EPA Lead Safe Firm Application for RRP – Instructions

The EPA requires any firm that is doing work on pre-1978 homes or child-occupied facilities to complete this application and get certified through an accredited EPA RRP Trainer. Failure to do so may result in huge fines of up to $37,500 per violation, per day that you or your company is not in compliance.

EPA Firm Application Instructions

**Effective September 15, 2015 EPA will no longer offer the option to submit firm certification applications by mail.  After that date all firm applications, payments, updates and certificate replacement requests will be done online at http://www2.epa.gov/lead/getcertified.

NOTE: This website is not affiliated with the EPA. This content is for informational purposes only.

Have a question or comment? Feel free to post it below:

83 thoughts on “EPA Lead Safe Firm Application for RRP – Instructions”

    1. Hi Brian,

      To get on the EPA website as a lead testing firm, you must have your Lead-Safe Firm Certification. To apply for your firm certificate, go here: https://www.epa.gov/lead/getcertified and enter your company information to start a new application. It is a $300 fee every five years, and they will send you a certificate with your company name on it. You will also be added to their list of Lead-Safe Certified companies on their website.

      Thank you!

  4. Hello my name is Joshua. I am writing to inquire information about obtaining a copy of my Lead certification card. I misplaced mines. How much would I have to pay and what are the steps I need to take to obtain this? I would need this for my place of employment as proof.

    1. Hi Joshua, you can get a copy of your training certification card by contacting the training company that you originally attended class with. This certification will have your name and photo on it. Or if you need a copy of your EPA lead-safe Firm certificate, you can go to epa.gov/lead/getcertified and enter your company information into the search fields – once you find your company listed, click Open and select to get a replacement copy of your Firm Certification ($15 fee). You can call the EPA hotline at 1-800-424-5323 for additional assistance.

  5. I’m getting Lead Safe Renovator training in Iowa, but I also want to be able to do renovation work in both Illinois and Wisconsin. What do I need to do to get the certificate that I receive in Iowa to be accepted in Illinois and Wisconsin? Thanks.

    1. Hi JD, after you attend the class in Iowa, here is what you’ll need to do for each state:
      WI: Submit an application for your company, as well as an Individual – on the Individual application you will select out-of-state processing. Further details here: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/lead/training-certification.htm
      IL: IL is an EPA-enforced state, so you will just need to apply for your company certificate with EPA at https://www.epa.gov/lead/getcertified. You can use your IA training certificate to work in IL until it expires (3 years).

    1. Hi Scott, per the EPA FAQS: “All firms performing, offering, or claiming to perform renovations covered by the RRP rule must be
      certified. In this case, both the general contractor and subcontractor must become certified firms.”

  7. Hello
    I work for a company in Northern Virginia. We are a lead safe certified firm and also have a division in Southern Virginia. The Southern division is venturing in to North Carolina for possible lead renovation, and repairs. I do understand that there needs to be an individual certificate class obtained need to know if our firm certification is valid in North Carolina.
    Thank you

    1. Hi TJ – North Carolina does have separate paperwork requirements from EPA/Virginia – you will need to submit a form for the company and for any individuals who have taken the Lead Renovator training and will be working there. If their training is still valid, they won’t need to re-take the class to work in NC. Here is the link to the NC website with the forms: http://epi.publichealth.nc.gov/lead/forms.html

  8. I live in Michigan, and last year I took an 8 hour class and got a lead abatement certificate. I can’t remember where I took the class and I lost my certificate . ive researched for hours online with no success. where can I get a copy of my certificate?

  9. I’m a tank cleaner, and my company from Texas sent me to Mississippi on a lead abatement job, but I have no training for lead. Am I suppose to have training?

    1. Hi Tony, training required depends on the type of work you would be doing. Typically you should at least have completed some OSHA safety training as you are encountering lead on the jobsite. Additional training may be required if you are dealing with lead hazards. Please give us a call at 646-564-3546 if you would like to discuss this further based on your situation.

    1. Generally, the EPA can take up to 90 days to process an application. You can call the EPA Lead Hotline for more information on current processing times at 1-800-424-5323.

    1. If you are referring to your Firm Certification, you will want to complete the EPA’s online application as soon as possible to renew.
      If your individual certification (ie. the certificate with your picture and personal name on it) is expired, then you will want to take a 4-hour refresher class – here is the class schedule: https://www.greenedu.com/lead-renovators-certification-refresher-courses. NOTE: If you work in AL, DE, GA, IA, KS, MS, NC, OK, OR, RI, UT, or WI, then you are no longer eligible for the refresher class and will need to take the full 8-hour RRP course again.

    1. Hi Charles,
      The Firm Certification would be required. The EPA requires any firm that is paid to perform work that disturbs lead paint or conducts lead dust sampling in housing or child-occupied facilities built before 1978 to be certified. The EPA’s definition of a firm includes “a Federal, State, Tribal, or local government agency; or a nonprofit organization.” The fee would be $300 for the 5-year firm certification.

      1. Hi. I am a landlord and buying a house with lead problems. After I will pass exam, can I start to work right away? Thanks.

