Washington State's Safer Products PFAS Rule: Details and the November 2025 Amendment (WAC 173-337)

Washington State has advanced phased regulation of consumer products containing intentionally added PFAS through the regulatory cycle established under the Safer Products for Washington Act (enacted 2019). The Act directs the state Department of Ecology and Department of Health to jointly identify "priority products and priority chemicals" and, where safer alternatives exist and are feasible, prohibit their use (where no safer alternative exists, the law imposes reporting requirements rather than an outright ban). PFAS regulation is one of the regulatory cycles carried out under this broader framework.

Effective January 1, 2025, regulation took effect for aftermarket water- and stain-repellent treatments and carpets and rugs (indoor and outdoor). On November 20, 2025, an amendment to the implementing regulations (WAC Chapter 173-337) was adopted, taking effect December 21, 2025. The amended regulations, in addition to the previously scheduled regulation of leather and textile indoor furnishings (effective January 1, 2026), newly added manufacturing, sale, and distribution bans for three additional categories: clothing and accessories, automotive cleaning products, and cleaning products generally. Furthermore, for nine categories—including apparel for severe or extended-use conditions, recreational and travel gear, automotive wax, cookware and kitchenware, firefighting personal protective equipment (PPE), floor wax and polish, hard-surface sealants, and ski wax—a reporting period begins January 1, 2026, with the first annual report due January 31, 2027 (and annually thereafter each January 31).