Asbestos by State

State rules

New Jersey

New Jersey licenses asbestos employers through the Department of Labor and Workforce Development and writes the same rules jointly with the Department of Health. The labor page publishes the Asbestos Control and Licensing Act, N.J.S.A. 34:5A-32 and following, and the joint rules N.J.A.C. 12:120 and N.J.A.C. 8:60. An employer may not apply, enclose, remove, or encapsulate asbestos in a structure without a nontransferable license. Public and private agencies that bid this work must require licensed contractors and subcontractors. EPA’s contact for the state is the health department’s environmental and occupational program. New Jersey is not an AHERA waiver state.

Checked against official sources on October 11, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.

Try a ZIP like 30303, “Travis County” or “Columbus, OH”
Who runs the asbestos program
New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development and Department of Health, joint asbestos rules
Who must be licensed or accredited
Employers need a nontransferable license from the labor commissioner before applying, enclosing, removing, or encapsulating asbestos. Workers and supervisors need permits. The health department oversees training.
Official program page
Official page →

The statute’s findings talk about reducing asbestos hazards by controlling application, use, and removal. A license is in writing, dated, signed, and carries an expiration date. The commissioner may limit the scope of work. No license is issued unless the applicant completed training certified by the Department of Health and passed an approved exam. Employees who apply, enclose, repair, remove, or encapsulate asbestos need their own permits, with an exception the statute states for certain private employers covered by federal OSHA who use their own employees on their own facility. The joint rules are expressly a shared adoption so the health training rules and the labor license rules stay aligned.

Subchapter 5 of the rules, as titled on the labor page, covers how a worker or supervisor gets a permit. Training agencies and instructors can lose certification. A contract that needs a license must say the work will be done by licensed contractors and subcontractors. That procurement sentence matters for towns and school boards: writing “asbestos removal” into a bid is not enough if the license clause is missing. OSHA’s construction standard still applies to the crew on site.

EPA lists the health department phone 609-826-4950 and the mailbox iep.program@doh.nj.gov for New Jersey. Use that contact for training and environmental-health questions, and use the labor department page for the employer license. Schools follow federal AHERA because New Jersey is not on the waiver list. A school project can need the AHERA accreditation, the state employer license, and worker permits at the same time. Ask which of those three the bidder holds before the contract is signed.

Official resources in New Jersey

New Jersey Asbestos Control and Licensing Act

Employer licenses, worker permits, and the joint health and labor rules.

EPA state asbestos contacts

New Jersey health-department contact.

OSHA construction asbestos standard

Federal construction worker-protection rule.

EPA asbestos in schools

AHERA duties. New Jersey is not a listed waiver state.

Key facts for New Jersey

What to do next

  1. Ask for the employer license and the supervisor permit, not only a training card.
  2. Put the licensed-contractor clause in the bid if you are a public agency.
  3. Call the health department about training and the labor department about the license.
  4. Keep school management plans on the AHERA track.

Looking for your city or county in New Jersey?

We haven't found official program-level pages for New Jersey we can verify yet, so we don't show local numbers here rather than guess. Here's what to use instead, in order:

  1. General Start with the statewide information above. It applies across New Jersey, but cities and counties can add their own steps, fees or deadlines.
  2. Call to confirm Ask the official office. They have the current local rule, fee and form.
    New Jersey Department of Health environmental and occupational program
    Website →
    Phone: (609) 826-4950 (as listed on that page, checked Oct 4, 2026)
    Your city or county office: Local governments →
    Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the New Jersey page on USA.gov can point you to the right office.
  3. Know the current info? Tell us and include a link to the official page. We check every tip before it goes up.

Helpful guides

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