What can't be posted

Passalong is for things your household is done with: clothes, gear, toys, books, furniture, tools. A few things can't be passed on here, whether they're free or for sale. Some are against the law to hand on; others are Passalong safety rules, and each line says which.

Not allowed

• Recalled products, unless the recall fix has been done. Selling or giving away a recalled product is against federal law, yard sales included. Check yours at saferproducts.gov or the CPSC recall list before posting.
• Used cribs. Federal safety rules bar selling or giving away cribs that don't meet the 2011 crib standard, which rules out drop-side cribs and nearly all cribs made before June 28, 2011. Newer cribs can be legal to pass on, but Passalong can't check them, so it doesn't carry any used cribs. Crib mattresses, sheets and mesh liners are fine. Play yards, bassinets and cradles are not cribs here: check them for recalls first.
• Inclined infant sleepers and crib bumpers of any kind. Federal law bans both, however old they are. That includes padded bumpers, vinyl bumper guards and crib slat covers. Mesh crib liners with no padding are not covered by the ban.
• Infant formula and breast milk. This is a Passalong safety rule. The FDA advises against feeding babies breast milk shared between families, and we can't check formula dates, storage or recalls.
• Medicine, prescription drugs and medical devices. Passing on prescription drugs, even for free, is against Massachusetts law. Over-the-counter medicine and medical devices are a Passalong safety rule. Unused medicine can go to a drug take-back site.
• Weapons and ammunition. Massachusetts law limits who can sell or transfer them and how.
• Alcohol, tobacco, vaping products and cannabis. Selling these needs a license in Massachusetts, and cannabis can't be offered to the public, even for free.
• Live animals. Passalong can't help rehome pets.
• Intimate images of anyone without their consent. See how to ask for one to be removed.

Allowed, with care

• Car seats and boosters. Add the model, the date it was made and the expiration date from the seat's label, and add a photo of the label. Confirm it has never been in a moderate or severe crash, that it has all its parts and its manual (or a link to it), and that you checked it for recalls. A seat with an open recall can't be posted unless the manufacturer's fix has been done. Expired seats can't be posted. Here's what counts as a minor crash.
• Baby gear. Only pass on items with no broken or missing parts, and check for recalls first.
• Mattresses, upholstered furniture, bedding and stuffed toys. Massachusetts has a labeling law for these (M.G.L. c. 94, § 272): the maker attaches a label that says what is inside. If yours has lost its label, say so in the description.

How it's enforced

When you post, Passalong checks your title and description for things on this list. Some posts are stopped right away; others wait for a moderator. Anyone signed in can report a listing. A listing reported by two different neighbors is hidden until a moderator looks at it, and a report of an intimate image hides it at once.

Passalong lists what neighbors post. It never holds items or money, and it can't inspect what changes hands, so please check before you pass something on.