An RN number (Registered Identification Number) is a number the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issues, free of charge, to US businesses that make, import, distribute or sell textile, wool or fur products. It can go on your garment label in place of your company name to show who is responsible for the product. It is optional, and only businesses based in the US can get one.
If your brand is outside the US, you don’t need one. You can put your full company name on the label instead. Here’s how it all works, and what else a US clothing label must show.
What is an RN number?
An RN is a short number with the prefix “RN”, for example “RN 123456”. The FTC issues it under the Textile, Wool and Fur Acts, the US laws that govern how clothing and other textile products are labelled.
US law says every covered product must identify the business responsible for marketing it. You can do that with your full business name or with an RN. The RN is simply a shorter, tidier way to meet that rule on a small label.
The FTC issues only one RN per company, and RNs sit in a public database, so anyone can look up the business behind a number.
Do you need an RN number for your clothing brand?
No. An RN number is never mandatory. What is mandatory, if you sell textile products in the US, is identifying the responsible business on the label.
The catch is what counts as your “name”. The FTC means the full name on your business documents, such as invoices and purchase orders. Your brand or trademark only counts if it’s also the name your company trades under. So if your company is “Northline Studio Ltd” and your brand is “NRTH”, the label needs “Northline Studio Ltd” or an RN, not just “NRTH”.
US brands often prefer an RN because it is short, looks professional and keeps the full legal name off a small label. If you only sell in the UK or EU, an RN does nothing for you.
How to get an RN number: step by step
If your business is based in the US, the process is quick and free:
- Check eligibility. You must be a US-based business that manufactures, imports, distributes or sells textile, wool or fur products.
- Create an account on the FTC’s RN system. Once registered, you have 24 hours to submit your RN request before the account is deactivated, so have your details ready first.
- Submit your business details. You’ll give your legal business name, address, contact details and the type of business you run.
- Wait for approval. FTC staff review the application and confirm by email. The FTC says online applications are usually processed within three business days.
- Keep it up to date. You must update your RN record if your business name, address or legal status changes. The FTC can cancel an RN that isn’t kept current.
Applications are online only; the FTC isn’t accepting mailed or faxed applications. For the latest details, see the FTC’s RN frequently asked questions. Because it’s free, there’s no reason to pay a third party to apply on your behalf.
Clothing RN numbers for brands outside the US
Foreign companies cannot get an RN. That includes UK, EU and Scandinavian brands selling into the US. You have three legitimate options:
- Use your full company name on the label. For example “Northline Studio Ltd” or “Northline ApS”. This is the simplest route and works for direct-to-consumer brands shipping to US customers.
- Use a US partner’s RN or name. The label can carry the RN or business name of a US company that imports, distributes or sells the product, such as your US distributor or a retailer that agrees to it.
- Set up a US entity. If you form a US-based business that imports and sells your goods, that entity can apply for its own RN.
We’re a Danish company, so we can’t hold an RN ourselves either. When we make US-bound garments, the label carries your company name or your US partner’s RN. If you’re using our private label clothing service, we put these details on your care labels exactly as you specify them.
Care label requirements: what a US clothing label must show
An RN number is just one part of a compliant label. For most apparel sold in the US, you need four things:
| Requirement | What it means | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Fibre content | Generic fibre names with percentages by weight, in descending order | Textile and Wool Acts |
| Country of origin | The specific country where the garment was made, e.g. “Made in Bangladesh” | Textile and Wool Acts |
| Manufacturer identity | Full business name or RN of the responsible business | Textile and Wool Acts |
| Care instructions | Regular care for ordinary use, plus warnings, on a permanent label | Care Labeling Rule |
Fibre content
List each fibre that makes up 5% or more by weight, using its generic name (“cotton”, “polyester”) rather than a trade name. Fibres under 5% can be grouped as “other fiber”, unless they have a clear function, such as spandex for stretch. Wool must always be named. Zips, buttons and most trims don’t need to be listed.
