(WHTM) — When shopping for a new mattress for your bedroom, it can be really intimidating since there are so many options. But there is one thing that is fairly consistent that is on every single mattress in the United States.

The tag that is on them says it is punishable by law and illegal to remove the tag. Now, is removing the tag really illegal? The answer is both yes and no.

If you are the consumer or the buyer of the mattress, you can remove the tag after you purchase it, with no consequence. But, it is illegal for the mattress manufacturer to do it.

According to Shovlin Mattress, the purpose of the mattress tag is to let the consumer know exactly what is inside the mattress, as well as what the mattress as a whole consists of. It also reassures the consumer that the mattress is brand new and has never been sold previously.

Shovlin Mattress says that before the 20th century, mattresses were made up of many materials of all different qualities. A manufacturer can claim that the inside of a mattress was made of cotton, but it could be made with straw or paper, or even using recycled materials that may have contained bacteria or bed bugs.

The government required tags that listed the contents of a mattress to combat this. But, the manufacturers would rip off the tags before the mattresses went to the stores. This way, the companies can technically say the tags were on the mattresses, just that the consumer did not see them.

The government was able to catch on to manufacturers doing this and then added that it was punishable by law to remove the tag. In the 1990s, the wording was rewritten to say “Do Not Remove by Penalty of Law Except by the Consumer.” If a manufacturer is found doing this, they can be held liable for unfair or deceptive acts or practices which is under the Federal Trade Commission Act, as well as other penalties.

While not illegal, customers risk voiding the warranty on their mattresses if they choose to remove the tags on them.