Franklin Sports soft tip lawn darts
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Guides Are Lawn Darts Illegal? The U.S. Ban Explained
the real storyAre Lawn Darts Illegal? The U.S. Ban Explained
Short answer for the United States: hazardous lawn darts designed with an elongated tip to land tip-first and stick in the ground are banned. The Consumer Product Safety Commission rule is based on that design, not simply whether a tip is metal. The federal ban covers manufacture for sale, sale, distribution, and importation.
- 1988 CPSC BAN
- DESIGN DEFINES THE BAN
- SKIP THE JARTS
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Modern rounded or flat-landing lawn-dart games are generally outside that specific design definition, but every product still has to meet any other applicable safety rules. This page summarizes the federal CPSC rule, not local law or legal advice.
What the 1988 ban actually covers
The CPSC ban is codified at 16 CFR part 1306. The regulation describes covered lawn darts as devices with elongated tips that are intended for outdoor use, designed to contact the ground tip-first when thrown, and intended to stick in the ground. The federal rule prohibits manufacture for sale, sale, distribution, and importation of covered products.
The definition is about the product's design, not a metal-only shortcut. CPSC guidance describes hazardous examples with heavy metal or weighted plastic tips. Rounded games that are not designed to stick are different products, but shoppers should still follow the age, supervision, and safety instructions for the exact set.
What is legal to buy now
Current lawn-dart games typically replace the penetrating point with a rounded or flat-landing base. A product that is not designed to contact the ground tip-first and stick is outside the defining feature of the part 1306 ban.
Do not rely on marketing labels alone. Check the product shape and current manufacturer safety instructions, keep the landing zone clear, and supervise children. A rounded game being outside this specific ban does not make every throw risk-free or replace other applicable product rules.
Never buy or sell vintage Jarts
Old pointed Jarts still surface at garage sales and on resale sites. Selling or distributing a product covered by the federal ban is prohibited, and the CPSC has repeatedly warned that these darts can cause serious or fatal injury.
If you inherit a covered vintage set, follow the CPSC's direction to discard or destroy the darts. Do not play with them, sell them, or give them away.
Get a safe set instead
You can still play a rounded, non-penetrating target-toss version. Skip vintage pointed darts and compare current sets whose design and safety instructions are appropriate for your players.
GoSports weighted yard darts
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Hey Play soft tip darts for kids
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Are Lawn Darts Illegal? The U.S. Ban Explained FAQ
Are lawn darts illegal in the US?
In the United States, federal rules ban lawn darts designed with elongated tips to contact the ground tip-first and stick. The rule covers manufacture for sale, sale, distribution, and importation. Rounded or flat-landing games that do not meet that design definition are different products, although other safety rules may still apply.
What was banned in 1988?
The CPSC banned lawn darts with elongated tips designed to land tip-first and stick in the ground. CPSC records associated the products with three child deaths and hundreds of estimated emergency-room injuries per year before the ban.
Can you still buy lawn darts?
Retailers sell modern rounded target-toss games that are not designed to stick in the ground. Check the exact design and manufacturer instructions. Covered pointed lawn darts remain banned from sale and distribution in the United States.
Are vintage lawn darts worth anything?
Do not treat a listing as proof that a covered vintage set may be sold. CPSC guidance says to discard or destroy hazardous lawn darts and not give them away.
Why were lawn darts banned?
The elongated, weighted design could descend tip-first with enough force to cause skull punctures and other serious injuries. CPSC records associated lawn darts with three child deaths and an estimated 670 emergency-room injuries per year before the ban.
Are soft-tip lawn darts safe?
A rounded, non-penetrating design removes the defining ground-sticking point of the banned product, but no thrown object is risk-free. Follow the exact set's age guidance, keep people out of the landing zone, and supervise children.