Arrange to Have a Product Tested
Commercially available products are tested on a first-come, first-served basis. Live-bear testing is generally conducted between April 1 and September 30 each year as time and weather permit. To submit products for testing, please complete a Product Submission Form for each product, and send completed forms to testing@igbconline.org. Testing program personnel will acknowledge receipt and connect you with one of the IGBC testing facilities. You will be responsible for delivering the products to be tested to the testing facility, and for payment of testing fees. You can purchase an unedited copy of the video footage. The $100 fee for the footage must be paid at the time testing fees are paid. When testing is complete product submitters must arrange to have product(s) returned at their expense, or for the testing facility to keep or dispose of the tested product(s).
Updated for the 2026 Season:
The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC) tests commercially available bear-resistant products using captive grizzly bears at the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center (GWDC) in West Yellowstone, Montana or the Washington State University Bear Research Center in Pullman, WA. Larger, heavy-duty, metal products like dumpsters and food storage lockers may also be evaluated using a technical evaluation. Technical evaluations involve comparing product specifications against standards developed by the IGBC. Products undergoing a technical evaluation may also get some time with the test bears to ensure a new design or feature will effectively deter bears. Products submitted for official testing must meet specific criteria in order to be certified as bear-resistant by the IGBC. Products that “pass” the live bear test or meet criteria set forth in the IGBC Technical Evaluation Protocol are “certified” as bear-resistant and are added to the List of Certified Bear-Resistant Products. There is a fee for each product tested.
Some public lands allow use of certain homemade or modified products to comply with food storage regulations. In some instances IGBC will perform courtesy inspections for this special category non-commercial of bear-resistant products.
Contact the Bear-Resistant Products Testing Program
- For information about IGBC certified products and testing bear-resistant products: Patti Sowka, 406-544-5307;
- For IGBC or general bear-resistant product testing program inquiries: David Diamond, IGBC Coordinator, 406-587-6733;
- Or contact us using the form below:
Product Testing FAQs
Successfully passing the required testing at the GWDC is the first step toward IGBC certification of a product. Testing results are forwarded to the IGBC Bear-Resistant Products Testing Program Administrator where test results and product information are reviewed. Products are officially approved when the IGBC issues a unique IGBC certification number in a letter to the manufacturer. The product will also be added to the IGBC List of Bear-Resistant Products on the IGBC website.
Upon notification of approval, an IGBC Certification Number will be provided for each product. This number will be specific to the model of product approved and needs to be displayed in some manner (e.g., etched, stamped, sticker, etc.) on each individual product that is produced.
No. IGBC-certification applies ONLY to the model submitted for testing, as described on the product’s submission form. Each certified model will have its own unique IGBC Certification Number.
Yes. The fee depends on the size and complexity of the products submitted. The fee is payable to the GWDC prior to product testing.
