EPA's Lead Laws, Regulations & Policies

Related Information

• EPA Programs & Laws to Reduce Lead Exposure
• Enforcing Lead Laws & Regulations
• Complying with Lead Laws & Regulation

Since the 1970s, EPA has worked alongside partners at the federal, state, Tribal, and local government levels to make considerable progress in reducing lead exposures and lead-related health risks, especially to children. These authorities form the foundation of the federal framework for addressing lead contamination and protecting public health and the environment.

EPA addresses lead contamination and the associated health and environmental hazards under multiple federal laws enacted by Congress. EPA implements these statutes by issuing regulations, which are published in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Lead-related regulations cover, among other areas, lead in paint and renovation activities, dust and soil hazards, drinking water, water discharges, air emissions and permitting, ambient air concentrations, waste management, cleanup and reporting.

EPA also issues policy and guidance to describe statutory and regulatory obligations and support compliance. Policies and guidance do not create or change legal obligations and are non-binding. Examples of non-binding policy and guidance include implementation guides, technical recommendations, frequently asked questions, fact sheets, training and communication materials, templates and quick reference tools, and reporting and data submission instructions.

This page includes major lead-related laws and regulations organized by statutory authority, along with related policy and guidance. Please note that this is not a comprehensive list.

Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)

Title IV of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) – as well as other authorities in the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992 – direct EPA to regulate lead-based paint hazards. Learn more about EPA regulations on lead in paint, dust and soil under 40 CFR Part 745 - Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention in Certain Residential Structures.

Regulations

• Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program (RRP) Rule: The regulation requires that those engaged in RRP activities that disturb painted surfaces in homes or child-occupied facilities (such as child care centers and kindergartens) built prior to 1978 be trained and certified in lead-safe work practices and use these work practices to guard against lead contamination. It also requires that contractors provide information on lead safety prior to beginning work. (TSCA §§402(c), 406(b); 40 CFR Part 745, Subpart E)
• Requirements for Lead-Based Paint Activities in Target Housing and Child-Occupied Facilities: The regulation requires that those engaged in lead abatements, risk assessments and inspections in homes or child-occupied facilities (such as child care centers and kindergartens) built prior to 1978 be trained and certified in specific practices to ensure accuracy and safety. (TSCA §402(a); 40 CFR Part 745, Subpart L)
• Requirements for Disclosure of Known Lead-Based Paint and/or Lead-Based Paint Hazards in Housing: The regulation requires that potential buyers and renters of housing built prior to 1978 receive known information on the presence of lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards in the residence prior to signing a lease or contract and provides the opportunity for an independent lead-based paint inspection for buyers. (Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992 §1018; 40 CFR Part 745, Subpart F; 24 CFR Part 35, Subpart A)
• Residential Hazard Standards and Dust-Lead Action Levels in Paint, Dust and Soil: The regulation sets standards for dangerous levels of lead in paint, household dust and residential soil, as well as the corresponding dust-lead action levels. (TSCA §§402, 403; 40 CFR 745.65; 40 CFR 745.227)

Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Program

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Residential Property Renovation State, Territorial, and Tribal Program Authorization Guidance (pdf)

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:** This guidance helps states, territories and Tribes understand EPA’s requirements for receiving authorization to run their own lead RRP programs. It outlines the information and processes needed to demonstrate that a program meets federal standards.

• Frequent Questions about the RRP Program: Find answers to common question about the RRP Rule or download a printer friendly version of all frequent questions.

Lead-Based Paint Activities Program

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Status of EPA Lead-Based Paint Activities Programs (pdf)

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:** This document shows which states, territories and Tribes are authorized to administer lead-based paint activities programs under EPA oversight. It helps users identify where state, territory or Tribal programs are operating in place of the federal program.

• Information on the Dust-Lead Reportable Levels and Dust-Lead Action Levels: This page provides EPA lead hazard standards rulemaking references, related technical reports, and a contact number for the National Lead Information Center.
• Information for Training Providers on the Accreditation/Reaccreditation Process: This page provides information for training providers planning to become accredited by EPA to teach certified courses for lead abatement workers and supervisors, inspectors, risk assessors, or project designers in line with EPA’s Lead-based Paint Activities regulations.
• National Lead Laboratory Accreditation Program (NLLAP): This program establishes protocols, criteria and minimum performance standards for laboratory analysis of lead in paint, dust and soil. (TSCA §405(b))

