal cores, or lead-compliant metal cores with a General Certificate of Conformity.
6. A burn test record for every wick and container combination.
7. For EU/UK orders: CLP hazard information from your fragrance SDS, a batch number and the GPSR contact details.

Labels are also a cost line: printing, and the time to design a label that fits a warning block. Factor them in with our candle cost calculator. The same labeling logic applies to soy wax melts if you sell them alongside candles.