PETA Cruelty-Free Certification Service

What Is PETA Cruelty-Free Certification?

PETA’s Ultimate Cruelty-Free List is a voluntary global program for companies and brands that verify their animal-testing policies and supply chain commitments.

It is not:

• A government-issued certification;
  

• A statutory cosmetic registration;
  

• A product safety approval;
  

• A mandatory condition for placing cosmetics on the market;
  

• A certification issued separately for every individual product.
  

Once an applicant meets PETA’s requirements, the company or brand may be added to PETA’s searchable cruelty-free database. Approved applicants may also choose to license the applicable PETA logo for use on product packaging, websites, promotional materials and other authorized communications.

Global Animal Test-Free vs. Global Animal Test-Free and Vegan

PETA currently provides two principal designations.

The two designations should not be treated as interchangeable. A product may be animal test-free without being vegan. The Animal Test-Free and Vegan designation requires both conditions to be met across the applicant’s entire product line.

Companies with products containing or potentially containing ingredients such as beeswax, carmine, honey or lanolin should carefully verify whether they are eligible for the vegan designation.

Is Your Company or Brand Eligible to Apply?

Before starting a PETA cruelty-free application, companies should clarify the product scope, sales channels and level of supply chain transparency.

Applicable Product Categories

PETA cruelty-free certification may apply to:

• Cosmetics and personal-care products, including makeup, skincare products, shampoos and conditioners, fragrances, sunscreens subject to case-specific assessment, and oral-care products;
  

• Household-cleaning products, including laundry detergents, dishwashing detergents, multi-purpose cleaners and air fresheners;
  

• Other consumer products, including certain pet-care cleaning products and scented candles.
  

Products that are subject to mandatory animal-testing, clinical, or toxicological requirements—such as certain pharmaceuticals, medical products, pesticides, or disinfectants—may not be suitable for the standard PETA listing pathway and should be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Eligible Company Types

PETA’s program is primarily relevant to brand owners seeking to demonstrate their animal-testing policies to consumers, retailers, distributors, and overseas buyers.

An OEM or ODM manufacturer that does not own a consumer brand will normally support the brand owner’s application by providing manufacturing and supplier information. A manufacturer that owns its own brand may be assessed as an applicant for that brand.

Sales Market Eligibility

Sales market eligibility should be assessed before the application begins, as PETA may adjust its application criteria.

Companies should complete an eligibility assessment before preparing application documents, particularly where sales rely on online marketplaces or cross-border e-commerce.

PETA Cruelty-Free Application Process

Step 1: REACH24H Assessment

REACH24H reviews the applicant’s products, ingredients, sales markets, and business model to assess the feasibility of the PETA application.

Step 2: Supplier Declaration Signing

Relevant ingredient and raw-material suppliers sign the required agreements or declarations concerning animal testing.

Step 3: Application Submission to PETA

The application questionnaire, Statement of Assurance, supplier agreements, and other supporting documents are prepared and submitted to PETA.

Step 4: PETA Review

During PETA’s review, REACH24H assists the applicant in responding to questions and supplementing or clarifying the application materials.

Step 5: Listing and Optional Logo Licensing

After PETA accepts the application, the company or brand may be added to the Ultimate Cruelty-Free List. Logo use is optional and is subject to a separate licensing arrangement and the applicable fee.

PETA Cruelty-Free Application Requirements and Documents

Applicants generally need to prepare company, product, ingredient, and supplier information for the PETA application. The specific documents may vary depending on the applicant’s brand structure, product portfolio, and supply chain.

General Application Materials

• Basic company information;

• A complete list of all brands covered by the application;

• A complete product list for the applicant brand;

• Ingredient or composition information for each product;

• PETA’s official application questionnaire;

• A legally binding Statement of Assurance signed by the applicant company’s chief executive officer, confirming that the company or brand and its ingredient suppliers do not conduct, commission, pay for, or allow animal testing on ingredients, formulations, or finished products anywhere in the world and will not do so in the future.

Supplier and Supporting Documents

• Agreements or declarations from relevant suppliers confirming that no animal testing is conducted at any stage on the ingredients or raw materials supplied to the applicant for its products.

• Other supporting documents requested by PETA during the application review.

