3M Recalls About 53,634 Scotch Thermal Laminators Over Fire Hazard After 5 Fires
St. Paul, Minn., October 15, 2026 — If you keep a laminator on a desk, a classroom counter, or a craft table at home, this one is worth your attention. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and 3M Company announced a Scotch thermal laminator recall covering about 53,634 machines that can overheat and catch fire. The recall, assigned number 27-024 under the CPSC Fast Track program, follows 63 reports of units smoking, melting, or overheating, including five reports of fires. No injuries have been reported, but the agency and 3M are urging owners to stop using the machines immediately.
What happened
On October 15, 2026, 3M Company of St. Paul, Minnesota, recalled its Scotch Thermal Laminator, model TL1302Z, after the units were found to overheat during normal use. According to the CPSC recall notice, the problem has generated 63 reports of laminators smoking, melting, and overheating, among them five reports of fires and one report of minor property damage. The remedy is a full refund.
The recalled laminators were sold exclusively on Amazon.com from June 2024 through September 2026 for between $44 and $56. The product is a light gray and white machine with gray accents, the word “Scotch” printed in gray on the front, a laminating slot about 13 inches wide, and a carrying handle on the right side as you face it. The model number, TL1302Z, appears on a sticker on the bottom of the unit and on the original packaging. The laminators were manufactured in China and imported by 3M.
- Product: Scotch Thermal Laminator, model TL1302Z.
- Units affected: About 53,634.
- Hazard: The laminator can overheat, posing a fire hazard.
- Reports: 63 reports of smoking, melting, and overheating, including five fires and one report of minor property damage; no injuries reported.
- Sold: On Amazon.com, June 2024 through September 2026, for $44 to $56.
- Recall number: 27-024 (CPSC Fast Track).
Why this thermal laminator recall matters for safety
A laminator is one of those appliances that quietly runs hot by design. It pulls a pouch through heated rollers that can reach well above 200°F, and people routinely leave the machine switched on and unattended between jobs — on a wooden desk, next to stacks of paper, near curtains, or on a classroom shelf. When a device built to generate heat develops a fault that lets it overheat beyond its limits, the surrounding environment is often exactly the kind of fuel a small fire needs to grow.
That is what makes this thermal laminator recall more serious than the low unit count might suggest. Five confirmed fires out of roughly 53,000 machines is not a rare one-off; it is a pattern the CPSC considered significant enough to act on through its Fast Track process, in which a company agrees to a voluntary recall quickly rather than waiting out a longer investigation. Teachers, home-office workers, crafters, and small businesses are the typical buyers here, and many of those settings are rich in paper, fabric, and other combustibles. A machine that smokes or melts while plugged in and unattended is a credible ignition source, even when it has not yet caused an injury.
What you should do
If you own a Scotch Thermal Laminator, check the bottom sticker or your packaging for model number TL1302Z. If it matches, stop using it now — do not wait for it to fail. 3M is offering a full refund by check, but the process requires a few specific steps to confirm the machine has been taken out of service safely.
- Unplug it immediately. Stop using the laminator and disconnect it from power.
- Register online. Complete the recall form at 3M’s Scotch Brand recall page and confirm your model is included.
- Cut the cord. Cut the unplugged power cord, then upload a photo of the laminator with the cut cord as proof it is disabled.
- Get your refund. Once 3M receives the form and the cut-cord photo, it will mail a refund check.
- Dispose responsibly. Discard the disabled laminator in line with your local and state electronics recycling laws.
What to do. Unplug the laminator today, do not leave it running unattended in the meantime, and keep any heat-generating appliance clear of paper, fabric, and other combustibles. A working smoke alarm in the room where you laminate adds a critical layer of protection.
You can reach 3M at 800-772-4337 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday, or visit the Scotch Brand website and click “Recall Information.” The direct recall page is listed in the sources below.
Context and what’s next
This recall lands during a stretch of heightened attention to overheating consumer electronics and appliances. Earlier this month, the CPSC and two companies recalled about 82,500 rechargeable hand warmers over lithium-battery fire risk, and fire-hazard recalls have touched everything from outdoor power equipment to propane accessories this fall. Heat-producing household devices — space heaters, air fryers, laminators, and battery chargers among them — tend to draw more scrutiny as colder weather pushes people back indoors and plugs more of them in.
Because this is a Fast Track recall, 3M has committed to the refund remedy up front, so there is no repair or replacement part to wait for — the action is simply to take the machine out of service and claim the refund. The CPSC continues to collect incident reports through its SaferProducts.gov portal, which is how overheating patterns like this one often surface in the first place. If your laminator has shown any sign of smoking, melting, or an unusual burning smell, reporting it there helps the agency track whether the problem is broader than the current count suggests.
Disclaimer. This article is for general safety information only and is not legal, medical, or product-specific advice. Recall details, remedies, and contact information can change after publication. Always confirm the current status of any recall and the exact steps to take directly with the manufacturer and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission before acting.
Sources: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission — 3M Scotch Thermal Laminator recall (27-024); 3M / Scotch Brand — TL1302Z laminator recall page; CPSC Recalls & Product Safety Warnings.
