New Jersey Medical Waste Rules & Regulations
A plain-language guide to New Jersey’s regulated medical waste rules: what counts, how to package and store it, and the records you need to keep. MedPro Disposal doesn’t currently offer on-site pickup in New Jersey, but we offer compliance training and sharps and pharmaceutical mail-back to New Jersey generators.
We don’t currently offer on-site pickup in New Jersey
We do not currently offer on-site medical waste disposal service in New Jersey. Call (888) 641-6131 for more information. We also offer compliance training and our sharps and pharmaceutical mail-back program to New Jersey generators.
How is medical waste disposal regulated in New Jersey?
New Jersey regulates “regulated medical waste” (RMW) under N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A, adopted under the Comprehensive Regulated Medical Waste Management Act and enforced by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) together with the Department of Health. Every generator, however small, must register each site with NJDEP and pay an annual fee. Waste must be segregated, packaged, labeled and marked, disposed of within one year of generation, and shipped only with an NJDEP-registered transporter on a New Jersey RMW tracking form. Generators keep tracking forms and other RMW records at the site for at least three years.
- State term
- Regulated medical waste
- Rules
- N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A
- Enforced by
- NJDEP, with NJDOH
- Storage limit
- 1 year from generation
Key takeaways
- New Jersey regulates medical waste as “regulated medical waste” under N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A, enforced by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection with the Department of Health.
- Every New Jersey regulated medical waste generator must register each site with NJDEP and pay an annual fee, from $85 for under 50 lb a year to $3,500 for over 1,000 lb.
- New Jersey requires regulated medical waste to be disposed of within one year of the date it was generated, and immediately if it becomes putrescent or starts to smell.
- Regulated medical waste leaving a New Jersey site must go with an NJDEP-registered transporter on a New Jersey RMW tracking form, which the generator signs by hand.
- New Jersey generators must keep RMW tracking forms, exception reports and other required records at the generating site for at least three years.
New Jersey Medical Waste Rules
Medical waste is regulated mainly by each state, with a few federal rules on top. In New Jersey it’s governed by N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A, Regulated Medical Waste, which sets up a cradle-to-grave program under the Comprehensive Regulated Medical Waste Management Act (N.J.S.A. 13:1E-48.1 et seq.). Here’s what it requires of a practice, clinic or other healthcare facility.
What New Jersey regulates
Regulated Medical Waste
Any solid waste generated in the diagnosis, treatment or immunization of human beings or animals, in related research, or in the production or testing of biologicals, that falls into one of seven waste classes. Mixtures of RMW and other solid waste are RMW. Excluded: hazardous waste under 40 CFR Part 261, household waste from home self-care, human remains intended for interment or cremation, incinerator ash, and residues of waste that has been both treated and destroyed.
- Class 1: Cultures and stocks of infectious agents, including discarded live and attenuated vaccines
- Class 2: Pathological wastes (human tissues, organs, body parts and body fluids removed in surgery, autopsy or other procedures, and specimen containers)
- Class 3: Human blood and blood products, and items saturated, dripping or caked with blood
- Class 4: Used sharps, including needles, syringes, scalpel blades, blood vials, acupuncture needles and contaminated glassware such as slides
- Class 5: Contaminated animal carcasses, body parts and bedding from animals exposed to infectious agents in research
- Class 6: Isolation wastes from humans or animals isolated for highly communicable diseases
- Class 7: Unused discarded sharps (hypodermic needles, suture needles, syringes and scalpel blades)
Who regulates medical waste in New Jersey
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP)
Runs New Jersey’s regulated medical waste program under N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A. It registers generators, transporters and treatment facilities, issues the RMW tracking form and receives annual and exception reports.
Bureau of Recycling and Hazardous Waste Management, Mail Code 401-02C, P.O. Box 420, 401 East State Street, Trenton, NJ 08625-0420
Official websiteNew Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH)
Shares oversight of the program with NJDEP. Treatment and destruction technologies must be approved by both departments, and the two can suspend or revoke a generator’s registration for willful illegal disposal.
P.O. Box 360, Trenton, NJ 08625-0360
Official websiteFederal OSHA — New Jersey Area Offices
Enforces the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard for private employers in New Jersey, through area offices in Avenel, Hasbrouck Heights, Marlton and Parsippany.
NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development — PEOSH
Runs New Jersey’s Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health (PEOSH) State Plan, which covers state and local government workers only, such as public hospitals, schools and municipal EMS.