Lead Disclosure Rule

• Interpretive Guidance for the Real Estate Community on the Requirements for Disclosure of Information Concerning Lead-Based Paint in Housing: This guidance explains the basic requirements of the Lead Disclosure Rule for real estate professionals. It helps sellers, landlords, and agents selling or leasing most residential housing built before 1978 understand what information must be disclosed about lead-based paint hazards in housing.Part I (PDF) (August 1996)
• Part II (PDF) (December 1996)
• Part III (PDF) (August 2000)

Enforcement

• Revised Interim Final Consolidated Enforcement Response and Penalty Policy for the Pre-Renovation Education Rule; Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule; and Lead-Based Paint Activities Rule: This policy explains how EPA addresses violations of several lead-related rules and how penalties may be determined and provides a consolidated framework for enforcement and compliance oversight.
• Transmittal of the Interim Final Lead-Based Paint Consolidated Enforcement: This document communicates EPA’s consolidated enforcement approach for lead-based paint rules. It serves as a formal introduction or notice explaining the policy’s purpose and use.
• Section 1018 Disclosure Rule Enforcement Response and Penalty Policy: This policy outlines EPA’s enforcement response for violations of the Lead Disclosure Rule and describes how the agency evaluates violations and determines appropriate penalties.
• Revisions to the 2000 Section 1018 - Disclosure Rule Enforcement Response: This document updates EPA’s earlier enforcement response policy for the Section 1018 disclosure requirements to reflect changes to enforcement practices and penalty considerations.
• Penalty Policy Supplements Pursuant to the 2004 Civil Monetary Penalty Inflation Adjustment Rule: This supplement adjusts EPA penalty policies to account for inflation-related changes in civil monetary penalty amounts. It ensures penalty guidance remains consistent with updated federal requirements.
• Supplemental Environmental Projects In Administrative Enforcement Matters Involving Section 1018 Lead-Based Paint Cases: This guidance explains how supplemental environmental projects may be used in enforcement cases involving Section 1018 violations and describes how such projects can support environmental benefits as part of settlement agreements.
• Interim Guidance for Enforcing the TSCA Section 402 Abatement Rule: This guidance helps EPA and implementing partners enforce the lead abatement requirements under TSCA Section 402 and provides direction on addressing violations related to lead hazard reduction activities.

National Lead Laboratory Accreditation Program

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Laboratory Quality System Requirements (LQSR) (pdf)

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:** This document sets the quality system requirements for laboratories participating in EPA’s National Lead Laboratory Accreditation Program to ensure that laboratory testing for lead is accurate, reliable, and consistent.

State and Tribal Assistance Grants (STAG)

The Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) issues Lead-Based Paint Program grant guidance for financial assistance agreements (grants) to states, territories, the District of Columbia, and eligible Tribes and intertribal consortia under the authority of TSCA §404(g).

FY26 Lead Program STAG Grant Guidance (pdf)

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FY25 Lead Program STAG Grant Guidance (pdf)

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FY24 Lead Program STAG Grant Guidance (pdf)

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FY23 Lead Program STAG Grant Guidance (pdf)

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FY22 Lead Program STAG Grant Guidance (pdf)

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Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) protects people from lead in drinking water by requiring EPA to set national rules for public water systems to reduce exposure to lead in drinking water and by prohibiting the use or sale of plumbing materials that contain lead.

Regulations

• Lead and Copper Rule: The regulation establishes requirements for monitoring, corrosion control treatment, public education, and lead service line replacement to reduce lead and copper levels in drinking water; issued in 1991 and revised in 2000, 2007, 2021, and 2024 in the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI). The LCRI requires drinking water systems across the country to identify and replace lead pipes, conduct rigorous testing of drinking water using a lower threshold to take action to protect people from lead exposure in water, and communicate with consumers so that families are better informed about the risk of lead in drinking water, the location of lead pipes, and plans for replacing them. States may adopt more stringent requirements. (SDWA §1412; 40 CFR Part 141 Subpart I)
• The Lead Free Rule: On September 1, 2020, EPA published the final regulation "Use of Lead Free Pipes, Fittings, Fixtures, Solder, and Flux for Drinking Water." This rule implements statutory restrictions on the use, sale, and distribution of pipes, plumbing fixtures, solder, or flux that are not “lead free” as defined by the Safe Drinking Water Act to reduce lead in drinking water. (SDWA §1417; 40 CFR Part 143, Subpart B)

Drinking Water Policies & Guidance

• Lead and Copper Rule Implementation Tools: This page compiles resources to help states and water systems implement the Lead and Copper Rule, including announcements, primacy materials, technical guidance, and notification tools.

