Medical Waste Disposal in North Dakota
MedPro Disposal offers limited medical and biohazardous waste pickup in North Dakota — call to check availability at your location. Here’s what North Dakota’s regulated infectious waste rules require of your facility.
Limited pickup service in North Dakota
We offer limited North Dakota medical and biohazardous waste pickup service. Call (888) 641-6131 to check availability for your location. We also offer compliance training and our sharps and pharmaceutical mail-back program to North Dakota generators.
How is medical waste disposal regulated in North Dakota?
North Dakota regulates medical waste as “regulated infectious waste” under N.D. Admin. Code chapter 33.1-20-12, enforced by the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Division of Waste Management. Generators must separate it where it’s produced, package it in leak-proof, puncture- and tear-resistant marked containers, and store it in an enclosed, rodentproof area. Anyone who transports or treats it needs a DEQ permit, all of it must be incinerated or disinfected before disposal, and generators must keep records of the amount sent off site for at least three years.
- State term
- Regulated infectious waste
- Rules
- N.D. Admin. Code ch. 33.1-20-12
- Enforced by
- ND DEQ
- Generator records
- Keep 3 years
Key takeaways
- North Dakota regulates medical waste as “regulated infectious waste” under N.D. Admin. Code chapter 33.1-20-12, enforced by the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality.
- North Dakota’s rules set no onsite storage time limit for generators, but storage areas must be enclosed, rodentproof, readily cleanable and drained, and vented and screened if not refrigerated.
- Anyone who transports or treats regulated infectious waste in North Dakota must hold a valid permit from the Department of Environmental Quality.
- All regulated infectious waste in North Dakota must be incinerated or disinfected before disposal, and sharps that aren’t incinerated must also be rendered nonsharp.
- North Dakota generators must keep records of the amount of regulated infectious waste sent off site — manifests, invoices, treatment facility records or logs — for at least three years.
North Dakota Medical Waste Rules
Medical waste is regulated mainly by each state, with a few federal rules on top. In North Dakota it’s governed by chapter 33.1-20-12 of the Solid Waste Management Rules, adopted by the Department of Environmental Quality under N.D.C.C. chapter 23.1-08. The state’s rules are shorter than many — there’s no generator registration, storage time limit or state manifest — so the federal OSHA and DOT rules do much of the work. Here’s what applies to a practice, clinic or other healthcare facility.
What North Dakota regulates
Regulated Infectious Waste
North Dakota law defines infectious waste as solid waste that may contain pathogens with sufficient virulence and in sufficient quantity that exposure of a susceptible human or animal could cause an infectious disease. The rules regulate seven listed categories of it as “regulated infectious waste”. Ash from incineration and residues from disinfection are no longer infectious waste once treatment is complete, and household waste containing amounts normally found in household waste may go to a permitted municipal landfill.
- Cultures and stocks of infectious agents and associated biologicals, including discarded live and attenuated vaccines
- Human pathological waste: tissues, organs, body parts and body fluids removed during surgery, autopsy or other procedures, and specimens of body fluids
- Human blood and blood products, and items saturated, dripping or caked with blood
- Used sharps: needles, syringes, scalpel blades, blood vials, Pasteur pipettes, culture dishes, dental wire ends and contaminated glassware
- Contaminated animal carcasses, body parts and bedding exposed to infectious agents in research, biologicals production or pharmaceutical testing
- Isolation waste from humans or animals isolated for highly communicable diseases
- Unused discarded sharps: hypodermic and IV needles and syringes, suture needles and scalpel blades
Who regulates medical waste in North Dakota
North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality — Division of Waste Management
Administers and enforces North Dakota’s solid waste rules, including regulated infectious waste. Its Solid Waste Program permits waste transporters and infectious waste transfer and treatment facilities.
Federal OSHA — Bismarck Area Office
Enforces the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard for private employers in North Dakota. North Dakota has no OSHA State Plan, and federal OSHA does not cover state and local government workers.
