No flammability standard for upholstered furniture. All three provincial schemes were repealed between 2019 and 2021.
Written by a British upholsterer. This is informational guidance rather than legal advice, and I work in England. Every statement is sourced and the sources are listed at the foot of the page — check them, and where a job carries real risk get the requirement confirmed in writing by whoever is responsible for the premises.
Domestic work
No upholstery flammability standard, federal or provincial
The provincial schemes are all gone
Ontario repealed its Upholstered and Stuffed Articles Regulation on 1 July 2019, Manitoba repealed its equivalent on 1 January 2020, and Quebec repealed the Act Respecting Stuffing and Upholstered and Stuffed Articles on 9 December 2021. Registration and licensing as a renovator are no longer required anywhere in Canada.
Beware old guidance
A great deal of what is still online describes the registration and gold, blue and white label system as though it were current. It is not, and has not been for years.
Fibre content labelling still applies
The federal Textile Labelling Act and its regulations still require accurate fibre content labelling on consumer textile articles, including upholstered furniture. That is a truth-in-labelling rule, not a fire rule.
And the general duty still applies
Under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act you must not supply a product that is a danger to human health or safety. There is no prescribed upholstery fire test, but "no standard" is not the same as "no responsibility".
Commercial and contract work
Set by the building’s fire code, not by furniture law
No national contract standard for upholstery
There is no Canadian equivalent of BS 7176. Requirements for public buildings come from the National Building Code, provincial fire codes and the authority having jurisdiction.
North American practice fills the gap
In the absence of a Canadian standard, contract specifications in Canada commonly call for NFPA 260 / UFAC or California TB 117-2013, because that is what the North American supply chain tests to.
Ask the specifier
On any commercial job, get the required standard in writing from whoever is responsible for the building. Do not assume, and do not let a client tell you "there’s no standard in Canada" as a reason to fit anything.
Sources.
- Federal labelling requirements for upholstered furniture — Competition Bureau Canada
- Guide to the labelling of stuffed or filled textile articles — Competition Bureau Canada
- Canada Consumer Product Safety Act — Health Canada
Last checked 2026-08-02. Fire rules change — verify before you rely on this.