Estimated Timeline and Project Costs

Estimated Timeline

The typical timeline for a PETA cruelty-free certification project is approximately two to four months, including:

• Technical assessment: approximately 1–2 weeks. The company completes the required information form, and REACH24H evaluates the key product and application information.
  

• Document preparation and supplier coordination: approximately 1–3 months. This is generally the longest and most uncertain stage, depending largely on how quickly upstream suppliers sign the required agreements.
  

• PETA review: approximately 1–2 weeks. PETA reviews the complete application package, and the applicant responds to any questions raised during the review.
  

• PETA logo licensing: approximately 1 week. After approval, the company may choose whether to use the applicable PETA logo. Logo use requires the signing of a licensing agreement and payment of the applicable fee.
  

Project Costs

The costs associated with a PETA cruelty-free certification project generally include:

• PETA application and listing: PETA currently does not charge a fee for registration under the Global Animal Test-Free or Global Animal Test-Free and Vegan categories.

• Logo licensing fee: A brand that wishes to use the PETA logo on product packaging, websites or advertising materials must pay a one-time licensing fee. The current standard fee is US$350.
  

• REACH24H Service fee: The professional service fee covers preliminary product formula screening, preparation of the complete application dossier, communication and responses during the PETA review, and overall project management.

PETA Listing Status and Maintenance Following Product Changes

PETA’s publicly available materials do not specify a uniform fixed validity period for inclusion in the Ultimate Cruelty-Free List. Companies and brands should continue to comply with the animal-testing commitments made in their application and maintain supporting supply chain documentation.

If a brand launches a new product, changes an existing formulation, or introduces a new ingredient supplier, it should obtain the relevant animal-testing agreement or declaration from the new supplier and retain the document as part of its supporting records.

Material changes involving products, ingredients, suppliers, manufacturers, sales markets, or animal-testing policies should be assessed to determine whether existing application information needs to be updated.

How REACH24H Supports Your PETA Application

REACH24H provides cosmetics, personal care, household cleaning, and related consumer product companies with PETA application feasibility assessments, document preparation, communication support, and claims compliance services. We can also assess alternative certification pathways, such as Leaping Bunny and vegan certification, based on the company’s target markets.

1. Application Feasibility and Pathway Assessment

Based on the applicant’s sales markets, product categories, supply chain, and applicable cosmetic regulatory requirements—including China-specific requirements where relevant—REACH24H assesses whether the company is suitable for the current PETA application pathway.

2. Document Preparation and Communication Support

REACH24H assists with the preparation of PETA questionnaires, the Statement of Assurance, product lists, supplier animal-testing declarations, and ingredient or composition information.

3. Claims Compliance and Ongoing Maintenance

REACH24H assists with reviewing the compliance of claims such as “cruelty-free,” “animal test-free,” and “vegan,” as well as the use of the applicable PETA logo. We also support document updates following changes to products, formulations, suppliers, or sales markets.

Frequently Asked Questions

Start Your PETA Cruelty-Free Application

Before collecting supplier declarations or completing application documents, confirm that your brand, product portfolio, sales markets, manufacturing arrangements and supply chain are suitable for the intended PETA designation.

To support an initial project assessment, provide:

• Company name and legal entity;
  

• Brand name;
  

• Corporate and brand structure;
  

• Product categories;
  

• Main sales markets;
  

• Number of products;
  

• Number of manufacturers;
  

• Number of ingredient suppliers;
  

• China market status;
  

• Existing animal-testing policy;
  

• Existing supplier agreements;
  

• Intended Animal Test-Free or Animal Test-Free and Vegan designation.
  

REACH24H can assess:

• Expected application scope;
  

• Preliminary eligibility;
  

• Documentation gaps;
  

• Supplier coordination requirements;
  

• Estimated project timeline;
  

• Professional service scope;
  

• Quotation considerations.
  

Related REACH24H Cosmetic Compliance Services

PETA listing does not replace the registration, notification, safety assessment, labeling, or other regulatory requirements applicable in each target market.

REACH24H also provides:

• China Cosmetic Registration and Filing/Notification

• U.S. Cosmetic Product Compliance Service (MoCRA)

• EU Cosmetic Product Compliance

• Japan Cosmetics & Quasi-Drugs Compliance

• South Korea Cosmetics Registration

• ASEAN Cosmetics Notification

• Global Cosmetic Safety Assessment