Why do tents have a flame retardant warning?

The warning is there because a few US states, from the late 1960s onwards, made it illegal to sell a tent that was not flame resistant, and CPAI-84 became the test that proved it. Most makers sold one product across North America, so most tents got built to the strictest state's rule. As of September 2026, Louisiana and New Jersey still name CPAI-84 in their rules. California, Michigan, Minnesota and Massachusetts have dropped or narrowed theirs, and New York's repeal bill is still in committee.

Where does the flame retardant warning on a tent come from?#

The label is a legal requirement that outlived the tent it was written for. Since March 1975 Louisiana has required a permanent label on every tent sold there with four elements: a statement that the materials "meet the flame retardant requirements of CPAI-84", the maker's identity, a serial number that traces the fabric lot, and care instructions written "to warn against the introduction of high heat sources". That is the origin of the sewn-in CPAI-84 panel and its heat warning, and ASTM F3431, the newer tent specification, still has "warning labels for associated hazards" in its title.

The standard came first. REI's account says fires in large event tents were common in the early 1900s, when tents were cotton canvas coated in paraffin wax, and led to tent flammability standards and state laws in the 1970s. CPAI-84 was "created in 1976 by the Canvas Products Association International", "intended to test for fire risk in paraffin-coated canvas event tents", and "ended up being used to test all tents, from backpacking and car-camping tents to ice-fishing shelters." Keller and colleagues describe it as a vertical flame test with a 12 second ignition time. Michigan's old statute dated it "CPAI-84, 1974", two years earlier than REI does. REI says it "saw minor revisions in 1995", which is the edition New Jersey's rule cites.

In REI's words, "some states require tents sold within their boundaries to comply with CPAI-84, brands often adopt the standard to meet state-level expectations." Green Science Policy says most makers used flame retardants "for all of their tents sold in North America."

Which states still require CPAI-84, state by state#

Each row comes from the state's own statute, session law or code. The list starts from the Ecology Center's six states of 2023, plus Massachusetts, which New York's sponsor memo names.

In 2023 Michigan's senate sponsor called Michigan "one of just seven states" with the requirement. In 2025 New York's sponsor memo called New York "the only remaining state." The memo is wrong. Louisiana's statute has not been amended since it was added in 1974, and its rules were last amended in February 1980. New Jersey's rule was last changed in 2012, to update a web address and phone number. Two states still name CPAI-84 outright, and New York still requires flame resistance without naming a standard.

What California's AB 267 actually changed#

The law has two rules, and AB 267 treated them differently.

Subdivision (a) covers places of assembly, such as circuses, tent shows and dance halls, where 15 or more people gather in a tent. AB 267 raised that threshold from 10 to 15 and added tents "designed or manufactured for children's play, camping, backpacking, or mountaineering" to its exemptions. That is the exemption people quote.

Subdivision (b), the sale rule, did not get that exemption. It is still unlawful "to manufacture, sell, or offer for sale any tent designed and intended for use for occupancy by less than 15 persons unless the tent is made from flame-retardant fabrics or materials approved by the State Fire Marshal." The change is in (c)(2): "a tent that is constructed with fabric entirely from synthetic fibers shall be classified as being made from flame-retardant fabrics or materials." Three things follow:

• A nylon or polyester backpacking tent meets the sale rule without treatment, because of its fibre.
• A cotton canvas or polycotton bell tent does not qualify for the synthetic clause and still needs fabric approved by the State Fire Marshal.
• A tent for 15 or more people is outside the synthetic clause, even if it is all nylon.

The Legislature's record shows the bill approved and filed on October 13, 2023 (Green Science Policy's release is dated October 16), and it took effect on January 1, 2024.

Michigan, Minnesota and New York: repealed, repealed, pending#

Michigan. Senate Bill 262 passed the Senate 38 to 0 and the House 90 to 20. It was approved on November 22, 2023, as Public Act 223 of 2023, and took effect on February 20, 2024. The old section required "all camping tentage of new manufacture sold in this state" to meet "CPAI-84, 1974". The new one covers only public assembly tents for 50 or more people, tents that stable animals for exhibition or sale, and tents inside public buildings, under NFPA 701 (2023). It adds: "A safety net or tent used for recreational camping is exempt from this section."

Minnesota acted twice. Laws 2024, chapter 114, signed May 21, 2024, exempted camping, backpacking, mountaineering and children's play tents. It also limited the sale rule to assembly tents and dropped sleeping bags from it. Until then, Minnesota had barred the sale of any tent or sleeping bag that was not flame resistant. Laws 2025, chapter 35, signed May 23, 2025, then repealed sections 325F.02 to 325F.07 outright. Minnesota no longer has a tent flammability statute.

New York. General Business Law article 29 defines a portable temporary shelter as "any type of tent, fold-out or pop-up camping or tent trailer, recreational vehicle awning or add-on room or shelter, or screen house". The sponsor memo dates New York's requirement to 1969. S6816, the No Toxics Tent Act, would exclude camping and children's play tents for fewer than 15 people made entirely of synthetic fibres, which is California's approach. It was referred to the consumer protection committee on March 25, 2025, and the Senate record shows no action since.

Does the current CPAI-84 still need flame retardant chemicals?#

CPAI-84 changed in 2021. According to REI, ASTM F3431 was published in summer 2020, and "in early 2021, an updated version of the CPAI-84 standard was published, establishing ASTM F3431 as the relevant flammability standard for tents sold in the U.S." REI adds that "it is feasible to meet these requirements without the use of flame-retardant chemicals."

