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Where You Live - State Medical Waste Programs and Regulations
Medical waste disposal is primarily regulated at the state level. To determine what laws apply in your state, use the map below or scroll down the page for links to information about state medical waste regulations and programs. Or visit the States page of EPA's Wastes Web site.
See also: Model Guidelines for State Medical Waste Management.
Note: All of the following links are outside of EPA
You will need Adobe Reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more.
Alabama
- Alabama Medical Waste Regulations (DOC) (28 pp, 62K)
Alaska
American Samoa - US Territory
- No Listing Available
Arizona
Arkansas
- Arkansas Department of Health & Human Services Medical Waste Rules and Regulations (PDF) (38 pp, 98K)
No Listings Available
California
Colorado
Connecticut
- Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
- Fact Sheet: Final Federal Plan for Existing Hospital/Medical/Infectious Waste Incinerators
Delaware
- Regulations Governing Solid Waste, Part 1 (PDF) (8 pp, 811K)
- Regulations Governing Solid Waste, Part 2 (PDF) (9 pp, 1MB)
- Regulations Governing Solid Waste, Part 3 (PDF) (8 pp, 724K)
- Regulations Governing Solid Waste, All Parts (PDF) (25 pp, 2.5MB)
District of Columbia - Washington DC
- No Listing Available
No Listings Available
Florida
Georgia
- Georgia Biomedical Waste Regulations (PDF) (4 pp, 78K)
Guam
- No Listings Available
Hawaii
- Hawaii Department of Health Solid Waste Regulation (PDF) (111 pp, 235K) (§11-58.1-52)
- Proper Disposal of Home Health Care Waste (PDF) (1 pp, 33K)
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
No Listings Available
Kansas
- Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Bureau of Waste Management's Medical Services Waste: Technical Guidance Document (SW 00-01) (PDF) (2 pp, 107K)
- Kansas Administrative Regulations, Part 2. Standards for Management of Solid Wastes: 28-29-27 (PDF) (153 pp, 623K)
Kentucky
Louisiana
- Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality Medical Waste Considerations For Waste Handlers
- Safe Waste Handling: Medical Waste in the Home
Maine
- Household Biomedical Waste Management (PDF) (4 pp, 453K)
- Biomedical Waste Management Rules (PDF) (5 pp, 435K)
- Biomedical Waste Disposal Through the US Mail (PDF) (4 pp, 336K)
- Mercury Management in the Health Care Environment (PDF) (6 pp, 631K)
Maryland
- Maryland Department of the Environment Medical Waste Transportation Permit Applications and Instructions
Massachusetts
- Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection: Infectious Waste Disposal & Transport
- Home Medical Waste
Michigan
- Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Medical Waste Regulatory Program (MWRP)
Minnesota
- Minnesota: Facts About Infectious Waste (PDF) (3 pp, 309K)
Mississippi
- Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality Medical Waste Fact Sheet (2 pp, 56K)
Missouri
Montana
- Montana Infectious Waste Management Act (PDF) (8 pp, 21K)
Nebraska
- Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality Environmental Guidance Document: Medical Waste Disposal
- Environmental Guidance Document: Handling Household Medical Waste (Note: use the search option and type "medical waste" into search box to locate these documents.)
Nevada
New Hampshire
- New Hampshire Code of Administrative Rules, Part ENV-SW 904 Infectious Waste (PDF) (19 pp, 110K) - see page 12
New Jersey
- New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Guidance Document For Regulated Medical Waste (RMW)
New Mexico
- New Mexico Environment Department Needle Disposal
New York
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Regulated Medical Waste
North Carolina
- North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Division of Waste Management—Medical Waste in North Carolina
North Dakota
- North Dakota Department of Health, Waste Management Division Infectious Waste
Northern Mariana Islands - US Territory
- No Listing Available
Ohio
Oklahoma
- Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality Solid Waste Regulations: Title 252. Department of Environmental Quality Chapter 515. Management of Solid Waste: Subchapter 23. Regulated Medical Waste Management (PDF) (106 pp, 549K)
Oregon
- Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Infectious Waste
Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Infectious and Chemotherapeutic Waste
Puerto Rico - US Commonwealth
- No Listing Available
No Listings Available
Rhode Island
- Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Rules and Regulations Governing the Generation, Transportation, Storage, Treatment, Management and Disposal of Regulated Medical Waste (Regulation DEM-DAH-MW-01-92) (PDF) (106 pp, 1MB)
- Rhode Island Department of Health, Health Topics: Medical Waste
South Carolina
- South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control Infectious Waste Program
South Dakota
Tennessee
- Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of Solid Waste Management, Solid Waste Program Policy and Guidance Manual (PDF) (182 pp, 1.2MB)
Texas
- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Medical Waste
Trust Territories
- No Listing Available
Utah
- Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Solid & Hazardous Waste Management Infectious Waste Management Guidance (PDF) (5 pp, 48K)
Vermont
- Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, Waste Management Division Procedure Addressing Medical Waste Definitions and the Handling and Treatment of Medical Waste (PDF) (15 pp, 32K)
Virgin Islands
- No Listing Available
Virginia
- Virginia Department of Environmental Quality Regulated Medical Waste
Washington
- Washington State Department of Ecology, Managing Pharmaceutical Waste
- Washington State Department of Health, Guidelines for Environmental Infection Control in Health-Care Facilities (PDF) (35 pp, 263K)
West Virginia
- West Virginia Infectious Medical Waste Program
- West Virginia Infectious Medical Waste Fact Sheet (PDF) (2 pp, 232K)
Wisconsin
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Solid Waste Management Regulations-Chapter NR 526, Medical Waste Management (PDF) (12 pp, 104K)
Wyoming
- Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality Current Solid Waste Management Rules and Regulations, Doc. #3289-Ch. 1 - General Provisions (PDF) (31 pp, 76K)
- Do You Need a Permit? What Regulations Apply to You? Medical Service Industry
No Listings Available
No Listings Available
No Listings Available
Model Guidelines for State Medical Waste Management
This document is the product of a cooperative agreement between the Council of State Governments and the U.S. EPA. The Medical Waste Tracking Act of 1988 required the EPA to identify alternative (i.e., non-regulatory approaches to medical waste management. These guidelines are in response to this requirement.
- Table of Contents (PDF) (9 pp, 660K)
- Pages 1 - 10 (PDF) (10 pp, 1.4MB)
- Pages 11 - 20 (PDF) (10 pp, 1.4MB)
- Pages 21 - 30 (PDF) (10 pp, 1.4MB)
- Pages 31 - 42 (PDF) (12 pp, 1.2MB)