Why is it Illegal to Remove Mattress Tags?

Reason for Tags

• Tags or labels on mattresses are primarily meant to inform the consumer about whether recycled materials were used to stuff the mattress, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Tags offer information about whether a mattress is new or used and how flame-retardant it is.

History

• U.S. states first started passing laws requiring labels on mattresses in 1913, whereas the federal government started requiring such labels in 1972, according to an article by Mary Whisner in Law Library Journal. States responded when workers protested that food particles and other inappropriate items were being swept into piles that went into mattress stuffing, according to Whisner's research.

Tracking the Mattresses

• Government inspectors don't test every mattress, but the labels help them match up mattresses on sale at stores with manufacturers, and also assist with recalls of mattresses if a safety problem is discovered.

Warning

• Tennessee repealed its mattress-tag law in 1983, then found that used mattresses were being shipped to the state to take advantage of the lax rules there. The state began requiring mattress labels again in 2003.

Effects

• Earlier tags on mattresses warned it was a crime to remove the tags, but most newer ones include "except by consumer"-- it's OK for the final purchaser to take the tag off.