How long must a Technical File be kept?

For consumer products, the required retention period for a technical file or compliance documentation varies by region: 10 years in the EU, 6 years in Canada, and generally 5 years in the US (depending on specific product rules).

European Union (EU):

• Retention period: 10 years from the date the last product unit was placed on the market.
• Details: Under the EU General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) and sector-specific CE marking directives, manufacturers and responsible persons must keep technical documentation, risk assessments, and test reports updated and ready for market surveillance authorities upon request.

Canada:

• Retention period: 6 years from the end of the year the records relate to.
• Details: Under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (CCPSA), commercial entities must keep documents to trace supply chain origins (who supplied or bought the product) at a place of business in Canada and provide them to Health Canada upon request.

United States (US):

• Retention period: 5 years (typically) for general conformity and test records.
• Details: Under regulations enforced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), records such as Children’s Product Certificates (CPCs) and general-use certificates, alongside underlying test results, must typically be retained for 5 years.