Reference or Full PGA message set: what does my customs broker need from me?
For a Full PGA message set, give your broker the seven certificate data elements for each product, every time it is imported. For a Reference set, enter and certify the certificate in CPSC’s Product Registry first, then give the broker three identifiers: Certifier ID, Product ID and Version ID. The Registry does not send them to CBP.
Side by side
| Full PGA message set | Reference PGA message set | |
|---|---|---|
| Broker transmits | Product ID, citation codes, manufacture date and place, test date, testing lab, point of contact | Certifier ID, Product ID, Version ID |
| Product Registry account | Not needed | Needed: certificate entered and certified before the entry |
| Data you send | In full, for every entry | Once in the Registry, then three IDs per entry |
Source for the table: CPSC eFiling FAQ. CPSC calls the Reference route preferable when an importer repeatedly imports products covered by the same certificates.
What your broker cannot do alone
- Pull identifiers from the Registry: it “does not communicate with CBP’s ACE system,” so you pass the three identifiers yourself CPSC eFiling FAQ.
- Attach a Reference set to a manifest: it requires an entry CPSC eFiling FAQ.
- Choose the rules: citation codes follow the CFR part, or the section number for the toy standard, and testing exclusions have their own codes CPSC code guidance.
Keeping identifiers current
After you certify, a 48-hour window, which CPSC says may change, lets you correct a certificate under the same Version ID. Later corrections, or corrections after the version was used in a Reference set, need a new Version ID Registry FAQ, Q7. A retest or a material change means a new version too, and your broker must switch to it.
When a broker is the importer of record, it may name the owner, purchaser or consignee as the party responsible for the certificate data 16 CFR 1110.3. Disclaim messages, for products under a flagged tariff code that need no certificate, are optional CPSC eFiling FAQ.
Every Certificate Package includes a one-page broker sheet: the three identifiers for a Reference set and the full seven elements as a fallback, with the CSV file to import into your Registry account. $79 per product, 2 U.S. business days. We never file with CBP and never log into your Registry account.
Last reviewed: September 30, 2026 · First published: September 30, 2026 · Not legal advice.