What must a listing for a used or vintage fur say?
Under the Fur Products Labeling Act and the FTC's Fur Rules, a fur garment that a consumer has worn and that is marketed again must be designated "Second-hand" and described as used fur, with the animal's name from the FTC's Fur Products Name Guide, whether the fur is dyed or otherwise colored, any paws, tails or other pieces, and the fur's country of origin, where "Fur origin: Unknown" is allowed for used furs when it isn't known.
Those disclosures go in your advertising too, which includes an online listing, and the only exemption is for trappers and hunters selling their own furs face to face, so a reseller's online sale isn't exempt.
General information about federal law, not legal advice. This page quotes the rule and the agency's own guidance; it can't tell you whether your business meets them, and state law and marketplace policies can add more. For your own situation, check with a lawyer.
Made in USA, textile, wool and fur labeling (16 CFR Parts 300, 301, 303 and 323). Checked against the official sources below on .
The rule, in its own words
“When a fur product has been used or worn by an ultimate consumer and is subsequently marketed in its original, reconditioned, or rebuilt form…”
“When fur in any form has been worn or used by an ultimate consumer it shall be designated “used fur” as a part of the required information in invoicing and advertising.”
“…this fact shall be set out as a part of the required information in lieu of the country of origin as “Fur origin: Unknown.””
“…does not show that the fur is used fur or that the fur product contains used fur, when such is the fact…”
What goes in the listing
- The animal name exactly as in the Fur Products Name Guide (16 CFR 301.0). No other animal's name and no coined names; "Sable Mink" and "Chinchilla Rabbit" are examples the rules forbid (301.7). The country adjective ("Russian Mink") is optional.
- "Used Fur" (301.21) and the designation "Second-hand", or "Reconditioned-Second-hand" or "Rebuilt-Second-hand" if it was reworked (301.23).
- Color treatment: whether the fur is bleached, dyed or otherwise artificially colored (69c(a)(3)); the FTC's guide also lists pointed fur, and says to label it "natural" if none of those treatments was used.
- Pieces: if paws, tails, bellies or waste fur make up the product in whole or in substantial part, which the FTC puts at more than 10% of surface area.
- Damage, when damaged fur is known to be in the product ("Contains Damaged Fur", 301.22).
- Fur origin for imported furs, or "Fur origin: Unknown" for used furs when the origin isn't known and you make no claim about it (301.14).
- Lining or shell fiber: the wool content of a wool coat with fur trim, and a fur coat's lining fiber if the lining adds warmth or contains any wool (FTC fur guide).
All parts of the required information must be stated close together and, in print, in legible type of equal size (301.38(a)), in English (301.3). The grouped statement "Fur products labeled to show country of origin of imported furs" can't be used in catalog or online sales, where the buyer doesn't see the label before delivery (301.38(b)(2)).
Sample wording (ours, not an official form)
Second-hand. Mink. Used Fur. Natural. Fur origin: Unknown. Full-length coat, satin lining.
The label on the coat
For second-hand fur products, 301.23 applies the Act's labeling, invoicing and advertising requirements alike. The label must show the animal name, used fur, color treatment, pieces, the name or FTC registered identification number (RN) of a business that makes, sells, advertises or distributes it, and the country of origin of imported furs (15 U.S.C. 69b). It must stay attached "throughout any distribution, sale, or resale, and until sold and delivered to the ultimate consumer" (301.27). A business can request an RN through the FTC's site (301.26(d)). If you replace a label, the Act requires you to keep records of the old label and of where the item came from for three years (69a(e)). Anyone who fails to keep those records forfeits $100 for each day of the failure, under the same subsection.