Key North Dakota requirements
| Topic | Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Segregation and packaging | At the point of origin, regulated infectious waste must be separated from other waste and placed in distinctive containers that don’t leak and are impervious, puncture-resistant and tear-resistant, with obvious markings such as red or orange plastic bags or the biohazard label. Bags and containers must be tied, closed or sealed securely, and meet federal and state DOT packaging and labeling rules before shipment off site. | N.D. Admin. Code § 33.1-20-12-02(1) |
| Sharps | At the point of origin, sharps must either be separated, disinfected and rendered nonsharp onsite before disposal, or placed in containers that are closable, puncture-resistant, leak-proof on the sides and bottom, and labeled or color-coded under 29 CFR 1910.1030. | N.D. Admin. Code § 33.1-20-12-02(2) |
| Handling and storage | Handling and storage before treatment must minimize exposure of the generator’s employees, the transporter and the public. Storage areas must be enclosed, rodentproof, readily cleanable and properly drained, and adequately vented and screened if not refrigerated. North Dakota sets no fixed storage time limit for generators. | N.D. Admin. Code § 33.1-20-12-02(3)–(5) |
| Reusable containers | Recycled containers and carts must be disinfected after each use with an EPA-registered tuberculocidal disinfectant (or such a stabilized bleach product) for the manufacturer’s contact time, or a freshly prepared 10% sodium hypochlorite solution with at least 30 minutes’ contact. | N.D. Admin. Code § 33.1-20-12-02(6) |
| Transport | Everyone who transports or treats regulated infectious waste must hold a valid DEQ permit. Collection vehicles must be fully leak-proof and enclosed or covered; the waste may not be compacted or mechanically stressed, must not become putrescent in transit, and any spill must be picked up and the area decontaminated immediately. | N.D. Admin. Code §§ 33.1-20-12-02(12)–(13), 33.1-20-01.1-05 |
| Treatment | All regulated infectious waste must be incinerated or disinfected (autoclaving, chemical disinfection, radiation or incineration), and sharps that aren’t incinerated must be rendered nonsharp before disposal. Blood and blood products may go to a municipal sewer system meeting article 33.1-16. Treatment units must be tested per the manufacturer or every 40 hours of operation. | N.D. Admin. Code §§ 33.1-20-12-01(2), 33.1-20-12-02(7), (8), (14); N.D.C.C. § 23.1-08-08(1) |
| Records | Generators must keep records of the amount of regulated infectious waste sent off site for treatment — manifests, invoices, treatment facility records, logs or other written documentation — for at least three years after they’re created. North Dakota has no state manifest form for this waste. | N.D. Admin. Code § 33.1-20-12-03(1) |
- N.D.C.C. ch. 23.1-08
Solid Waste Management
Defines infectious waste (§ 23.1-08-02(6)), directs DEQ to adopt and enforce solid waste rules (§ 23.1-08-03), requires infectious waste to be properly treated before disposal and bars untreated infectious waste from landfills (§ 23.1-08-08), and requires permits for solid waste facilities and transporters (§ 23.1-08-09).
- N.D. Admin. Code ch. 33.1-20-12
Regulated Infectious Waste
Definitions and categories, management standards for everyone who collects, stores, transports, treats or disposes of regulated infectious waste, and recordkeeping for generators and treatment facilities.
- N.D. Admin. Code art. 33.1-20
Solid Waste Management and Land Protection
North Dakota’s wider solid waste rules, including permit provisions (ch. 33.1-20-02.1) and collection and transportation vehicle standards (§ 33.1-20-01.1-05).
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). North Dakota has no OSHA State Plan; federal OSHA covers private employers. | 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 handles transport, treatment and manifests for you and can help you understand what applies to your facility.
North Dakota infectious waste compliance checklist
Use this to check your facility against North Dakota’s regulated infectious waste rules (N.D. Admin. Code ch. 33.1-20-12) and the federal OSHA standard. Your licensed hauler handles transport and treatment — the rest happens in your facility.
Check Pickup Availability- 1
Infectious waste is separated where it’s generated
Kept apart from other waste at the point of origin and placed in distinctive, leak-proof, impervious, puncture- and tear-resistant containers with obvious markings, such as red or orange bags or the biohazard label.
- 2
Sharps go straight into sharps containers
Closable, puncture-resistant, leak-proof on the sides and bottom, and labeled or color-coded under OSHA’s 29 CFR 1910.1030.
- 3
Bags and containers are sealed
Tied, closed or sealed securely so they can’t leak, and packaged and labeled to U.S. DOT rules before they leave your site.
- 4
Your storage area meets the standard
Enclosed, rodentproof, readily cleanable and properly drained. If it isn’t refrigerated, it must be adequately vented with all openings screened.
- 5
Containers are in good repair
Broken or failing containers are replaced, and reusable carts or containers are disinfected after each use with an EPA-registered tuberculocidal disinfectant or a fresh 10% bleach solution.
- 6
Your hauler holds a DEQ permit
Anyone transporting or treating regulated infectious waste needs a valid North Dakota DEQ permit. DEQ publishes a searchable list of permitted waste transporters.
- 7
You keep three years of shipment records
Records of how much regulated infectious waste went off site for treatment — manifests, invoices, treatment facility records or logs — kept at least three years.
It’s Easy to Get Started With MedPro Disposal
- 01
Contact Us
Contact MedPro Disposal for a fast, free medical waste removal quote. We’ll get to know you, discuss your needs, and settle on a number.