Clean Water Act (CWA)

The Clean Water Act (CWA) prohibits discharges of pollutants – including lead – from a point source to a water of the United States unless authorized (typically by a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)) permit. NPDES permits contain discharge limits, monitoring and reporting requirements, and other provisions to ensure compliance.

Regulations

• Effluent Limitations Guidelines (ELGs) by Source Category: ELGs are national technology‑based limits incorporated into NPDES permits and into controls for indirect dischargers. (CWA §301)

ELGs with lead limits include:

Electroplating (40 CFR Part 413)

• Organic Chemicals, Plastics and Synthetic Fibers (40 CFR Part 414)
• Inorganic Chemicals Manufacturing (40 CFR Part 415)
• Iron and Steel Manufacturing (40 CFR Part 420)
• Nonferrous Metals Manufacturing (40 CFR Part 421)
• Glass Manufacturing (40 CFR Part 426)
• Rubber Manufacturing (40 CFR Part 428)
• Metal Finishing (40 CFR Part 433)
• Centralized Waste Treatment (40 CFR Part 437)
• Ore Mining and Dressing (40 CFR Part 440)
• Transportation Equipment Cleaning (40 CFR Part 442)
• Waste Combustors (40 CFR Part 444)
• Pesticide Chemicals (40 CFR Part 455)
• Battery Manufacturing (40 CFR Part 461)
• Metal Molding and Casting (40 CFR Part 464)
• Porcelain Enameling (40 CFR Part 466)
• Copper Forming (40 CFR Part 468)
• Nonferrous Metals Forming and Metal Powders (40 CFR Part 471)
• Electrical and Electronic Components (40 CFR Part 469)
• Standards for the Use or Disposal of Sewage Sludge: The regulation establishes risk‑based limits for lead in biosolids for land application, surface disposal, and incineration. (CWA §405(d); 40 CFR Part 503)

Resource Conservation & Recovery Act (RCRA) & Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)

Subtitle C of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulates hazardous lead-bearing waste with leachable concentrations of lead at 5 ppm or greater from the point of generation to ultimate disposal in a controlled environment, referred to as “cradle to grave” management. RCRA regulation helps prevent** **lead from being released to the environment.

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) – commonly known as Superfund – can be used to address lead after it has been released into the environment. CERCLA also authorizes EPA to respond to threatened releases of lead. Lead is a “hazardous substance” as defined under CERCLA § 101(14) and is listed at 40 CFR § 302.4. This designation gives EPA authority to respond to lead releases or threatened releases as hazardous-substance releases and to require cleanup when appropriate.

Regulations

• Special Standards for Used Lead‑Acid Batteries Being Reclaimed: The standards provide alternative management standards for spent lead‑acid batteries being reclaimed when they are sent for legitimate recycling and are not speculatively accumulated. (RCRA §3004; 40 CFR Part 266, Subpart G)
• Standards for Universal Waste Management: The regulations streamline hazardous waste requirements for certain commonly generated wastes. Intact spent lead‑acid batteries can be managed under simplified accumulation, labeling, training, and shipping requirements. Additionally, other wastes that may contain lead could be regulated as universal waste in some states. (RCRA Subtitle C §§3001-3005, 3006-3007; 40 CFR Part 273)
• Toxicity Characteristic for Lead (D008): Wastes that leach lead at or above 5.0 mg/L (ppm) by the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) are hazardous (D008) and must be managed under RCRA Subtitle C to ensure that hazardous lead waste is handled in a manner that protects human health and the environment. To this end, there are Subtitle C regulations for the generation, transportation, and treatment, storage, or disposal of hazardous wastes. (RCRA §3001; 40 CFR 261.24)
• Land Disposal Restrictions (LDRs) Treatment Standards for Lead Wastes: RCRA’s LDR program establishes concentration‑based or technology‑based treatment standards that must be met before land disposal can occur in an appropriately controlled environment. (RCRA §3004(m); 40 CFR Part 268)

Waste & Cleanup Policies & Guidance

• Regulatory Status of Waste Generated by Contractors and Residents from Lead-Based Paint Activities Conducted in Households: This guidance explains the regulatory status of waste generated by contractors and residents during lead-based paint activities in households. It helps clarify how such waste should be managed and whether it is subject to hazardous waste requirements.
• Residential Soil Lead Directive for CERCLA Sites and RCRA Corrective Action Facilities: This directive provides EPA guidance for addressing lead contamination in residential soil at Superfund and RCRA corrective action sites. It helps guide cleanup decisions and risk management at contaminated properties.
• Lead at Superfund Sites Guidance: This page provides downloadable guidance documents and short sheets related to lead risk assessment to support the cleanup of residential sites contaminated with lead under Superfund.
• Lead at Shooting Ranges: This resource addresses lead contamination concerns associated with shooting ranges. It provides guidance on managing and reducing lead impacts from range activities.

