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US federal rule

Window covering cord safety

ANSI/WCMA A100.1; 16 CFR Part 1260

What it covers

Corded blinds and shades are a strangulation hazard for young children. In the US the voluntary standard ANSI/WCMA A100.1 sets the cord requirements; the 2022 edition is current, and the 2018 edition is the one a CPSC substantial-product-hazard rule (16 CFR 1120.3) refers to for stock products. A separate mandatory CPSC rule for operating cords on custom window coverings (16 CFR Part 1260) was vacated by the D.C. Circuit on 12 September 2023, although the eCFR still prints its text. In September 2026 the CPSC proposed new hazard rules for custom products. Motorised operation removes the operating cord, which is one way manufacturers meet these rules.

Official number
ANSI/WCMA A100.1; 16 CFR Part 1260
Kind
US federal rule
Issued by
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission; Window Covering Manufacturers Association
Regions
United States
Applies to
Shading motors (blinds, shutters, awnings)
Applies from
2023-05-30
Official text
ecfr.gov

Key dates

  1. Stock window covering cord rule (16 CFR 1120.3, substantial product hazard) takes effect. ecfr.gov
  2. D.C. Circuit vacates the Safety Standard for Operating Cords on Custom Window Coverings (16 CFR Part 1260), Window Covering Manufacturers Association v. CPSC, No. 22-1300. courtlistener.com
  3. CPSC proposes amendments to the substantial product hazard list for window covering cords (91 FR 60546); comments close 2026-11-23. The proposal would incorporate ANSI/WCMA A100.1-2022. govinfo.gov

Standards it relies on

Market-access guides

Sources

  1. 16 CFR Part 1260 (eCFR)
  2. WCMA v. CPSC, 82 F.4th 1273 (D.C. Cir. 2023)
  3. CPSC proposed rule, 91 FR 60546 (24 September 2026)
  4. 16 CFR Part 1120 (eCFR)

This is our summary, not the legal text and not legal advice. Check the official text before you rely on it.

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