Guide
Biohazard Waste Rules, by State
Reviewed October 2026 by the USA Biohazard Cleanup editorial team. General information, not legal or insurance advice.
Material removed during a biohazard cleanup is not ordinary trash. Each state regulates it under its own name, such as medical waste, infectious waste, or biomedical waste, and assigns an agency to oversee how it is packaged, transported, and treated.
Why this matters to a property owner
If contaminated material is bagged and left at the curb, the owner can be the one held responsible. A professional crew packages waste in labeled containers, uses a transporter that is permitted or registered where the state requires it, and keeps disposal records. Ask for a copy of those records: insurers often want them.
Federal rules sit alongside the state rules. The OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030, governs how workers are protected, and disinfectants must be EPA registered and used as their labels direct.
Regulators in the 38 states we serve
| State | Regulator | Rule or statute reference |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Arizona Department of Environmental Quality | A.A.C. R18-13-1401 through R18-13-1420 |
| Arkansas | Arkansas Department of Health | Ark. Code Ann. 20-32-101 to 20-32-112; ADH Rules Pertaining to the Management of Medical Waste from Generators and Health Care Related Facilities |
| California | California Department of Public Health, Medical Waste Management Program | Medical Waste Management Act, California Health and Safety Code sections 117600 to 118360; trauma scene waste at Chapter 9.5, sections 118321 to 118321.6 |
| Colorado | Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Division | 6 CCR 1007-2, Part 1, Section 13 |
| Connecticut | Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection | Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies section 22a-209-15; Connecticut General Statutes section 22a-209b |
| Delaware | Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control | 7 DE Admin. Code 1301, Section 11 |
| Florida | Florida Department of Health | Chapter 64E-16, Florida Administrative Code; section 381.0098, Florida Statutes |
| Georgia | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Division | Ga. Comp. R. and Regs. 391-3-4-.15 (Biomedical Waste) |
| Hawaii | Hawaii Department of Health | Hawaii Administrative Rules Title 11, Chapter 104.1, Management and Disposal of Infectious Waste, adopted under HRS section 321-21 |
| Idaho | Idaho Department of Environmental Quality | No single rule reference published |
| Illinois | Illinois Environmental Protection Agency | 35 Ill. Adm. Code Parts 1420 to 1422; Section 56.1 of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act |
| Indiana | Indiana Department of Health, with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management | IC 16-41-16; 410 IAC 1-3; 329 IAC 11 |
| Iowa | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | Iowa Code 455B.501; Iowa Admin. Code r. 567-109.9 |
| Kentucky | Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet, Division of Waste Management | 401 KAR 47:080; 401 KAR 49:080; 902 KAR 20:016 |
| Maine | Maine Department of Environmental Protection | 06-096 C.M.R. chapter 900 (Biomedical Waste Management Rules); 38 M.R.S. section 1319-O |
| Maryland | Maryland Department of the Environment | COMAR 26.13.11 through 26.13.13 |
| Massachusetts | Massachusetts Department of Public Health | 105 CMR 480.000 (State Sanitary Code, Chapter VIII) |
| Michigan | Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy | Medical Waste Regulatory Act, Part 138 of the Public Health Code, MCL 333.13801 to 333.13832; Mich Admin Code R 325.1541 to 325.1549 |
| Minnesota | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency | Minn. Stat. 116.75 to 116.83 (Infectious Waste Control Act); Minn. R. 7035.9100 to 7035.9150 |
| Missouri | Missouri Department of Natural Resources | 10 CSR 80-7.010; RSMo 260.203 and 260.204 |
| Nebraska | Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment | Nebraska Administrative Code Title 132 (Integrated Solid Waste Management Regulations), Chapter 13, Section 004; definition at Chapter 1, Section 053 |
| Nevada | Nevada Division of Environmental Protection | NAC 444.646 and NAC 444.662 |
| New Hampshire | New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services | N.H. Code of Administrative Rules, Part Env-Sw 904; RSA 149-M |
| New Jersey | New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection | N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A |
| New York | New York State Department of Environmental Conservation | 6 NYCRR Part 365 |
| North Carolina | North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Waste Management, Solid Waste Section | 15A NCAC 13B .1200 (Medical Waste Management) |
| Ohio | Ohio Environmental Protection Agency | Ohio Revised Code 3734.021; Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 3745-27 |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality | OAC 252:515, Subchapter 23 |
| Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection | 25 Pa. Code Chapter 284 |
| South Carolina | South Carolina Department of Environmental Services | S.C. Code Regs. 61-105 (Infectious Waste Management) |
| Tennessee | Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of Solid Waste Management | Tenn. Comp. R. and Regs. Chapter 0400-11-01 (Solid Waste Processing and Disposal) |
| Texas | Texas Commission on Environmental Quality | 30 TAC Chapter 326; 25 TAC 1.131 to 1.137 |
| Utah | Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control | Utah Admin. Code R315-316 |
| Virginia | Virginia Department of Environmental Quality | 9VAC20-121 |
| Washington | Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission and local health jurisdictions | Chapter 70A.228 RCW; Chapter 480-70 WAC |
| West Virginia | West Virginia Department of Health, Bureau for Public Health, Office of Environmental Health Services | W. Va. Code R. 64-56 (Infectious Medical Waste) |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | Wis. Admin. Code ch. NR 526 (Medical Waste Management) |
| Wyoming | Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, Solid and Hazardous Waste Division | No single rule reference published |
References were reviewed in October 2026. Rules are amended and renumbered from time to time, so check with the agency for the current text. Each state page explains how the rules apply to cleanup work and lists the sources we used.
Related reading: what to do after an unattended death.