Key New Jersey requirements
| Topic | Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Generator registration and fees | Anyone who generates RMW must register with NJDEP and pay an annual fee. Registration is by site: noncontiguous properties are separate generators, and separate practices sharing an office each register. The registration year runs July 22–July 21, with fees due by August 20. Annual fees run from $85 (under 50 lb a year) to $255 (50–200 lb), $500 (200–300 lb), $1,000 (300–1,000 lb) and $3,500 (over 1,000 lb). A temporary site operating fewer than 15 days a year is exempt if its waste goes back to a registered permanent site each day. | N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.5, 3A.8(a), (f), 3A.17(e) |
| Segregation | Generators must segregate RMW intended for off-site transport, to the extent practicable, into sharps (used and unused, including sharps with residual fluid), fluids over 20 cc, and other RMW. Other RMW may go in sharps containers if they’re managed as sharps containers. If RMW is mixed with other waste, the whole container is managed as RMW. | N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.10 |
| Packaging | All RMW must be in containers that are rigid, leak-resistant, impervious to moisture, strong enough not to tear or burst in normal handling, and sealed against leaks in transport. Sharps go in puncture-resistant containers; fluids over 20 cc in break-resistant, tightly lidded or stoppered containers. Anything in a biohazard bag is presumed infectious and managed as RMW. | N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.11 |
| Labeling and marking | Each container of untreated RMW needs a water-resistant label reading “Medical Waste” or “Infectious Waste” or showing the biohazard symbol (red bags used as inner containers need not be labeled). Before it leaves the storage area, the outer container also needs a water-resistant ID tag with the generator’s name and address, the transporter’s name and NJDEP solid waste registration number, the shipment date and identification as medical waste; inner containers, including sharps and fluid containers, are marked with the generator’s name and address. | N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.14, 3A.15 |
| Storage | Anyone storing RMW before treatment or transport must protect the packaging from water, rain and wind; keep the waste nonputrescent, using refrigeration when necessary; lock outdoor storage; limit access to authorized employees; and protect it from animals and pests. All RMW must be disposed of within one year of generation, and immediately if it becomes putrescent or emits odors (waste held for radioactive decay may be stored longer). Sharps containers must be secured from unauthorized people. | N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.12 |
| Transporters and destinations | RMW may be offered only to transporters registered with NJDEP as RMW transporters and solid waste transporters that also hold a certificate of public convenience and necessity, and may go only to a registered intermediate handler or destination facility, an authorized landfill or resource recovery facility, or an authorized out-of-state facility. A generator of under 50 lb (3 cubic feet) a month may carry its own waste to another generator in New Jersey in its own vehicle under 8,000 lb, but must still use the tracking form. | N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.16(d)–(e), 3A.17(a), 3A.27(c) |
| Tracking form | Every off-site shipment goes on a New Jersey RMW tracking form. The generator completes Boxes 1–15, signs the certification by hand, gets the initial transporter’s handwritten signature and keeps the generator copy. If the copy signed by the destination facility isn’t back within 35 days, the generator must look into it; if it isn’t back within 45 days (60 for consolidated loads), the generator files an exception report with NJDEP. | N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.19, 3A.22 |
| Records and annual report | Generators keep each tracking form and the completed copy signed by the destination facility for at least three years from pickup, and exception reports for three years after filing. Annual reports, NJDEP inspection reports and the site’s registration certificate are also kept at the site for three years, extended during any enforcement action. Generators of more than 200 lb between June 22 and June 21 file an annual generator report by July 21. | N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.4, 3A.21 |
- N.J.S.A. 13:1E-48.1 et seq.
Comprehensive Regulated Medical Waste Management Act (P.L.1989, c.34)
Establishes New Jersey’s regulated medical waste program, including generator registration, a manifest (tracking form) system for RMW and civil and criminal penalties for violations.
- P.L.2012, c.65
Amendments to the Comprehensive Regulated Medical Waste Management Act
Lets NJDEP and NJDOH suspend or revoke a generator’s registration, and lets licensing boards suspend or revoke a health care professional’s license, for violations such as willful illegal disposal of RMW; adds penalties for illegal disposal in state waters.
- N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A
Regulated Medical Waste
Definitions and waste classes, registration and fees, segregation, packaging, storage, labeling and marking, the tracking form, generator records and reports, exemptions, and rules for transporters, collection facilities and treatment and destination facilities.
Federal rules that also apply
| Topic | Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens | Sharps containers must be closable, puncture-resistant, leakproof on the sides and bottom, labeled or color-coded, and kept upright and within easy reach. Other regulated-waste containers must be closable, leak-proof and labeled with the biohazard symbol (or red). Federal OSHA covers private employers in New Jersey; the PEOSH State Plan covers state and local government workers. | 29 CFR 1910.1030(d)(4)(iii), (g)(1) |
| DOT shipping | Regulated medical waste ships as Division 6.2, UN3291, in rigid packaging that meets UN Packing Group II standards, with puncture-resistant containers for sharps. | 49 CFR 173.134, 173.197 |
Reviewed September 2026. This is a plain-language summary to help you plan, not legal advice — rules change, so confirm details with the agencies above. MedPro’s compliance training can help you understand what applies to your facility.
New Jersey regulated medical waste compliance checklist
Use this to check your facility against New Jersey’s regulated medical waste rules (N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A) and the federal OSHA standard. Your licensed hauler handles transport and treatment — the rest happens in your facility.
Compliance Training- 1
Each site is registered with NJDEP and the fee is paid
Every location that generates RMW registers separately, and separate practices sharing an office each register. The registration year runs July 22 to July 21, with fees due by August 20.
