Regulations / State
Pennsylvania asbestos regulations.
Who licenses asbestos work in Pennsylvania, who takes the notification, and how long before the job you have to file. Plus how the federal rules layer on top.
State licensing & accreditation
Asbestos abatement work in Pennsylvania is licensed/accredited through the Pennsylvania Dept. of Labor & Industry (DLI), Bureau of Occupational & Industrial Safety under Asbestos Occupations Accreditation & Certification Act (Act 194 of 1990).
Credentials the state issues:
- Contractor (firm)
- Contractor (individual)
- Supervisor
- Worker
- Building Inspector
- Management Planner
- Project Designer
Notification
Notifications go to the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP), Bureau of Air Quality under 25 Pa. Code § 127.708.
- Advance notice: 10 working days.
- Notification details / form.
How the federal rules layer in
No matter the state, federal OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1101 (asbestos in construction), EPA NESHAP (40 CFR 61, Subpart M), and AHERA worker accreditation still apply. A state program layers its own licensing and notification on top of — not instead of — these. Where Pennsylvania has no state license, the federal accreditation and NESHAP notification requirements are the floor.
Pennsylvania-specific notes
- Licensing (DLI) and notification (DEP) are different agencies.
- NESHAP threshold (>260 linear ft / 160 sq ft / 35 cu ft RACM) triggers the 10-working-day notice.
- Notifications submitted via DEP GreenPort to the appropriate regional office.
- Philadelphia and Allegheny counties run their own local programs.
Official sources
Related
- All asbestos regulations by state
- OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1101 — Asbestos in Construction
- EPA NESHAP — 40 CFR 61, Subpart M
- Asbestos abatement software
- Compliance reporting in Nexus
Items we could not fully verify against a primary source: 10-working-day lead time confirmed via DEP instructions, not the § 127.708 text directly.
Last reviewed against the published rules: 2026-05-28. This is a summary, not legal advice. Asbestos rules — and the agencies that run them — change; confirm the current requirements with the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP), Bureau of Air Quality and read the actual rule before making a compliance decision.
Pennsylvania asbestos: common questions
Do I need a license to do asbestos abatement in Pennsylvania?
Yes — Pennsylvania regulates who can perform asbestos abatement. Pennsylvania Dept. of Labor & Industry (DLI), Bureau of Occupational & Industrial Safety. Relevant credentials include Contractor (firm), Contractor (individual), Supervisor, and others.
Who do I notify before asbestos work in Pennsylvania, and how far in advance?
Notifications go to the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP), Bureau of Air Quality (25 Pa. Code § 127.708). Required advance notice: 10 working days.
Do the federal OSHA and EPA asbestos rules still apply in Pennsylvania?
Yes. Federal OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1101, EPA NESHAP (40 CFR 61, Subpart M), and AHERA worker accreditation apply nationwide — Pennsylvania's rules layer on top of them, not instead of them.
Ready to simplify compliance?
Start your 14-day free trial. No credit card required.