Australia and New Zealand · Summer product compliance
Before you sell sunglasses: check the mandatory standard, lens category and claims
Sunglasses are not just a fashion accessory. In Australia, many non-prescription sunglasses and fashion spectacles cannot be legally supplied unless they meet the mandatory safety standard. New Zealand takes a different approach, but product safety and every protection claim still need evidence.
The practical lesson
Check whether the mandatory sunglasses standard applies before the range is ordered, labelled or sold.
A frame may look like ordinary seasonal stock, but the product category, lens performance, warnings and claims can determine whether it is lawful to supply. The review needs to connect the exact model and lens variant to suitable test evidence, the correct category and visible customer information.
Do not assume that a dark lens, a supplier certificate, a ‘UV400’ statement or a polarised sticker is enough. The evidence must support the product that will actually reach the customer, and the label must communicate the product’s category and restrictions correctly.
Australia has a mandatory safety standard for covered sunglasses and fashion spectacles. New Zealand does not currently make that sunglasses standard mandatory, but general product-safety, consumer-guarantee and fair-trading obligations still apply. A business selling into both countries should document the pathway for each market rather than treating ‘AS/NZS’ as proof that the legal result is identical.
Start with product scope
First decide what the eyewear actually is.
The Australian mandatory standard covers non-prescription sunglasses mounted in frames, individual non-prescription sunglass filters, rimless sunshields and one-piece visors, clip-on and slip-on sunglasses, children’s sunglasses, fashion spectacles and light-tint sunglasses.
It does not cover prescription or readymade spectacles, safety eyewear for optical hazards other than sunlight, solarium eyewear, sports eye protectors, or sunglasses intended for use as toys and clearly and legibly labelled as toys.
Those exclusions do not mean the product is unregulated. Prescription, safety, sports, toy or electronically enabled eyewear may follow different standards, medical-device, electrical, radio, battery, cybersecurity or privacy pathways. For connected products, see our smart glasses compliance guide. The product’s intended use and marketing can be as important as its appearance.
Australia · mandatory standard
Covered products must satisfy the 2017 mandatory safety standard before supply.
The Consumer Goods (Sunglasses and Fashion Spectacles) Safety Standard 2017 is based on specified parts of AS/NZS 1067.1:2016. It requires design, construction, performance, testing and labelling controls. Supplying a covered product that does not comply is an offence under the Australian Consumer Law.
The required assessment is broader than UV transmission across the 280–400 nanometre range. It covers matters including construction and materials, transmittance, refractive power, robustness, resistance to solar radiation and ignition, protective requirements, information and labelling. The ACCC states that suppliers must arrange testing through specialist testing laboratories.
Responsibility does not stop with an overseas manufacturer. A retailer, distributor or importer supplying sunglasses in Australia must check that the covered product complies. Meeting the mandatory standard also does not displace the Australian Consumer Law’s consumer guarantees or misleading-conduct rules. Products must still be of acceptable quality, safe, fit for any disclosed purpose and consistent with their description and representations. A failure may give the consumer rights to a repair, replacement, refund or compensation, depending on the circumstances.
- Check the exact standard pathway. Use the legal instrument, not a supplier’s reference to a newer, overseas or differently scoped standard.
- Match every variant. Confirm that model numbers, lens colours, coatings, frames and other tested features correspond to the products being supplied.
- Verify the laboratory report. Check the laboratory, methods, results, sample photographs and report identity rather than relying only on a certificate summary.
- Control changes. Reassess new lenses, coatings, factories, materials, labels and packaging before the changed stock is released.
Lens categories
The category tells the customer what the product can and cannot do.
Australian sunglasses and fashion spectacles are classified into five lens categories. The category is determined by the relevant performance requirements, not selected as a marketing preference.
Categories 0 and 1
Fashion spectacles or light-tint products. They provide very limited or limited glare reduction and do not provide the protection represented by ordinary sunglasses. Category 1 products require the applicable night-driving warning.
Categories 2 and 3
General-purpose sunglasses providing medium or high glare reduction and good UV protection. Testing and the required category information must support the exact product.
Category 4
Very dark, special-purpose sunglasses for extreme glare. They are not suitable for driving or road use and require the applicable warning.
Do not describe category 0 or category 1 fashion spectacles as if they offer the same glare reduction or UV protection as category 2 or 3 sunglasses. Category 4 products need particularly clear handling because they are not suitable for driving or road use.
Labels and warnings
A compliant lens can still create a recall if the required information is missing.
Covered products in Australia must be supplied with a clear and legible mark or label identifying the manufacturer or supplier, the lens category number, the category description and usage information, and any applicable warning statements or symbols required by the mandatory standard.
The required information must not be hidden by a price sticker or another label. Check the product as it will be displayed, packed, fulfilled and delivered, including stock supplied through marketplaces, dropshipping or third-party logistics providers.
The website or marketplace listing should also describe the product consistently. It should not create a different impression about UV protection, glare reduction, night driving, road use or product type from the tested product and its physical label.
New Zealand · different legal pathway
AS/NZS 1067.1:2016 is a useful benchmark, but it is not currently a mandatory sunglasses standard in New Zealand.
New Zealand’s current mandatory product-safety list does not include sunglasses or fashion spectacles. Product Safety New Zealand explains that voluntary standards can still provide minimum design and performance requirements, and that testing should be completed by a laboratory accredited for the relevant standard.