- 02
Waste Pickup Date
Work with MedPro Disposal to determine your first pickup date. We’ll confirm your office hours and provide convenient options for medical waste and sharps pickup.
- 03
Compliance Survey
After we get to know your requirements, we’ll send you a survey to identify any areas that need to be brought up to OSHA standards. All three steps occur at no additional cost to your practice.
Limited service in North Dakota
We offer limited medical waste pickup in North Dakota. Call (888) 641-6131 to check availability for your location. Local service pages include:
Near the state line? We serve the neighboring states too.
North Dakota Medical Waste FAQs
What counts as medical waste in North Dakota?
North Dakota calls it regulated infectious waste. It covers seven categories: cultures and stocks of infectious agents (including discarded vaccines), human pathological waste and body fluid specimens, human blood and items saturated or caked with it, used sharps, contaminated research animal waste, isolation waste from highly communicable diseases, and unused discarded needles, syringes and scalpel blades (N.D. Admin. Code § 33.1-20-12-01).
Who regulates medical waste disposal in North Dakota?
The North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality, through its Division of Waste Management, regulates infectious waste under N.D.C.C. chapter 23.1-08 and N.D. Admin. Code chapter 33.1-20-12. North Dakota has no OSHA State Plan, so federal OSHA enforces the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard for private employers, and U.S. DOT rules govern shipping.
Do North Dakota medical practices need to register with the state?
North Dakota’s infectious waste rules contain no registration or permit requirement for generators such as medical and dental offices. Permits are required of anyone who transports or treats regulated infectious waste or operates an infectious waste management facility (N.D. Admin. Code § 33.1-20-12-02(12)). Generators still have to meet the packaging, storage and recordkeeping rules.
How long can a medical practice store medical waste in North Dakota?
North Dakota’s rules set no fixed number of days and no refrigeration requirement for generators. Storage must minimize exposure to staff, haulers and the public, and the storage area must be enclosed, rodentproof, readily cleanable and drained — and vented and screened if it isn’t refrigerated — with containers kept in good repair to prevent odors, insects and rodents (N.D. Admin. Code § 33.1-20-12-02(3)–(5)).
What does North Dakota require of medical waste haulers?
Anyone transporting regulated infectious waste needs a valid DEQ permit (N.D. Admin. Code § 33.1-20-12-02(12)); DEQ’s solid waste transporter permit carries a $200 application fee, includes decals and is good for up to five years. Vehicles must be fully leak-proof and enclosed or covered, the waste can’t be compacted or allowed to become putrescent in transit, and spills must be cleaned up and decontaminated immediately (§ 33.1-20-12-02(13)).
How long do I need to keep medical waste records in North Dakota?
At least three years. North Dakota generators must keep records of the amount of regulated infectious waste sent off site for treatment; manifests, invoices, records from the treatment facility, logs or other written documentation all qualify (N.D. Admin. Code § 33.1-20-12-03(1)).
Can medical waste go in the trash or a landfill in North Dakota?
Not untreated. State law bars knowingly depositing untreated infectious waste in a landfill (N.D.C.C. § 23.1-08-08(1)), and all regulated infectious waste must be incinerated or disinfected — with sharps rendered nonsharp — before disposal. Blood and blood products may go to a municipal sewer system, and household quantities in household trash are exempt (N.D. Admin. Code § 33.1-20-12-02).
Where in North Dakota does MedPro Disposal provide service?
We offer limited medical and biohazardous waste pickup service in North Dakota. Call 888-641-6131 to check availability for your location — our local service pages cover Dickinson, Mandan, Minot, West Fargo and Williston. We also offer compliance training and our sharps and pharmaceutical mail-back program to North Dakota generators.
Our services in North Dakota
Industries we serve
Sources
- N.D. Admin. Code ch. 33.1-20-12 — Regulated Infectious Waste — North Dakota Legislative Branch
- N.D. Admin. Code ch. 33.1-20-01.1 — General Provisions — North Dakota Legislative Branch
- N.D. Admin. Code ch. 33.1-20-02.1 — Permit Provisions and Procedures — North Dakota Legislative Branch
- N.D. Admin. Code art. 33.1-20 — Solid Waste Management and Land Protection — North Dakota Legislative Branch
- N.D.C.C. ch. 23.1-08 — Solid Waste Management — North Dakota Legislative Branch
- Division of Waste Management — North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality
- Solid Waste Transporter Permitting — North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality
- Infectious Waste Transfer and Treatment Facilities — North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality
- Contact Us — North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality
- Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030 — U.S. OSHA
- State Plans (North Dakota: federal OSHA jurisdiction) — U.S. OSHA
- North Dakota OSHA Area Office — U.S. OSHA
- Infectious substances, 49 CFR 173.134 — eCFR
- Regulated medical waste, 49 CFR 173.197 — eCFR
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