State Laws on PFAS in Firefighter Gear

We found six states that make gear sellers tell buyers about PFAS. Three will ban new gear with added PFAS. See what the notices say and mean for you.

Which states have laws on PFAS in firefighter gear?

We found six states with these laws. Each makes sellers give buyers a written notice when gear has PFAS. Three will also ban sales of new gear with added PFAS.

The six are California, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont and Washington. We read each law on an official state site.

Washington was first. Its notice rule began on July 1, 2018. Colorado followed on August 2, 2019. California’s rule began on January 1, 2022, and Vermont’s on July 1, 2022.

Massachusetts started its notice rule on January 1, 2025, and Connecticut on January 1, 2026. These two states, and Vermont, also set dates to stop sales.

The laws cover more than coats and pants. Washington, Colorado, Massachusetts and Vermont list shoes, gloves, helmets and breathing gear. Connecticut’s law covers gear for building, wildland and other kinds of firefighting.

What does a PFAS notice say, and who keeps it?

The notice says the gear contains PFAS and why the chemicals were added. Massachusetts also requires the names of the chemicals. In five of the six states, both the seller and the buyer must keep the notice for at least three years.

Those five states are California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Vermont and Washington. Connecticut’s law, as we read it, sets no time for keeping the notice. In Massachusetts, the notice rule runs only until its ban starts on January 1, 2027.

The buyer is often a fire department. Massachusetts names cities, towns and fire districts as buyers. Vermont names town fire districts. In California, a public agency counts as a buyer too.

Some states can ask to see the paperwork. In Massachusetts, Washington and Colorado, the state agency can ask for the notice and sales records, and they must be handed over within 60 days. In California, the Attorney General, a city attorney, a county counsel or a district attorney can ask.

When do the bans on new gear start?

Massachusetts goes first, on January 1, 2027. Connecticut follows on January 1, 2028, and Vermont on July 1, 2029. The bans stop sales of gear with added PFAS. The laws we read do not make anyone stop using gear they already have.

Vermont’s ban has one delay. Respirators and respirator equipment may still be sold with a notice until July 1, 2032.

Connecticut’s ban does not reach used gear, gear made before the ban, or replacement parts for that older gear. The Massachusetts and Vermont sections we read do not list those exceptions.

Washington, California and Colorado have notice rules but no ban in the laws we read. We found no change in 2025 or 2026 that moved the Massachusetts or Connecticut dates.

What do these laws mean for fire departments?

Departments that buy gear must keep the notices in most of these states. The laws we read do not order departments to throw out or replace gear they own. Washington and Vermont also take steps toward gear without PFAS.

Washington tells its ecology agency to help state agencies, fire districts and local governments favor gear that has no PFAS. Vermont ordered a report by December 15, 2028, on PFAS-free gear. That report goes to the state’s league of cities and towns to share with local fire departments.

Washington, Colorado and California set fines for breaking these rules. California’s law says a single firefighter is not personally responsible for paying its fine.

How can a firefighter use these notices?

A notice can show that gear your department bought had PFAS, and why it was added. Ask your department or union whether it kept them. A notice does not show how much PFAS reached you.

Notices only cover gear sold after each state’s rule began. Gear bought before then, or bought in a state without a rule, may come with no notice. Purchase records may still show what gear your department bought and when.

A ban on new sales is not a finding about older gear. If you are weighing a claim, an attorney can check what your records show and which laws apply where you served.