CA Made is a new state labeling program designed to encourage consumer product awareness and to promote the purchase of products manufactured in California. The program is administered by the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). CA Made provides the following services to approved products:

• A license to use the CA Made label on products, packaging, and point of sale merchandising.
• Placement of the product and company biography on the CA Made website.
• Information on services from program partners.
• Marketing via GO-Biz’s social media sites (e.g. Twitter, Facebook).
• The program’s branding will communicate a message that is inclusive of the state’s diverse regions and manufacturers and that represents California as a world leader in innovation, style, and quality goods.

Made in California Seal

All brands that apply and want to apply for the Made In California seal must first meet these standards:

1. Started and HQ in the U.S.
2. 100% of staff is in the U.S. for brands under $5 Million and no more than 40% of staff is outside of the U.S. for companies with $5Million or more.
3. If the brand is a product it must be made in a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) compliant manufacturing facility. If the brand is a service the services are performed in the U.S.
4. The product labeling must meet FDA packaging requirements.
5. Any claims made must meet FDA and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requirements for substantiation.
6. Online stores must show ingredient list before consumer makes a purchase.
7. The product must be “substantially made” in California in accordance with California Government Code section 12098.10 et seq. For purposes of the program, “substantially made” means completing an act that adds at least 51 percent of a final product’s wholesale value by manufacture assembly, fabrication, or production to create a final, recognizable product. This does not include the act of packaging a product.
8. The product must be able to lawfully use a “Made in U.S.A.” label pursuant to Section 17533.7 of California’s Business and Professions Code.
9. An annual fee must be paid, ranging from $300 to $850, depending on the number of products in an application and other AMB services purchased.
10. Certification from a third-party is required at least once every three years.

Eligible applicants may include sole proprietors, corporations, partnerships, or any other business entity type that is legally authorized to do business in California.

Third-Party Certification

The statute for CA Made indicates that a qualified third-party certifier is an “individual, group, or association that possesses a professional license, certification, or other equivalent documentation indicating sufficient training, education, or expertise to perform a regulatory compliance audit.” The definition of “third-party certifier” in the final adopted regulations includes three additional criteria:

• Legally and financially separate from the applicant;
• “Familiar” with the product being certified, meaning the “third-party certifier” has sufficient knowledge about the supply chain of the specified product(s) to verify the source of the product components in order to perform a third-party regulatory audit as set forth in Government Code section 12098.10 et seq.; and,
• Legally authorized to operate in California.

Applicants will provide the third-party certifier with the CA Made Third-Party Certification Form to complete and sign. The applicant will upload the completed and signed CA Made Third-Party Certification Form to their application before submitting it via the website.

Get the process started here.