Participation in the AFSL Program

Participation in the AFSL program is voluntary but requires U.S. importers to sign an agreement with AFSL that obligates them to have all consumer fireworks shipped to them tested by AFSL.  Consumer fireworks that fail to comply with the AFSL standards may not be imported by the AFSL Importer Member under the terms of the agreement. 

China shippers also must sign an agreement to ship only AFSL tested fireworks to AFSL Importer Members. 

Manufacturers in countries other than China may become an AFSL member by signing an agreement to produce, sell, and ship only AFSL approved consumer fireworks to AFSL Importer Members.

Product Certification

Before a shipment is certified, it is tested by an independent, internationally recognized testing laboratory under contract to AFSL. The laboratory randomly selects samples from the shipment and tests them for compliance with the AFSL standards.

If the sample meets all requirements, an AFSL certification label is applied to each shipping carton in the tested lot. The labels are manufactured with security features to prevent duplication and tampering, and  are tightly controlled by AFSL to ensure that they are only applied to properly certified consumer fireworks. 

Fireworks manufactured or assembled in the United States also may be certified at the request of the U.S. manufacturer.

Funding for the AFSL Program

The testing and certification program is funded by a fee charged to the U.S. importer for each case of fireworks tested and approved for shipment.  Fees are collected by the shipper, on AFSL’s behalf, when payment for the merchandise is collected.