- 2
Waste is segregated at the source
Three streams: sharps (used and unused, including sharps with residual fluid), fluids over 20 cc, and other RMW. Anything mixed with RMW is managed as RMW.
- 3
Containers match the waste
Rigid, leak-resistant, moisture-impervious and sealed for transport; puncture-resistant for sharps; break-resistant and tightly lidded for fluids over 20 cc.
- 4
Every container is labeled and marked
“Medical Waste”, “Infectious Waste” or the biohazard symbol on a water-resistant label, plus an ID tag with your name and address, the transporter’s name and NJDEP registration number, the shipment date and “medical waste”.
- 5
Storage is secure and waste leaves within a year
Keep it protected from weather and pests, nonputrescent (refrigerated if needed), with access limited to authorized staff and outdoor storage locked. Dispose of all RMW within one year of generation.
- 6
Every shipment goes on a New Jersey tracking form
Complete Boxes 1–15, sign by hand and get the transporter’s signature at pickup. Follow up if the signed copy isn’t back in 35 days and file an exception report if it isn’t back in 45.
- 7
Records are kept at your site for three years
Tracking forms, exception reports, annual reports, NJDEP inspection reports and your registration certificate, kept on site for at least three years.
- 8
You file an annual generator report if required
Generators of more than 200 lb of RMW between June 22 and June 21 report to NJDEP by July 21.
We provide pickup in these neighboring states.
New Jersey Medical Waste FAQs
What counts as medical waste in New Jersey?
New Jersey calls it regulated medical waste: solid waste from diagnosing, treating or immunizing people or animals, related research, or producing or testing biologicals, in seven classes — cultures and stocks, pathological waste, human blood and blood products, used sharps, contaminated research animal waste, isolation waste and unused discarded sharps. Household waste from home self-care and hazardous waste are excluded (N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.6).
Who regulates medical waste disposal in New Jersey?
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection runs the regulated medical waste program under N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A, with the Department of Health, which must also approve treatment technologies. Federal OSHA enforces the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard for private employers, New Jersey’s PEOSH State Plan covers state and local government workers, and U.S. DOT rules govern shipping.
Do New Jersey medical practices need to register with the state?
Yes. Every RMW generator must register with NJDEP no matter how little it generates, and registration is by site — separate practices in the same office each register. Annual fees start at $85 for under 50 lb a year and are due by August 20; only home self-care households and temporary sites operating fewer than 15 days a year are exempt (N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.5, 3A.8, 3A.17(e)).
How long can a medical practice store medical waste in New Jersey?
No more than one year from the date it was generated, or sooner if the practice sets a shorter limit — and immediately if the waste becomes putrescent or starts to smell. Waste held for radioactive decay may be stored longer. In the meantime it must be kept nonputrescent (refrigerated if needed), protected from weather and pests, and accessible only to authorized staff (N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.12).
What does New Jersey require of medical waste haulers?
A hauler must register with NJDEP as a regulated medical waste transporter and as a solid waste transporter and hold a certificate of public convenience and necessity. Its vehicles must have a fully enclosed, leak-resistant cargo body, be locked when unattended and be marked on both sides and the back with its name, NJDEP registration number and “Medical Waste” or “Infectious Waste”; waste can’t be compacted; and it needs an NJDEP-approved spill management plan and a spill kit in every vehicle (N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.27, 3A.30, 3A.37).
How long do I need to keep medical waste records in New Jersey?
At least three years, kept at the generating site. That covers every tracking form and the completed copy signed by the destination facility, exception reports, annual generator reports, NJDEP inspection reports and your registration certificate. The period extends automatically during any enforcement action (N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.4, 3A.21).
Are small practices exempt from New Jersey’s medical waste rules?
Mostly not. Small generators still register, pay a fee, package and label waste and use the tracking form. The main breaks: generators of 200 lb or less a year don’t file the annual report, and a generator of under 50 lb a month may carry its own waste to another New Jersey generator in its own vehicle under 8,000 lb (N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.17(a), 3A.21(d)).
Does MedPro Disposal offer pickup in New Jersey?
We do not currently offer on-site medical waste disposal service in New Jersey. Please call 888-641-6131 for more information. We do offer compliance training and our sharps and pharmaceutical mail-back program to New Jersey generators.
Our services in New Jersey
Industries we serve
Sources
- N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A — Regulated Medical Waste (courtesy copy) — New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
- Medical Waste program — New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
- Regulated Medical Waste Generator Fact Sheet — New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
- Regulated Medical Waste Transporter Fact Sheet — New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
- P.L.2012, c.65 — amending the Comprehensive Regulated Medical Waste Management Act — New Jersey Legislature
- New Jersey Department of Health — New Jersey Department of Health
- Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030 — U.S. OSHA
- New Jersey State Plan (public sector only) — U.S. OSHA
- New Jersey OSHA Area Offices — U.S. OSHA
- Infectious substances, 49 CFR 173.134 — eCFR
- Regulated medical waste, 49 CFR 173.197 — eCFR
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