F3431 covers "outdoor recreational camping tents for persons" with controlled small flame tests taken from sections 2 to 5 of CAN/CGSB-182.1, the Canadian tent standard. It excludes products for indoor use only and names children's indoor play tents, bivouac sacks, hammocks, tarps and beach umbrellas among the items it does not cover.

Both surviving rules are written to follow the standard's revisions. Louisiana's says CPAI-84 "as amended from time-to-time", and New Jersey's says the 1995 edition "including any subsequent revisions". On their own wording, both point to the current edition, which is built on F3431. So the two states that still name CPAI-84 may no longer require the chemical treatment the standard became known for. What they require is a flammability result, and REI says a flame retardant free tent can achieve it.

This has two limits. CPAI-84 is sold by the Industrial Fabrics Association International, and we have not read the 2021 text, so this relies on REI's summary. We also found no published guidance from either state on which edition it enforces.

What the flame retardants are, and what the evidence shows#

A 2014 study by Keller, Raju, Webster and Stapleton analysed 11 fabric samples from 10 tents and one camping alcove, all from CPAI-84 tents, and paired tent wipes with hand wipes from 27 adults after they pitched their tents.

The authors conclude that contact with treated textiles "may be a source of exposure" and that further studies are needed. The chemicals were in the fabric and on the hands of people who handled it. The study did not measure health outcomes.

On fire risk, REI says a decade of injury data, from the US and Canada where treated tents were the norm and from Japan, Australia, England and the EU where they were not, showed that "fire-related injuries are low" in both. Green Science Policy says testing and field data show "no meaningful fire safety benefit" for modern synthetic tents. Neither is a published paper we could read.

Check this before you buy#

Do not try a burn test at home: it matches no standard's conditions.

1. Read the sewn-in label. "Meets CPAI-84" with no edition tells you it was built to a state rule and nothing about the chemistry. Keller found that label on 6 of 11 tents, and flame retardants in 10.
2. Ask about the edition and the finish. A maker working to the 2021 edition or to F3431 can say so. Ask whether the fly, inner and floor each carry an added flame retardant finish.
3. Check the fabric content. California's clause needs fabric made "entirely from synthetic fibers". A polycotton blend does not qualify.
4. Match the rule to the shop. A retailer in Louisiana or New Jersey works under a rule that names CPAI-84. One in Michigan or Minnesota has no camping tent flammability rule at all.

Fabric, floor area and geometry decide how a tent performs, and how to choose a tent covers them. What keeps the rain out is a separate question from flame resistance, and waterproof ratings explained answers it.

Common mistakes#

Reading "flame resistant" as "fireproof". F3431's scope says the test "does not by itself incorporate all factors required for fire hazard or fire risk assessment" under real fire conditions. Never cook in a zipped inner, for the reasons camp stove types gives, and read whether a Mr. Heater Buddy is safe in a tent before bringing a heater inside.

Repeating "New York is the last state". That line comes from a sponsor memo. The Louisiana and New Jersey rules are still in force.

Buying an indoor play tent on the camping rules. F3431 excludes children's indoor play tents,, though Keller notes many toy tents meet CPAI-84. California's sale rule only accepts them untreated if the fabric is entirely synthetic. For the rest of a child's kit, see camping with young children.

Ignoring the care label on a treated tent. Louisiana requires that label to protect the tent "from agents or treatments known to be detrimental to the flame retardant properties". Follow it, and store the tent dry, as gear storage describes.

Frequently asked questions#

Which states still require CPAI-84 for tents?#

Louisiana and New Jersey. Louisiana's rules require all tent fabric to meet CPAI-84 "as amended from time-to-time" and require a CPAI-84 label. New Jersey classes a camping tent as flame resistant if it meets CPAI-84, 1995 edition or later. New York still requires flame resistance for any tent, but its statute does not name CPAI-84.

Did California ban flame retardants in tents?#

No. Under AB 267, effective January 1, 2024, a tent for fewer than 15 people made entirely of synthetic fibres counts as flame retardant, so it can be sold untreated. Treatment is not prohibited. Canvas and polycotton tents still need fabric approved by the State Fire Marshal.

Did Michigan repeal its tent flame retardant law?#

Yes. Senate Bill 262 became Public Act 223 of 2023, effective February 20, 2024. It removed the CPAI-84 requirement and exempts tents used for recreational camping. Only large public assembly tents and a few other categories must now meet NFPA 701 (2023).

Why does my tent say it meets CPAI-84?#

Because a few states required it, and makers built one product for the whole North American market. The label follows rules like Louisiana's, which since 1975 has required a CPAI-84 certification statement, the maker's identity, a serial number and care instructions warning against heat sources on every tent sold there.

Is CPAI-84 the same as ASTM F3431?#

No, but they are now linked. CPAI-84 dates from 1976 and was written for paraffin-coated canvas tents. ASTM F3431, published in 2020, covers recreational camping tents using the Canadian CAN/CGSB-182.1 tests. According to REI, the early 2021 edition of CPAI-84 adopted F3431's requirements, which can be met without flame retardant chemicals.

Are flame retardants in tents harmful?#

What has been shown is exposure, not harm. In a 2014 study, 10 of 11 CPAI-84 tent samples contained added flame retardants, mainly TDCPP and BDE-209, at up to 3.8 percent of fabric weight. TDCPP on people's hands after pitching was significantly associated with the level on the tent. The study did not measure health outcomes.