Prop 65 Compliance for Amazon Sellers
If you sell on Amazon to customers in California, California Proposition 65 applies to your listings. Amazon provides a dedicated Prop 65 warning field in Seller Central, and listings that omit a required warning are a frequent target for private enforcers monitoring the marketplace. Cosmetics, supplements, jewelry, electronics, and home fragrance are among the most commonly affected categories, but any product containing a listed chemical above the safe-harbor level can require a warning. Violations can cost up to $2,500 per violation per day, and private enforcers (often called bounty hunters) actively target online listings.
What Proposition 65 requires
Proposition 65 — the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 — requires businesses to give a "clear and reasonable" warning before knowingly exposing California consumers to any of the 900+ listed chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects, or reproductive harm.
There is no revenue or size exemption for online sales: if you sell to anyone in California, the law applies. For e-commerce, the warning must appear on the product listing page before purchase is completed — not buried in fine print or sent only in a post-purchase email.
How to add a compliant warning
Use the standard safe-harbor warning so it is presumed "clear and reasonable." The required language is: "WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and/or reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov." Where you know the specific chemical, name it (for example, lead or di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate).
Do not claim a product is "Prop 65 free" or "exempt" — unsubstantiated exemption claims can themselves trigger enforcement. If no warning is required, simply omit Prop 65 language rather than advertising an exemption.
Adding Prop 65 warnings on Amazon
Amazon provides a dedicated Prop 65 warning field in Seller Central, and listings that omit a required warning are a frequent target for private enforcers monitoring the marketplace. The warning must be visible to the buyer before purchase is completed, so place it directly on the listing rather than only in confirmation emails or packaging inserts. Cosmetics, supplements, jewelry, electronics, and home fragrance are among the most commonly affected categories, but any product containing a listed chemical above the safe-harbor level can require a warning. Review each product against the chemical list and, where a listed chemical is present above the safe-harbor level, add the standard safe-harbor warning naming the specific chemical where you know it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Prop 65 apply if my business is outside California?
Yes. Prop 65 follows the product, not the seller. If you ship to a California resident — from another US state or from overseas — the warning obligation applies to that sale.
What is the penalty for a missing Prop 65 warning?
Penalties can reach $2,500 per violation per day. Most enforcement comes from private "bounty hunter" plaintiffs who send 60-day notices of violation, and many cases settle for thousands of dollars plus attorney fees.
Where do I place a Prop 65 warning on a Amazon listing?
Amazon provides a dedicated Prop 65 warning field in Seller Central, and listings that omit a required warning are a frequent target for private enforcers monitoring the marketplace. The warning must appear before the buyer completes the purchase — on the product page itself — so it is clear and prominent rather than buried in fine print.
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