CE Mark for Toys and Board Games (EN 71)

A board game for children under 14 sold in the EU needs the CE mark. The CE mark shows the game meets the EU Toy Safety Directive, the EU law for toys. To earn it, the game is tested to EN 71 (often written EN71), the European toy safety standard. This guide covers CE marking toys and board games: which games need it, the tests, the documents, and the cost and timing.

Which Games Need the CE Mark

The Toy Safety Directive treats any product made for play by children under 14 as a toy. So a board game for children needs the CE mark for toys before it can be sold in the EU. A game made only for players aged 14 and over is not a toy, and does not need it. The rule applies to games made in Europe and to games imported from outside it.

The EN 71 Tests

For board games, three parts of EN 71 apply:

• EN 71-1, mechanical and physical properties: no sharp edges, and no small parts a young child could choke on.
• EN 71-2, flammability: the parts must not catch fire easily.
• EN 71-3, migration of certain elements: no harmful heavy metals in the coatings, inks and materials. Each colour and material is tested on its own.

The lab also checks the labels on the box. Other parts of EN 71, such as those for electric toys, do not apply to board games.

REACH: The Chemical Tests for Inks and Materials

REACH is the EU regulation on chemicals: Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (EC No. 1907/2006). For a board game, it means the lab checks the inks, coatings and materials for restricted chemicals. Every printed part is tested, because every printed part carries ink. The REACH tests on a board game check for:

• The seven restricted phthalates: BBP, DBP, DEHP and DIBP (REACH Annex XVII, entry 51), and DNOP, DINP and DIDP (entry 52). Phthalates are chemicals that make plastics soft, and they can also be found in inks and coatings.
• Lead: in the inks, coatings and materials.
• Cadmium (entry 23) and PAHs, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (entry 50), which our lab reports also cover.

REACH tests are strongly recommended for any game for children under 6, and many retailers ask for them for every children's game. Our factory prints with water-based inks from the Japanese maker DIC, with no lead or heavy metals, so our games pass these tests. Each colour and material is still tested on its own, so tell the lab every colour in your game.

The Documents You Need

To sell a game for children in the EU, you need three things:

1. The test report from an accredited lab.
2. An EU declaration of conformity (DoC): a signed statement from the manufacturer that the game meets the rules.
3. The CE mark on the box, at least 5 mm high, with an EU address for the seller or importer.

The official CE mark files are in our labeling assets. Our guide to board game box labels and warning signs shows where it goes.

Whose Name Goes on the Report

If you import or distribute games, you have the same responsibility as the manufacturer. You need a test report showing that the games you sell meet the rules. A report held only by the factory is not enough if your company or your games are checked. So the CE certificate should name your company.

Cost and Timing

A test costs a base fee of USD 100, plus USD 170 for every three materials or colours in your game. Each extra EU country you want the CE test to cover adds USD 100, in the same request. Testing takes about 9 working days after production, or roughly 5 days for an express test at double the cost. Our guide to how board game safety testing works gives a worked example of the price.

Does the CE Mark Work Outside the EU?

• Great Britain: the tests are the same, but games sold there also need the UKCA mark. Extending your CE certificate to the UK costs USD 100. Our guide to the UKCA mark explains it.
• Northern Ireland: yes, it follows the EU toy rules.
• The US: no. The US needs its own tests and a CPSC certificate.
• Canada, Australia and other countries: they have their own standards. Smaller markets such as Israel and the UAE will most of the time accept the EU report. Our guide to ISO 8124 and toy safety in the rest of the world covers them.

To plan the CE testing for your game, contact us.