What an RN Number Is
An RN number — short for Registered Identification Number — is issued by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC). US law requires textile, wool, and fur products to carry a label identifying the business responsible for the product. A company can print its full legal name, or it can apply for an RN and print that number instead. So when a shirt's care label shows "RN 123456" with no company name, the RN is the key to who actually made or imported it.
RN numbers were originally introduced so that smaller manufacturers could keep labels compact and avoid disclosing a long legal entity name on every garment.
How to Look Up an RN Number
- Go to the FTC's RN lookup tool at rn.ftc.gov.
- Enter the RN number from the label (the digits after "RN").
- The database returns the registered business name and business type associated with that number.
You can also search the database the other way around — by company name — to find the RN a known business holds. The tool is free, public, and requires no account.
The RN database is a useful sourcing and due-diligence tool: it tells you which company stands behind a private-label or unbranded garment. It does not tell you who owns the brand name printed on the product — that is a trademark question.
RN Number vs Trademark: Don't Confuse Them
This is the most important distinction, and it is the reason many clothing founders get protection wrong:
- An RN number identifies the responsible business for labeling-law compliance. It grants no exclusive rights to anything.
- A trademark protects your brand identity — the name and logo — and gives you the exclusive right to use it on your goods.
Having an RN number does nothing to stop a competitor from using your brand name — that's a job for a registration, and the trademark itself is the only asset that grants exclusivity. If you sell clothing, the asset worth protecting is the name and logo, and that requires a trademark registration — typically in Class 25 for the apparel itself, often with Class 35 for retail services. Choosing the right class is what determines where your brand is actually protected.
Do You Need an RN Number?
If you manufacture, import, or sell covered textile, wool, or fur products in the US, you must label them with either your full business name or an RN. Applying for an RN through the FTC is free. But it is a compliance step, not a branding strategy — and it is entirely separate from trademarking your name.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find out what company an RN number belongs to?
Enter the number into the FTC's free RN lookup tool at rn.ftc.gov. It returns the registered business name and business type tied to that RN.
Is an RN number the same as a trademark?
No. An RN number identifies the business responsible for a textile product under FTC labeling law. A trademark protects a brand name or logo. They are completely separate, and an RN grants no brand rights.
Is the RN number lookup free?
Yes. The FTC's RN database is free and public, and you can search by RN number or by company name without an account.
Do I need an RN number to sell clothing?
You must label covered textile, wool, and fur products with either your full business name or an RN number. Getting an RN from the FTC is free, but it does not protect your brand — only a trademark does.