Country of origin
Name the actual country, in English. “Made in EU” is not acceptable for the US. On garments with a neck, the origin label must sit at the inside centre of the neck, between the shoulder seams or next to another neck label.
Care instructions
The FTC’s Care Labeling Rule requires a permanent label that stays legible for the garment’s useful life. It must cover washing, drying, ironing, bleaching and dry cleaning where relevant, and warn against procedures that would damage the garment. You also need a reasonable basis, such as test results or reliable experience, for every instruction.
You can use ASTM care symbols instead of words in the US. The FTC says ISO symbols, the system familiar from European labels, aren’t approved under the current rule. If you sell in both markets, words plus symbols is the safest approach.
All required information must be in English. You can add other languages alongside it.
An example of a compliant US label
Here’s what the required text on a cotton-blend hoodie made in Bangladesh, for a UK brand selling into the US, might look like:
80% Cotton, 20% Polyester. Exclusive of decoration.
Made in Bangladesh
Northline Studio Ltd
Machine wash cold with like colours. Only non-chlorine bleach when needed. Tumble dry low. Do not iron print.
The legal details often sit on a side-seam care label, with origin also shown at the neck. Capture all of this in your tech pack so the factory prints it correctly. Our guide to tech packs shows where labels and care details go.
UK and EU labelling: how it differs
If you also sell at home, the rules are different. The key points:
| Requirement | US | EU | UK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fibre composition | Mandatory | Mandatory (Regulation 1007/2011) | Mandatory (Textile Products Regulations 2012) |
| Country of origin | Mandatory | Not mandatory; must not mislead if shown | Not mandatory; must not mislead if shown |
| Care instructions | Mandatory (words or ASTM symbols) | Voluntary; GINETEX symbols widely used | Voluntary; GINETEX symbols widely used |
| Business identity | Name or RN | Required under general product safety rules | Required under general product safety rules |
The EU Textile Regulation 1007/2011 sets harmonised fibre names, such as “elastane” where a US label typically says “spandex”. Labels must be in the language or languages of the member state where the product is sold. Garments with non-textile parts of animal origin, such as leather patches, must state this.
Care labels are voluntary in the EU and UK. But once you add care symbols, most brands use the GINETEX system, and customers expect them. The UK retains equivalent fibre-labelling rules from before Brexit.
Common RN and labelling mistakes to avoid
- Using the brand name instead of the company name. Unless they’re the same, it doesn’t meet the identity rule.
- Putting someone else’s RN on your label without permission. Only use a partner’s RN when that business is involved in selling the product and agrees.
- Writing “Made in EU” for US goods. Name the country.
- Relying only on European care symbols for the US. Use words, or ASTM symbols.
- Guessing care instructions. Base them on testing or reliable experience with your fabric, print and trims.
How Fabrickly can help
We make custom woven labels, care labels and hangtags as part of production, printed with the label content you approve in your tech pack. Send your tech pack or a sketch for an itemised quote within one business day via our quote request page.
Frequently asked
Q: How much does an RN number cost?
Nothing. The FTC issues RN numbers free of charge, and there’s no fee to keep one.
Q: Can a company outside the US get an RN number?
No. RNs are only available to businesses based in the US. A foreign brand can put its full company name on the label, or use the RN or name of a US importer, distributor or retailer that agrees to it.
Q: How long does it take to get an RN number?
The FTC says online applications are usually processed within three business days. You’ll be notified by email once your RN is approved.
Q: Is an RN number required on clothing labels?
No. US labels must identify the responsible business, but you can do that with your full company name instead of an RN.
Q: Can I use my manufacturer’s RN number?
Only if that company is a US business involved in making, importing or selling the product, and agrees to it. Overseas factories can’t hold an RN, so they can’t give you one to use.
Q: Do US care labels need symbols?
No. Written instructions are fine, and ASTM symbols can be used instead of words. ISO symbols alone aren’t approved under the current FTC rule.
— Hasebul, Fabrickly