Kristy Ware, Program Manager
Phone: 801-982-2264
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Purpose of the Program

The purpose of the Bedding, Upholstered Furniture and Quilted Clothing Program is to protect consumers against fraud and product misrepresentation, to assure Utahns hygienically clean products, and to provide allergy awareness when purchasing these articles. The State of Utah’s Bedding, Upholstered Furniture and Quilted Clothing Inspection Act applies to all bedding, upholstered furniture, and clothing made in whole or in part with filling material. Filling materials may include cotton, wool, feather and down, rubber, foam, hair, man-made or synthetic fibers and their by-products, and even vegetable fibers, seeds, etc.

Utah law requires that every manufacturer, supply dealer, wholesaler (including importers) of bedding, upholstered furniture, quilted clothing and products which can be used in the making or repairing of these articles, whose products are offered for sale within the State of Utah, obtain annually a license issued by this Department for their particular type of business. This license must be purchased prior to the time such merchandise enters the State of Utah or before engaging in repairing or reupholstering furniture or bedding, and before manufacturing regulated products within the State.

License fees fund an inspection program which allows products to be examined and tested to ensure contents are accurately labeled. License fees go to the general fund and are generally sufficient to make the program self-sustaining.

History of the Program

In the early 1900’s, some manufacturers were recovering used bedding and/or furniture and selling it as new. Others were reusing filling material from old products to make new products.

Manufacturers who made products of all new materials charged more for their products because it cost more to make them; they couldn’t compete price-wise. Consumers, who purchased used goods, thinking they were new, paid less, but got less performance from the products. However, they did get dust mites, skin cells, pet hair, urine, or other bodily excretions left in the used filling by previous owners.

Laws requiring tagging of products and licensing of manufacturers were enacted to protect manufacturers from unscrupulous competitors and to inform consumers about the quality, condition, and content of the filling materials in the bedding, furniture, and clothing they purchase. Occasionally products are still incorrectly tagged and fail to indicate the true nature of the filling materials. The funds generated by license fees allow us to run laboratory tests on such products. Testing encourages truth in labeling.