Lead paint in older homes

Check the year the home was built. Test the home and your child. Then ask who pays.

Find out the home's age
EPA: "Homes built before 1978 may have lead-based paint."¹
2
Test
- A certified inspector or risk assessor for the home
- An accredited lab for paint chips, dust, or soil
- A blood lead test for a child
Ask who pays
State and city programs in 46 states and DC.

1978Federal ban on the sale of lead-based paint for homes²
3.5CDC's blood lead reference value³micrograms per deciliter
12 and 24Months: the ages children on Medicaid must be tested for lead⁴

What EPA says

Condition. "Generally, lead-based paint in good condition is not a hazard."²

Contractors. "In general, anyone paid to perform work that disturbs paint in housing and child-occupied facilities built before 1978 must be certified in lead-safe work practices."⁵

Buying or renting. "Homebuyers and renters of most pre-1978 private, public, federally owned housing, and housing receiving federal assistance have the right to know whether lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards are present before signing a contract or lease."⁶

What landlords must disclose, by state

Help by state

City programs that help fix lead hazards: Baltimore, Boston, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, DC.

Every program, state by state

Lead in tap water: lead pipes · free lead test kits

Sources

Checked October 5, 2026.

Health facts on this page come from the agencies linked here. About this directory.