Under FTC rules, care instructions must be on a label permanently attached to the garment, and fiber content, country of origin and the maker's name or RN number must be on a label as well. A hang tag cannot replace those labels. It is a sales tool, carrying the brand story, price, size and barcode the shopper sees before buying.
So most clothing carries two kinds of printed piece. The sewn-in label carries the required information for the life of the garment. The hang tag carries everything else until the customer cuts it off.
What does the FTC require on a clothing label?
Two sets of rules apply to most apparel sold in the US. The Care Labeling Rule (16 CFR Part 423) covers washing and drycleaning instructions. The Textile Fiber Products Identification Act and the FTC's Textile Rules (16 CFR Part 303) cover fiber content, country of origin and who made or sold the item.
| Requirement | What it says | How it is attached | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Care instructions | One complete washing or drycleaning method, plus warnings against harmful procedures a consumer might try | Permanently, and legible for the useful life of the garment | Care Labeling Rule, 16 CFR 423 |
| Fiber content | Generic fiber names and percentages, largest first; fibers under 5 percent can be listed as other fiber, except wool | Securely, until the item reaches the customer | Textile Rules, 16 CFR 303 |
| Country of origin | Where it was made, such as Made in USA of imported fabric | On the front of a label at the inside center of the neck, on garments with a neck | Textile Rules, 16 CFR 303 |
| Maker identity | Company name or the FTC-issued RN number | Securely; it can share a label with fiber content | Textile Rules, 16 CFR 303 |
Source pages: the FTC guide to the Care Labeling Rule and the FTC guide to the Textile and Wool Acts.
Can a hang tag carry the required information instead of a label?
Not for care instructions on ordinary garments. The Care Labeling Rule requires a label attached permanently and legible for the useful life of the product, and a hang tag is cut off on day one. The FTC allows care information on a hang tag or the package only in narrow cases:
- When packaging hides the care label at the point of sale, the care instructions must also appear on the outside of the package or on a hang tag.
- Hosiery needs no permanent label, but needs care instructions on a hang tag, the package or another conspicuous place.
- Totally reversible garments without pockets, and items that survive the harshest care and are labeled Wash or dryclean, any normal method, can use a conspicuous temporary label at the point of sale.
For fiber content, a hang tag can name and promote a fiber, such as an organic cotton or merino story, but only if the garment also carries the full fiber content label. A tag that mentions fibers without the full content must say so, for example See label for the product's full fiber content.
The textile disclosures do not legally have to be permanent, only securely attached until the item reaches the customer. In practice most brands put fiber content, origin, RN and care on the same sewn-in label, because the care part has to be permanent anyway.
What is an RN number and do you need one?
An RN, or Registered Identification Number, is a number issued and registered by the FTC that can appear on a label in place of the company name. It is written with the RN prefix before the digits, and one RN covers textile, wool and fur labels. It is optional: the company name is just as valid. Apply through the FTC RN system.
How should care instructions be written?
Give one complete method and warn against anything that would damage the garment. If the item can be washed or drycleaned, one of the two is enough, and an item that can be neither must say Do not wash, Do not dryclean. A complete washing instruction covers five points:
- Washing: by machine or by hand, with the water temperature if hotter water would harm it.
- Bleaching: whether bleach is safe, and which kind.
- Drying: tumble or line dry, with the setting if heat would harm it.
- Ironing: whether it can be ironed, and at what setting.
- Warnings: any procedure a consumer might reasonably try that would harm the garment, such as Do not iron.
You need a reasonable basis, such as test results or fabric supplier data, for every instruction. Care symbols can be used, but the FTC's guidance says only the ASTM symbols are approved, not the ISO symbols used in Europe. If you sell in both markets, words beside the symbols cover both.
Woven or printed garment labels?
Woven labels usually carry the brand at the neck. Printed labels usually carry the care and content text. A woven label has the logo woven into the fabric, so it feels substantial and does not fade. A printed label on satin, nylon or cotton tape holds small type crisply, which suits long care text in several languages.
| Piece | What it carries | How it is attached | Stays on? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woven label | Logo, sometimes size | Sewn into the neck or a seam | Yes |
| Printed care label | Care, fiber content, origin, RN | Sewn into a side seam or the neck | Yes, care must be permanent |
| Hang tag | Brand story, style, size, barcode, price | String, safety pin or plastic fastener | No, removed after purchase |
| Swing ticket or price ticket | Price, size, style number, barcode | String, fastener or a perforated stub | No |
What should a hang tag include?
- Brand name and logo.
- Style name or number, size and color.
- Price, or a perforated stub if prices differ by store.
- A barcode if the item is sold through retailers or scanned at your own register.
- A short line about the fabric or how it was made, pointing to the care label if you mention fibers.
- Your website or social handle.
Hang tags are made flat, folded or die-cut to a custom shape, with foil or embossing for premium lines, and attached by string or hardware. A folded tag gives four panels for a brand story. Swing tickets and price tickets come perforated and strung in bulk for stores that reprice often.
Write the care label from the production fabric, not the sample fabric. Fabrics change between sample and production, and a care label written for a 100 percent cotton sample is wrong on a cotton and polyester production run. Approve the label text against the fabric supplier's spec sheet and keep that sheet on file as your reasonable basis.
How long do hang tags and labels take?
Standard print is two to three business days after proof approval, with 24 to 48 hour rush on most products. Foil, embossing and custom die shapes add time because a die has to be made first. Order tags and labels with the production schedule, so they are ready when the garments arrive, and pair them with garment boxes, tissue and shopping bags in one order. Delivery is free anywhere in Manhattan, so a showroom or stockroom gets them the day they are finished.
Hang tag and care label questions
Are hang tags legally required?
No. Federal rules require a permanent care label and labeling of fiber content, country of origin and maker identity. A hang tag is optional, except in narrow cases such as hosiery or when packaging hides the care label.
Can care instructions go on a hang tag instead of a sewn label?
Not for most garments. The FTC Care Labeling Rule requires care instructions on a label that is permanently attached and legible for the life of the garment.
Where does the country of origin label go?
On garments with a neck, on the front of a label at the inside center of the neck, either midway between the shoulder seams or next to another label there.
Do I need an RN number?
No. An RN can replace your company name on the label, but the company name is equally valid.
Can I use only care symbols on a label?
Yes, if they are the ASTM symbols the FTC recognizes. Add words if you also sell where other symbol systems are used.
See hang tag, garment label and fashion printing, and our guide to lookbook and line sheet printing for the season's sales materials.
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