# California Prop 65 for Electronics: What Hardware Founders Must Know

Proposition 65 is California's right-to-know law covering over 900 chemicals, and it catches many electronics companies off guard because RoHS compliance does not satisfy it. With private enforcement bounties of up to $2,500 per day per violation, understanding what triggers a warning requirement — and how to format that warning correctly — is essential for any company selling into the California market.


## Transcript

### What Prop 65 is and who it covers

California's Proposition 65 is one of the most aggressive chemical disclosure laws anywhere. It applies to any business with ten or more employees selling into California — which covers nearly any company with a US e-commerce presence. Here's what electronics companies need to know first.

### How it applies to electronics

Prop 65 requires a warning before exposing anyone to over nine hundred listed chemicals; for lead, the threshold is just 0.5 micrograms a day. RoHS doesn't satisfy it. Lawsuits can cost twenty-five hundred dollars per violation.

### Three steps before selling in California

Run a Prop 65 exposure assessment — check lead in accessible solder, phthalates in cables, and cadmium in batteries. If any threshold is exceeded, add the standardised warning to your product page and packaging before you take California orders.

Tags: Prop 65, California, chemical compliance, RoHS, US compliance