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| **CERTIFICATION   OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER** |   | Exhibit 31.1 |
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I, Thomas J. Shaw, certify that:

 
| 1.     | I have reviewed this quarterly report   on Form 10-Q of Retractable Technologies, Inc.;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
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| 2.     | Based on my knowledge, this report   does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a   material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the   circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with   respect to the period covered by this report;                                                                                                    |
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| 3.     | Based on my knowledge, the financial   statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly   present in all material respects the financial condition, results of   operations, and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods   presented in this report;                                                                                                                      |
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| 4.     | The registrant’s other certifying   officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining   disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act   Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial   reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and   15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:                                       |
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| (a)    | Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such   disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to   ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its   consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those   entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being   prepared;                              |
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| (b)    | Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused   such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our   supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of   financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external   purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;                                       |
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| (c)    | Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls   and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the   effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the   period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and                                                                                                                        |
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| (d)    | Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal   control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most   recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of   an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to   materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial   reporting; and |
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| 5.     | The registrant’s other certifying   officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of   internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and   the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons   performing the equivalent functions):                                                                                        |
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| (a)    | All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or   operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably   likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process,   summarize, and report financial information; and                                                                                                                                 |
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| (b)    | Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves Management or other   employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control   over financial reporting.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |

 

Date:       May 13, 2011

 
| /s/   Thomas J. Shaw     |
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| THOMAS J. SHAW           |
| PRESIDENT, CHAIRMAN, AND |
| CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER  |

 

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