A law label is a legally required tag or

label A label (as distinct from signage) is a piece of paper, plastic film, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or product. Labels are most often affixed to packaging and containers using an adhesive, or sewing when affix ...

on new items describing the fabric and filling regulating the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

mattress A mattress is a large, usually rectangular pad for supporting a person Lying (position), lying down, especially for sleeping. It is designed to be used as a bed, or on a bed frame as part of a bed. Mattresses may consist of a Quilting, quilted o ...

upholstery Upholstery is the work of providing furniture, especially seats, with padding, springs, webbing, and fabric or leather covers. The word also refers to the materials used to upholster something. ''Upholstery'' comes from the Middle English wor ...

, and stuffed article (e.g.,

pillow A pillow is a support of the body at rest for comfort, therapy, or decoration. Pillows are used in different variations by many species, including humans. Some types of pillows include throw pillows, body pillows, decorative pillows, and man ...

s, plush

toy A toy or plaything is an object that is used primarily to provide entertainment. Simple examples include toy blocks, board games, and dolls. Toys are often designed for use by children, although many are designed specifically for adults and p ...

comforter A comforter (in American English), also known as a doona in Australian English, or a continental quilt (or simply quilt) or duvet in British English, is a type of bedding made of two lengths of fabric or covering sewn together and filled with in ...

s, etc.) industry. Typically these tags begin with a phrase such as ''This tag may not be removed under penalty of law except by the consumer.'' Some states require tags on used bedding as well. The purpose of the law label is to inform the consumer of the hidden contents, or "filling materials" inside bedding and furniture products. The law label was born in the early 1900s to prevent these articles from being further manufactured with contents such as horse hair, corn husks and whatever else a manufacturer could find to use that the consumer would never see, similar to food labeling.

Law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...

s requiring these tags were passed in the

to inform

consumer A consumer is a person or a group who intends to order, or use purchased goods, products, or services primarily for personal, social, family, household and similar needs, who is not directly related to entrepreneurial or business activities. ...

s as to whether the stuffed article they were buying contained new or

recycled Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. This concept often includes the recovery of energy from waste materials. The recyclability of a material depends on its ability to reacquire the propert ...

materials. Such stuffed article labelling laws exist in other

jurisdiction Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' and 'speech' or 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United States, the concept of jurisdiction applies at multiple level ...

s, for example, the tag required on

duvet A duvet ( , ; ), usually called a comforter or (''down-filled'') quilt in American English, and a doona in Australian English, is a type of bedding consisting of a soft flat bag filled with down feather, down, feathers, wool, cotton, silk, o ...

s sold in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, that describe the materials used and the tog insulation rating. Many mattress manufacturers such as Sealy, Simmons and Serta require these tags to be produced in the event of a warranty claim.

Popular culture

The wording of the warnings printed on some law labels has caused a common misconception in the USA that removing such a label under any circumstance is a crime, prohibiting consumers from removing labels from items they have purchased. Especially contributing to this confusion was that originally the wording on such labels did ''not'' contain the phrase ''except by consumer''.

External links

International Association of Bedding and Furniture Law Officials
– Organization of state officials who are responsible for the enforcement of consumer oriented bedding and furniture laws in their respective states.
Minnesota Statutes 325F.31: Bedding to be labeled.
– Legal requirements in Minnesota for labeling new or remanufactured bedding.
Minnesota Statutes 325F.28: Material must be renovated.
– A legal definition of requirements in Minnesota for sterilizing and renovating old mattresses. {{DEFAULTSORT:Law label Bedding Informal legal terminology