Common items
| Item | Fur product? | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Vintage mink coat | Yes | Mink; Used Fur; Second-hand; natural or dyed; fur origin or "Fur origin: Unknown". |
| Wool coat with fox collar | Yes, made in part of fur | Fur disclosures for the collar, plus the wool content of the coat. |
| Shearling jacket | Yes: "fur" includes skins with fleece attached (69(b)) | "Shearling Lamb" is a permitted term for sheared and combed lamb skin (301.9). |
| Rabbit fur keychain or throw pillow | Not wearing apparel, so not a "fur product" by 69(d) | It is still fur (69(b)), and the Act's advertising rule applies to a "fur product or fur" (69c(a)): animal name, used fur, bleached or dyed, and the origin of imported fur. The FTC guide we read doesn't address non-apparel items, so giving the same disclosures is the cautious course. |
| Faux fur coat (acrylic) | No, a textile product | Don't use fur-animal names such as "mink" for it (16 CFR 303.9). |
Edge cases
- The $150 exemption is gone. The FTC says its exemption for fur products with a component value of $150 "has not been in effect since March 18, 2011."
- The only exemption is for fur from trapping or hunting sold face to face at a home, craft fair or other temporary place by the trapper or hunter, when such sales aren't their main income (69a(g), 301.39).
- Dog and cat fur. The FTC notes the Dog and Cat Protection Act of 2000 prohibits selling, advertising or distributing any products made with dog or cat fur, with penalties of $3,000 to $10,000 per violation.
- Name Guide isn't permission. The FTC says a name on the list doesn't make the fur legal to sell; some listed animals are endangered species.
- Don't remove labels before the consumer gets the item (69a(d)); substituting a compliant label is allowed with records (69a(e)).
- Records. The FTC's guide says manufacturers and dealers must keep records of the animal name, the name or RN of the manufacturer, importer or seller, country of origin for imported products and the other required information for at least three years; the Fur Rules require dealers to keep records of the required information (301.41).
What to do
- Identify the animal and use the Name Guide name; if you're unsure, get it identified before listing.
- Put "Second-hand", "Used Fur", the color treatment (or "natural") and fur origin (or "Fur origin: Unknown") together in the description.
- Photograph the existing fur label.
- Check that the label meets 69b; if it doesn't, consider a substitute label with your name or RN and keep the records for three years.
- Never list dog or cat fur, and check endangered species rules before listing exotic furs.
Penalties, as the agency states them
The FTC states the consequences this way:
“Violators of an administrative order are subject to monetary civil penalties of up to $53,088 per violation. Each instance of mislabeling is considered a separate violation. Criminal proceedings can be brought against willful violators of the FPLA.”
Questions
Do I really have to write "used fur" in an online listing?
The rules say used fur "shall be designated “used fur” as a part of the required information in invoicing and advertising" (301.21(a)), and 15 U.S.C. 69c(a)(2) treats an ad that doesn't show it as false advertising.
I don't know where the fur came from. What do I write?
For used furs whose origin is unknown, when you make no claim about it, the rules allow "Fur origin: Unknown" in place of the country (301.14).
Is a fur stole or hat a fur product?
Yes, if it is wearing apparel made in whole or in part of fur; the Fur Rules define wearing apparel as any article of clothing or covering for any part of the body (301.1(b)).
Sources
Every rule, number and date on this page comes from these official pages, each read on ; quotes are copied word for word. General information, not legal advice.
- 16 CFR Part 301: Rules and Regulations under the Fur Products Labeling Act (eCFR (Office of the Federal Register); eCFR, up to date as of Oct 21, 2026)
- 15 U.S.C. 69c: false advertising and invoicing of fur products (United States Code, 2024 edition (GPO, govinfo.gov); United States Code, 2024 edition)
- FTC: How to Comply with the Fur Products Labeling Act (Federal Trade Commission; November 2014, edited January 2025)
- 15 U.S.C. 69: Fur Products Labeling Act definitions (United States Code, 2024 edition (GPO, govinfo.gov); United States Code, 2024 edition)
- 15 U.S.C. 69a: Fur Act violations, label removal and the trapper exemption (United States Code, 2024 edition (GPO, govinfo.gov); United States Code, 2024 edition)
- 15 U.S.C. 69b: misbranded fur products (United States Code, 2024 edition (GPO, govinfo.gov); United States Code, 2024 edition)
- FTC: Threading Your Way Through the Labeling Requirements Under the Textile and Wool Acts (Federal Trade Commission; July 2014, edited October 2020 and January 2025)
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