People can not bought a 200mW laser in US,is it true?

[daniel0315]

I wanna buy a 200mW red laser for my friend。
I searched on the internet.
Then i find the following things:

Due to new regulations enforced by the US FDA and PayPal, orders of >5mW lasers units shipped to the United States are no longer accepted. Orders that were previously accepted and unshipped will be cancelled and refunded to customers. This affects United States orders only. Important FDA Warning for all >5mW Lasers: FDA advices all customers that these lasers may be purchased only if you are NOT a citizen of the United States and you are NOT currently living in the United States.

Is it true?
Could you please give me some advice?

 

[Tdog208]

Sorry my head hurts reading the title........ I think so?

 

[JasonJ]

'tis true.

 

[alpg88]

sure they can, the restriction is on importation ready made lasers, that is it.

 

[more_vampires]

Due to new regulations enforced by the US FDA and PayPal, orders of >5mW lasers

A laser is not a food, a drug, an administration. Paypal is a merchant service, not a law enforcement organization.

Who put FDA and PayPal in charge of laser enforcement? They think lasers are edible and get you intoxicated? No, those are psychedelic mushrooms... not lasers.

The government does nothing but puzzle me.

 

[TEEJ]

A laser is not a food, a drug, an administration. Paypal is a merchant service, not a law enforcement organization.

Who put FDA and PayPal in charge of laser enforcement? They think lasers are edible and get you intoxicated? No, those are psychedelic mushrooms... not lasers.

The government does nothing but puzzle me.

UPS, Fedex, Paypal, Amazon, and so forth, DO get charged with abetting criminal activities...so, they are not "enforcement agencies", but, they don't want to get into trouble either...so, they say they won't ship/sell things that are illegal.

The US FDA on the other hand, among other things, DOES have laser related regulations, for example: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?FR=1040.10, as well as regulations concerning radiation emitting products: http://www.fda.gov/Radiation-EmittingProducts/default.htm



They also have resources where you can read recent promulgations and proposed/upcoming topics: http://www.fda.gov/Radiation-EmittingProducts/RadiationSafety/AlertsandNotices/ucm116534.htm



The way gov agencies are organized CAN be confusing, for example, what do firearms and tobacco and alcohol have to do with one another, other than its typically a bad idea to combine them in practice at th same time, etc. (Taxes in this case, in reality...)

 

[Dexx]

Who put FDA and PayPal in charge of laser enforcement?

The way the power of LED lasers is increasing, they'll soon need to be treated as a firearm!

 

[more_vampires]

The way the power of LED lasers is increasing, they'll soon need to be treated as a firearm!

Fine with me, I have a permit!

 

[Str8stroke]

That is why some folks sell unassembled kits. That way you can assemble and use for scientific purposes. Sorta like all the automotive products sold "For off road use only".

 

[Tre_Asay]

When I got a paypal invoice for a 30mw green laser from rayfoss the vendor info was
"Yuping WangThe Anesthesiology Department ,Xinxiang Renai Gynaecolgy Hospital"
some companies do sell lasers out of china by leaving labels unmarked and mis-representing to paypal. Also, the green lasers on amazon can be way overspec to the point of being dangerous.
In order to get a portable laser legaly in the US over 5mw it needs a few safety features.

 

[swampgator]

UPS, Fedex, Paypal, Amazon, and so forth, DO get charged with abetting criminal activities...so, they are not "enforcement agencies", but, they don't want to get into trouble either...so, they say they won't ship/sell things that are illegal.

The US FDA on the other hand, among other things, DOES have laser related regulations, for example: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?FR=1040.10, as well as regulations concerning radiation emitting products: http://www.fda.gov/Radiation-EmittingProducts/default.htm



They also have resources where you can read recent promulgations and proposed/upcoming topics: http://www.fda.gov/Radiation-EmittingProducts/RadiationSafety/AlertsandNotices/ucm116534.htm



The way gov agencies are organized CAN be confusing, for example, what do firearms and tobacco and alcohol have to do with one another, other than its typically a bad idea to combine them in practice at th same time, etc. (Taxes in this case, in reality...)

Lasers are used extensively in health care. That's how the FDA exerts its control over them.

 

[night.hoodie]

My own research has led me to believe there is a legal distinction between laser pointers and other laser products, and the 5mW restriction is for laser pointers only. The distinction is made by the power output and manufactures' nomenclature, such that a 10mW laser pointer, defined as such by the manufacturer/reseller yet not recognized as such by FDA, is illegal to sell to US customers, but an identical item marketed as a laser or laser-anythingbutpointer would technically be legal to sell to US customers.


wiki

Laser pointers are Class II or Class IIIa devices, with output beam power less than 5 milliwatts (<5*mW). According to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations, more powerful lasers may not be sold or promoted as laser pointers.