What Crib Slat Spacing Is Legal?
A maximum of 2 3/8 inches (about a soda can's width) between crib slats or spindles, per 16 CFR Part 1219, the federal safety standard for full-size baby cribs. No slat may be missing, loose, or cracked.
The one thing to know: 16 CFR 1219 caps full-size crib slat spacing at 2 3/8 inches — about a soda can's width — specifically to stop an infant's head from passing through and becoming trapped between wider slats.
Why this exact spacing
The 2 3/8 inch maximum is narrow enough that an infant's body cannot fit through the gap. The specific hazard it prevents is a baby's head passing through a wider gap and becoming trapped between the slats -- an entrapment and strangulation risk that older, non-compliant cribs posed before this standard existed.
Non-full-size cribs
Mini and portable (non-full-size) cribs are covered by a companion standard, 16 CFR Part 1220, with equivalent spacing and structural requirements adapted to the smaller frame.
Always follow your product's manual and current CPSC/NHTSA guidance; this page summarizes published standards and is not a substitute for them.
Frequently Asked Questions
16 CFR Part 1219 sets a maximum of 2 3/8 inches (about the width of a soda can) between crib slats or spindles for full-size cribs.
That spacing is narrow enough that an infant's body cannot pass through, which prevents the specific hazard of the head slipping through wider slats and becoming trapped.
Yes -- non-full-size cribs (mini/portable cribs) have their own CPSC safety standard (16 CFR Part 1220) with equivalent slat-spacing and structural requirements.
No slat should be missing, loose, or cracked, in addition to meeting the spacing maximum -- CPSC crib-safety guidance flags damaged slats as their own separate hazard.