That does not create a free pass. Goods supplied to consumers must meet the Consumer Guarantees Act requirements, including acceptable quality, safety, fitness for purpose and matching their description. The Fair Trading Act prohibits misleading or unsubstantiated representations about matters such as UV protection, polarisation, driving suitability, performance and benefits.
For a range sold in both countries, testing to the Australian mandatory requirements may provide a practical baseline. However, do not claim compliance with the complete AS/NZS 1067.1:2016 standard unless all applicable requirements of that voluntary standard have been assessed. The New Zealand file should still identify the claims being made there, the evidence supporting them and the business responsible for responding to complaints or safety concerns.
Consumer NZ reported in 2023 that 21 of 50 pairs it tested did not meet all of the Australian standard requirements assessed. The failures included children’s products and technical issues affecting clarity, distortion, coverage or protection.
Protection and marketing claims
Test the claim as well as the lens.
In Australia, claims and the overall impression created about the product must not be false or misleading. In New Zealand, representations must not be misleading and businesses must have reasonable grounds for claims when they are made. Claims such as ‘UV400’, ‘100% UV protection’, ‘polarised’, ‘anti-glare’, ‘driving’, ‘sports’, ‘impact resistant’ or ‘protects children’s eyes’ should be supported by evidence applying to the exact product and variant.
Polarisation and UV protection are not the same characteristic. A polarised lens may reduce reflected glare, but the word ‘polarised’ does not by itself establish UV performance or compliance with the Australian mandatory standard.
Review the physical label together with ecommerce descriptions, filters, comparison tables, packaging, point-of-sale displays, social posts, testimonials and influencer content. Remove any statement that goes beyond the test evidence or conflicts with the required category information.
Supplier and product evidence
Build a file that links the report to the saleable stock.
- supplier, manufacturer, importer and responsible Australian or New Zealand business details;
- product and model identifiers, photographs, lens colours, coatings and frame variants;
- the applicable standard and the exact clauses tested;
- the full laboratory report, sample identity and evidence that the laboratory is competent—and, where appropriate, accredited—for the exact testing undertaken;
- lens category, description, required warnings and final label artwork;
- evidence supporting UV, polarisation, driving, performance and other customer claims;
- purchase, batch and distribution records supporting traceability; and
- complaints, incident monitoring, corrective action and recall responsibilities.
A declaration referring to a broad product family may not establish that every colour, coating or factory version is covered. Resolve gaps before stock is shipped or listings are activated.
Recalls and enforcement
Missing information is not a minor presentation issue.
In March 2024, multiple sunglasses brands sold through an Australian retailer were recalled because required information about restrictions on use was missing. The recall warned of serious eye damage or vision impairment if consumers used the products incorrectly or did not understand the level of protection provided.
Earlier ACCC enforcement also found both labelling and performance failures, including lenses that could affect recognition of traffic-signal colours. Outcomes included recalls, court-enforceable undertakings, independent-testing commitments and compliance programs.
If stock does not meet the mandatory standard or may be unsafe, stop supply, preserve traceability information, assess the risk and determine the appropriate regulator, customer and recall response. In Australia, a supplier must generally notify the Commonwealth within two days after becoming aware that a consumer good it supplied caused, or may have caused, a death, serious injury or serious illness. The statutory tests and exceptions should be checked for the particular incident.
Before ordering, listing or sale
Complete these checks for each model and market.
- Classify the eyewear and confirm whether a different prescription, safety, sport, toy or smart-product pathway applies.
- For Australia, confirm the exact product falls within and complies with the mandatory safety standard.
- Map each model, lens colour, coating and variant to appropriate testing.
- Verify the lens category from the test evidence.
- Check the manufacturer or supplier identity, category information and every required warning.
- Ensure price or retailer labels do not obscure the mandatory information.
- Substantiate UV, polarisation, driving, impact and other performance claims.
- Confirm the website, marketplace listing, packaging and physical product tell the same story.
- Retain traceability, complaints and recall controls for the full period of supply.
Sources
Use the current legal instrument and regulator guidance.
Australia
- ACCC Product Safety: sunglasses and fashion spectacles mandatory standard
- Federal Register of Legislation: Consumer Goods (Sunglasses and Fashion Spectacles) Safety Standard 2017
- ACCC: consumer rights and guarantees
- ACCC Product Safety: mandatory incident reporting
- ACCC Product Safety: March 2024 sunglasses recall
- ACCC: labelling and performance enforcement example
- ARPANSA: sunglass testing and supplier responsibility
New Zealand
- Product Safety New Zealand: current mandatory product-safety standards
- Product Safety New Zealand: voluntary standards and testing
- Product Safety New Zealand: product-safety requirements for all businesses
- New Zealand Legislation: Consumer Guarantees Act 1993
- New Zealand Legislation: Fair Trading Act 1986, unsubstantiated representations
- Consumer NZ: 2023 sunglasses testing results
Practical support
Check the range before summer stock is committed.
Watchdog can classify the products, identify the applicable Australian and New Zealand pathways, review supplier and laboratory evidence, check lens categories and mandatory labels, and assess website and promotional claims before sale.
Send us the proposed range, markets, supplier documents, test reports, labels and claims. We can identify what applies and what needs to be resolved before supply.
Important information
This update provides general information as at 1 September 2026. The applicable requirements depend on the exact eyewear, intended use, claims, variants, supply role and market. Obtain advice on the specific product before relying on this summary.
Sunglasses compliance review
Make sure the summer range is ready for sale.
Watchdog can review the product classification, standard, test evidence, lens category, label and claims for Australia and New Zealand.