HS Code for Sticker
Stickers do not have a single HS code — the most appropriate classification depends mainly on the material and the product's function. Decorative printed paper stickers are generally reviewed as printed pictures under heading 4911 (duty-free). Self-adhesive plastic (vinyl) stickers and decals point toward heading 3919, which carries a general duty rate of roughly 5.8% to 6.5%. Printed paper labels point toward heading 4821 (duty-free), and transfers or decalcomanias toward heading 4908 (duty-free). Because material is the biggest driver, the same shape of sticker can land in very different headings.
| HTS Code | Description | Duty Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 4911.91.20.40 | Printed pictures, designs and photographs, paper, not over 0.51 mm thick — other Decorative printed paper stickers (thin) — printed-matter route | Free |
| 4911.91.40.40 | Printed pictures, designs and photographs, paper, over 0.51 mm thick — other Decorative printed paper stickers (thick/laminated) — printed-matter route | Free |
| 3919.90.10.00 | Self-adhesive plates, sheets, film of plastics — having a light-reflecting surface Reflective self-adhesive plastic stickers/decals | 6.5% |
| 3919.90.50.60 | Self-adhesive plates, sheets, film of plastics — other Vinyl / plastic stickers and decals, sheets larger than 20 cm wide | 5.8% |
| 3919.10.10.50 | Self-adhesive plastics in rolls not over 20 cm wide — having a light-reflecting surface / other Plastic sticker/tape rolls up to 20 cm wide, reflective | 6.5% |
| 3919.10.20.40 | Self-adhesive plastics in rolls not over 20 cm wide — other Plastic sticker/label rolls up to 20 cm wide | 5.8% |
| 4821.10.20.00 | Paper or paperboard labels, printed — printed in whole or in part by a lithographic process Printed paper labels (lithographic), incl. adhesive paper labels | Free |
| 4821.10.40.00 | Paper or paperboard labels, printed — other Printed paper labels, other processes | Free |
| 4908.90.00.00 | Transfers (decalcomanias) — other Decals and transfers | Free |
There is no single 'sticker' heading in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. Two questions drive the classification: what the sticker is made of, and whether its essential character is a printed picture, a label, a transfer, or simply self-adhesive plastic.
Decorative stickers whose essential character is a printed picture, design or photograph on paper are generally reviewed under heading 4911 (other printed matter), where printed pictures and designs sit at 4911.91 and are duty-free. The statistical breakouts there distinguish by paper thickness.
Self-adhesive stickers and decals made of plastic — the familiar vinyl die-cut sticker — point instead toward heading 3919, which covers self-adhesive plates, sheets and film of plastics. Within 3919, products in narrow rolls (not over 20 cm wide) are separated from wider sheets, and a light-reflecting surface is broken out separately. This is the heading that carries a duty, generally in the 5.8%–6.5% range, so identifying a sticker as plastic rather than paper has a real duty consequence.
Stickers that function as labels — bearing product, shipping or identification information — point toward heading 4821 when made of paper or paperboard, and these printed paper labels are duty-free. Transfers and decalcomanias, which release a printed design onto another surface, point toward heading 4908 and are also duty-free.
The practical approach is to review the material first (paper versus plastic), then the function (decorative picture, label, or transfer). A printed paper decal and a vinyl die-cut sticker may look similar but sit in different headings with different duty outcomes.
Duty treatment for stickers hinges on material. Paper-based stickers — decorative printed pictures (heading 4911), printed paper labels (heading 4821) and paper transfers (heading 4908) — are generally duty-free. Self-adhesive plastic (vinyl) stickers and decals under heading 3919 carry a general rate of roughly 5.8% for ordinary products and up to about 6.5% for those with a light-reflecting surface. Preferential rates under free trade agreements may reduce or eliminate the plastic-sticker duty for qualifying origins. The single most important factor for the duty owed is whether the sticker is paper or plastic.