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EPA's Autobody Refinishing Shop Rule

As of January 1st, 2011 Federal Law requires that:

  1. All spray painting must be done in a spray booth
    • Full cars must be painted in a spray booth with four walls, a roof and a ventilation system. (Filters in the booth have to remove at least 98% of the particulates. Your filter provider can give you the right filters and necessary paperwork.)
    • Parts of cars must be painted in a booth with at least three walls or flaps, a roof and a ventilation system that pulls air into the spray booth.
    • Spot repairs must be done in an enclosure which prevents any mist from getting out of the enclosure.
  2. Painters must use spray guns and techniques which reduce overspray (such as HVLP).
  3. All painters must receive training. Owners must keep records of the training of each painter.
  4. Paint spray gun cleaning cannot create any mist of cleaning solvent to the air. You may spray solvent through the gun for cleaning purposes using an enclosed gun cleaner or you may clean the gun manually.
  5. All shops must also send a notification to EPA with some general information by January 2010:
    • Location of facility
    • Description of spray painting equipment
    • Confirmation that shop has necessary equipment and training.
    • An example of this notification is found by clicking here.
  6. Exemptions to the rule are facility maintenance activities, which include the application of coatings to stationary structures or their appurtenances at the site of installation, to portable buildings at the site of installation, and to pavements and curbs,
  7. You can send this notice that you are an owner or operator, to your local EPA office. Your state is listed in the web link for your EPA office — click here for that link.

EPA sealFor additional information on the EPA's Autobody Refinishing Shops program visit the U.S. government's EPA website.