Clean Air Act

The Clean Air Act (CAA) gives EPA authority to regulate lead in multiple ways, including by setting national ambient air quality standards for lead, establishing emission standards for lead and lead compounds from major and area stationary sources (including solid waste incinerators), and regulating use of lead as a fuel additive.

Regulations

National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) are standards for the concentrations of certain pollutants in outdoor air (such as ozone, particulate matter, and lead) set by EPA to protect public health and welfare. States must fulfill certain legal obligations if areas in the state are not attaining the standards.

• NAAQS for Lead (Pb): The primary and secondary standards are 0.15 micrograms per cubic meter lead in total suspended particles as a 3-month average. (CAA §109; 40 CFR 50.16)

National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) are established by EPA to limit stationary source emissions of Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs), including lead compounds, that are known or suspected to pose serious health and environmental risks. New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) are established by EPA to limit emissions of certain pollutants from new, modified, and reconstructed stationary sources. Many facilities need CAA permits (e.g., New Source Review and Title V) prior to commencing construction or operation.

• Primary Lead Smelting NESHAP: This standard applies to new and existing primary lead processors engaged in producing lead metal from ore concentrates; no primary lead smelters currently operate in the United States. (CAA §112; 40 CFR Part 63, Subpart TTT)
• Secondary Lead Smelting NESHAP: This standard applies to new and existing secondary lead smelters that recycle lead‑bearing scrap (typically lead‑acid batteries) into elemental lead or lead alloys. (CAA §112; 40 CFR Part 63, Subpart X)
• Lead-Acid Battery Manufacturing Area Sources NESHAP: This standard applies to new and existing lead‑acid battery manufacturing and component plants that are area sources (i.e., facilities that are not major sources). (CAA §§112(d), 112(k); 40 CFR Part 63, Subpart PPPPPP)
• Secondary Lead Smelters NSPS: This standard applies to new, modified, or reconstructed secondary lead smelters that recycle lead‑bearing scrap into elemental lead or lead alloys. (CAA §111(b); 40 CFR Part 60, Subparts L and La)
• Lead-Acid Battery Manufacturing NSPS: This standard applies to new, modified, and reconstructed facilities that produce lead‑acid batteries, including starting‑lighting‑ignition and industrial storage batteries. (CAA §111(b); 40 CFR Part 60, Subparts KK and KKa)

Section 129 directs EPA to develop regulations limiting emissions of nine air pollutants – including lead – from solid waste incineration units that burn different types of solid wastes, such as: municipal solid waste; hospital, medical and infectious solid waste; commercial and industrial solid waste; and other solid waste.

• Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units: The new source performance standards and State/Federal plans implementing existing source emission guidelines reduce air pollution from commercial and industrial solid waste incineration units. (CAA §129; 40 CFR Part 60, Subpart CCCC and DDDD)

Section 211 authorizes EPA to regulate the composition and use of fuels and fuel additives for vehicles and engines by requiring registration and health effects testing of new fuels and fuel additives, setting and enforcing fuel and fuel additive standards (including the phaseout of leaded gasoline), and administering programs.

• Regulation of Fuels and Fuel Additives: The regulation prohibits lead in gasoline for on‑road motor vehicles; the phaseout began in the 1970s and culminated in a 1996 ban on lead in gasoline for on-road motor vehicles. (CAA §211; 40 CFR Part 80)

Air Emissions Policies & Guidance

• Lead Monitoring: Network Design and Monitoring Siting; Sampling and Analysis; and Data Reporting: This guidance explains design and placement of ambient air lead monitoring networks and how samples may be collected and analyzed. It also outlines data reporting requirements to ensure consistent and reliable monitoring results.
• Lead Implementation – Programs and Requirements for Reducing Lead: This guidance describes requirements associated with the lead NAAQS. It is intended to support state, local, and Tribal air agencies.

Emergency Planning & Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA)

Section 313 of the Emergency Planning & Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) requires certain facilities that manufacture, process, or otherwise use listed toxic chemicals to report annual environmental releases, which EPA compiles in the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI).

Regulations

• Lowering of TRI Reporting Thresholds for Lead and Lead Compounds: EPA lowered the TRI reporting thresholds for lead and lead compounds. (EPCRA §313; 40 CFR Part 372)

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