CGC Help Center

For answers to frequently asked questions about CGC membership, submissions, grading and more, scroll below. To contact CGC Customer Service, click here.

Help Topics

About CGC

CGC Membership

Submitting to CGC

CGC Grading

CGC Signature Series

CGC Pressing

General Submission FAQs

How do I submit comic books to CGC for certification?

By signing up for a free or paid CGC membership you can submit directly to any CGC company. Additionally, paid memberships offer many other valuable benefits that can include discounts on grading and submission credits. CGC also accepts submissions through a national network of authorized dealers. These dealers are permitted to accept books and submit them on behalf of collectors and other individuals. For more information on how to start submitting your collectibles to CGC, visit our How To Submit page.

What are the costs of submission?

Services and fees vary depending on the value and category of collectibles you are submitting, the tiers you are selecting and the turnaround time you desire. To see our prices and current turnaround times go to the CGC Services and Fees page. Note: Paid CGC memberships offer additional discounts on grading. These discounts are not shown on the CGC Comics Services and Fees page but can be viewed by selecting "Print Fee Chart" on the same page. Once you become a paid member you will also see the breakdown of the discounts when you begin your first submission on the online submission form.

How do I process a submission form online?

CGC direct submission privileges are available online for all CGC members. Once you have created an account, you will be emailed login information. You can then head back to CGCcomics.com and select "Log In" at the top right of your screen. Once logged in, you can update email preferences and any account information and most importantly, start the submission process! You can create a submission by going to "My Submissions" and then scrolling down to the collectible type you are ready to submit. This will open the online form and you can begin entering your collectible's details. You can also access the CGC online submission form here. 

Can I send multiple orders in the same box?

You can submit multiple CGC Comics submissions in one box but we do NOT allow other CCG collectibles to be added. For instance, we cannot accept a comic book and a video game in one box and those must be mailed separately.

Under "Additional Services" on the submission form, what does the "Image" option mean?

If the "Image" option is selected, CGC will email the customer a basic digital image of the comic's front and back covers after grading and encapsulation (CGC will not image books prior to encapsulation). The image resolution will suit internet use at 150 dpi and approximately 1500 px in height. The cost per book is $5, and if selected, ALL of the books on the invoice must be imaged, not just certain books.

What is the Express Drop-off service?

CGC knows that no one wants to waste time filling out forms and waiting in long submission lines at a convention. With this in mind, the Express Drop-Off service was introduced to give all CGC members free access to CGC's online form for show submissions, so they can go instead to the Express Drop-Off line at the show booth. The online form lets collectors fill out paperwork for CGC services ahead of time and bring it to the show along with their collectibles and packing slips. The online form also has lower handling fees, and it helps speed up CGC's processing, saving both time and money. The online form allows collectors to track their submission throughout the process at CGC, and get email updates and a shipping tracking number once the collectible is on its way home. The online form can also handle orders involving multiple grading tiers.

How are turnaround times calculated?

Turnaround times reflect the average length of time that we think it will take to complete a submission received today under a given grading tier or service. Turnaround times for individual submissions can vary based on a variety of factors including whether the submission form was completed properly, the submission was packaged correctly, the collectibles require additional research and other reasons.

We strive to provide the most up-to-date turnaround time estimates on our website. For current turnaround times, please visit cgccomics.com/Services.

Who should be designated as the 'importer of record'?

If you are using international shipping to send a submission to our US headquarters, you must designate yourself as the “importer of record,” and you are responsible for all customs duties and fees for your submissions. If we incur any customs duties and fees for your submissions, these costs will be billed to you, plus an administrative fee of $25. To learn more, click here.

Who can make payments on an Authorized Dealer account?

CGC accepts payments on an Authorized Dealer account only from the Authorized Dealer. Payments from customers of the Authorized Dealer are not accepted for the Authorized Dealer account.

Can I cancel or change my order after my submission has been delivered to CGC?

Once your submission is in transit to CGC, your order cannot be cancelled or changed. CGC has already started working on your submission to perform your requested services. No refunds can be given after a submission has been delivered.

Please note that turnaround times are only estimates and are not guaranteed. For current services and fees as well as turnaround times, click here.

Can I check the grade of my submission before I get it back?

The CGC website offers a free Submission Tracking resource that enables you to check the status of your submission as it makes its way through the certification process. The Submission Tracking tool is the quickest and easiest way to see that your submission has been received, whether it has been graded and when it is on its way back to you. Grades are available to view online when a submission's status is "Shipped."

Customer Service representatives do not provide the grades of submissions over the phone or via email.

To access Submission Tracking, simply log in to your account by clicking "Sign In" at the upper right of the CGC website and then clicking on "My Submissions" under your profile symbol.

If I remove my collectible from its CGC holder, what should I do with the label?

If you remove your collectible from its CGC holder, you can return the label to CGC so that the collectible is no longer counted in the CGC census. This helps to make the CGC Census more accurate.

Please note that removing a collectible from its CGC holder will void any guarantee provided by the company. If you would like it to be re-encapsulated by CGC, it would need to be submitted for grading as a raw (ungraded) collectible.

Still not finding an answer? Contact CGC Customer Service at 1.855.GRADE.10 or Service@CGCcomics.com.