Compliance Guide
Suffocation Warning Labels & Poly Bag Rules: Amazon's Packaging Requirements Explained
By Alice Wu, CEO & Founder Published · Last updated
Short answer
Amazon requires a suffocation warning on any poly bag with an opening of 5 inches or more, whatever is inside, including outer bags on multi-packs. The bag must be at least 1.5 mil thick, and the warning must be clearly visible on the bag itself.
When a Suffocation Warning Label Is Required
Amazon requires a suffocation warning label on any poly bag with an opening of 5 inches or more. The rule exists for child-safety reasons, not packaging aesthetics, and it applies regardless of what’s inside the bag.
What the Label Must Say
The standard warning text reads: “WARNING: To avoid danger of suffocation, keep this plastic bag away from babies and children. Do not use this bag in cribs, beds, carriages, or playpens. This bag is not a toy.” The label needs to be clearly visible on the bag itself, not buried inside packaging where a scanner or inspector won’t see it. If you need the warning as a separate sticker, we produce these through our label printing service.
Poly Bag Thickness Rules
Beyond the warning label, Amazon specifies a minimum bag thickness of 1.5 mil to reduce tear and suffocation risk. Thin, flimsy bags are one of the most common reasons shipments get flagged at receiving.
Common Poly-Bagging Mistakes
- Bag opening of 5 inches or more with no warning label — the single most common compliance miss.
- Using a bag that’s too small, forcing the product to stretch the material thin at the seams.
- Clear bag over a product with small parts without an additional choking-hazard label where required by category.
- Skipping the poly bag entirely for products that actually require one per Amazon’s category-specific packaging guidance, assuming the outer carton is enough protection.
- Using opaque bags for products that need to be visually inspectable at receiving, which can slow down check-in.
Bundles and Multi-Unit Bags
When multiple units are bagged together (see our kitting and bundling service), the suffocation warning requirement still applies to the outer bag if its opening is 5 inches or more — don’t assume a multi-pack is exempt just because it’s a bundle rather than a single retail unit.
Quick Pre-Sealing Checklist
| Check | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Bag opening 5 inches or more | Suffocation warning on the bag |
| Bag thickness | At least 1.5 mil |
| Warning placement | Clearly visible on the bag itself, not hidden inside packaging |
| Bag size | Large enough that the product doesn’t stretch the seams |
| Clear bag over small parts | Additional choking-hazard label where the category requires it |
| Multi-unit or bundle bags | Same warning rule applies to the outer bag |
Getting This Right Before You Ship
The fastest way to catch a poly-bagging compliance gap is to check it against your product’s actual bag size and category before the batch is sealed, not after a shipment gets flagged. Our shrink wrapping and poly bagging service checks bag size, thickness, and warning-label placement as a standard step, not an add-on — send us your product dimensions and we’ll confirm what applies.