      2. After attending the Lead Renovator class you will learn how to remodel the home safely if it may contain lead paint. Prior to starting work on the house you will need to have your training certificate, as well the EPA Firm Certificate. You can get your Firm Certificate by applying online through the EPA website, and this can be done prior to class to speed up the process.

  19. What if i work for one company and take to the class. now I work for a different company. Is my certificate still valid in the new job or do i have to take to class again under the new jobs name?

    1. The training certificate will have your name, picture, and personal accreditation number on it, and is valid for any company you work for since it is assigned to you personally. This is separate from the Firm Certification, which is just for the company.

  21. I recently took the RRP course and now I’m lead certify as an RRP. However I took the course only for the credits as required by the state. I have no intentions of ever doing work as a contractor nor do my employees. I’m a design firm. Do I still need to file with EPA as a corporation or firm?

  23. My husband has his RRP certificate, he wants to work for himself. can he do jobs on his own or does he have to work under a company name? If he

  26. Do you know how to answer question B(yes or no) on the EPA Firm Application?After I submitted EPA Firm Application When i can received the firm certification?

    Thanks

    1. For Part B, the Yes/No applies to the question “Indicate whether you are a federally-recognized Indian tribe seeking certification as a firm.” If you are not an Indian tribe, then you would select “No” for this question.
      Once you submit the Firm Application to the EPA along with your fee, the EPA has 90 days to process your application. However lately they have reported a 3-4 week average processing time so it may be faster. You will receive a certificate in the mail from the EPA once everything has been processed.

    1. Hi Rob,
      You will want to wait until you receive your firm certificate from the EPA before conducting any work that would fall under the RRP rule in order to be in full compliance.

  28. 2 yrs. ago I had my firm certificate, now i have folded that company and started a new company same business and clientell, is it possible to submit a new company name on my current certificate

    1. Hi Mike,
      This would depend – if your new business has a new Tax ID Number from your old business, then you would be required to submit a new firm application.

      However if the business Tax ID is the same as before then you could just submit an amended application. To send an amended application, print the PDF above and select “Option # 3 – Amend Existing Certification” for section A, complete the rest of the application, and then include a letter to the EPA with the application explaining that the business name changed.

  29. Hi I have a friend who is a Licensed painting contractor if he is doing a home with lead removal and he does not have a lead certification. Can he hire me to do his lead removal if i am lead certified? Does he have to fill out the lead firm app and pay 300$?

    1. Your friend DOES need to get his or her firm certified and it would be OK for them to hire you as an employee as the certified renovator for the project. Please keep in mind though that you will need to be the supervisor for the job and that your colleague can only supervise the work once they attain their lead certification as well.

  30. So as a sole proprietor, do I need to give them just my name as the firm or the name that I go by. The name that I go by isn’t registered with the state or anything. I just file as a sole proprietor. Thanks

    1. For your firm application, you will want to list whatever name it is that you do business under; so if Clients pay you as John Smith that would be the correct name to file under.

    1. Hi Andy – Yes, you would need to submit another firm application in order to have your new company certified with the EPA. Please let us know if you have any additional questions an we will be glad to assist.

  32. The only classes available to me are 2+ hours away, which I’ll have to go to, but I talked to a few contractors I know and they told me they took the course and got certified on line through the EPA web site. Do you still offer this?

    1. Hello Dov – the certificate that has your name on it is for your individual certification, while the “EPA Firm Application” is the one you need to get your company name. Individual certificates are not valid for your company, only those certs attained by completing the Firm App can count for your company.

  34. Hello
    I have only me in the company and I already have my lead certification but I was told that the company had to also be lead certified. But before the company can apply for it I have to become a firm. So my question is can I apply to become a firm online or is it just the print out? How long does it take to become a firm so I can apply the firm to be a led Certified too.

    1. Hello,
      “Company” and “firm” in this case both refer to your business name, no matter if it’s just you or if you have several employees. Therefore, you can use the application on this page to register with the EPA just by filling in your business details and mailing in the app with the $300 fee. Then the EPA will issue you a Lead-Safe Certification once the application is processed, which is good for 5 years, just like your training certificate. It can potentially take up to 90 days to be approved, but you can call the EPA Lead Hotline at 1-800-424-5323 to ask about the current processing times for these applications. If you prefer, you can also register online instead at http://www.epa.gov/lead/lscp-renovation.html

    1. Jurisdiction would only apply if you are certified to perform Lead Abatement or Inspection/Risk Assessment work. For the RRP Lead Renovator Certification, you are not required to select a jurisdiction – you will be approved to work in any state that is under the EPA’s enforcement. Therefore, your total firm registration fee would just be $300 total for the Renovation Certification.

  36. My training is March 30, can I send in my Firm application today? I know the EPA has 90 days for the process, but what is the average turn around time today?

    1. We are seeing about 4 weeks right now for the apps to be turned around, so getting it in as soon possible is your best bet. You do not need to be certified prior to submitting the firm application, so you can send it as soon as it is completed.

  37. If I get training in Illinois and my I relocate to Tennessee, will this training and my company’s firm be good in this state?

    1. Yes – even if your company is just one person, EPA still requires that you complete this application and complete the required 8 hour RRP training & certification course.

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