Lead rules for schools, child care, and renters

What each state requires on lead in school and child care drinking water, and what landlords must disclose about lead paint, with the rule's words and the page it sits on.

Lead rules by state
State	Schools and child care water	Landlord lead paint disclosure	Tenant right
Alabama	No state requirement	Federal rule	Federal rule
Alaska	Voluntary testing, federal grant	Federal rule	Federal rule
Arizona	Program open to schools and child care	Federal rule	Federal rule
Arkansas	Free testing offered	Federal rule	Federal rule
California	Required in child care centers	Federal rule	Federal rule
Colorado	Not confirmed	Federal rule	Federal rule
Connecticut	Required in child care, every two years	Federal rule	Federal rule
Delaware	Federal rule: water systems test	Lead-safe certification in the lease	Certificate copy within 7 days
District of Columbia	Required yearly in child care	Disclosure form and clearance report	Clearance report within 30 days
Florida	No rule found	Federal rule	Federal rule
Georgia	Testing for child care centers	Federal rule	Federal rule
Hawaii	Federal grant for testing	Federal rule	Federal rule
Idaho	Recommended, not required	Federal rule	Federal rule
Illinois	Required in schools; results to parents	Notice of a past lead hazard	Federal rule
Indiana	Required in child care and preschools	Federal rule	Federal rule
Iowa	Voluntary testing, federal grant	Federal rule	Federal rule
Kansas	Not confirmed	Federal rule	Federal rule
Kentucky	Voluntary testing, federal grant	Federal rule	Federal rule
Louisiana	Free testing; results made public	Federal rule	Federal rule
Maine	Required in all schools	Notice before renovation	Federal rule
Maryland	Required in schools	Copy of the inspection certificate	Federal rule
Massachusetts	No rule found	Lead notice before a tenancy	Known lead locations disclosed
Michigan	Results to parents within 30 days	Federal rule	Federal rule
Minnesota	Schools tested every five years	Federal rule	End lease during lead work
Mississippi	No rule found	Federal rule	Federal rule
Missouri	Results on the school's website	Federal rule	No eviction over lead poisoning
Montana	Required in accredited schools	Federal rule	Federal rule
Nebraska	Funding for testing	Federal rule	Federal rule
Nevada	Voluntary testing	Federal rule	Federal rule
New Hampshire	Required in schools and child care	Federal rule	End lease if forced to relocate
New Jersey	Required in schools, every three years	Lead-safe certification with the lease	Federal rule
New Mexico	Free testing offered	Federal rule	Federal rule
New York	Required in public schools	Federal rule	Federal rule
North Carolina	Required in schools and child care	Federal rule	Federal rule
North Dakota	No rule found	Federal rule	Federal rule
Ohio	Free testing offered	Federal rule	Federal rule
Oklahoma	Free testing offered	Federal rule	Federal rule
Oregon	Required in schools every six years	Federal rule	Federal rule
Pennsylvania	Grants to reduce lead	Federal rule	Federal rule
Rhode Island	Lead inspection includes water	Lead information and clearance copy	End lease over a lead service line
South Carolina	Testing at no cost	Federal rule	Federal rule
South Dakota	Program offered in 2022	Federal rule	Federal rule
Tennessee	Required in older schools	Federal rule	Federal rule
Texas	Free testing program	Federal rule	Federal rule
Utah	Taps tested by December 31, 2023	Federal rule	Federal rule
Vermont	Not confirmed	Lead materials before a lease	Federal rule
Virginia	Required; parents told over 10 ppb	New information during the tenancy	Court action over lead paint
Washington	State tests school buildings	Federal rule	Federal rule
West Virginia	No rule found	Federal rule	Federal rule
Wisconsin	Results within 30 days (from 2027)	Lead-safe pamphlet	Federal rule
Wyoming	No rule found	Federal rule	Federal rule

Federal rule

Landlords and renters, in every state

Landlord disclosure: "Before a contract for housing sale or lease is signed, federal law requires sellers, landlords, real estate agents, and managers of rental properties to disclose any known information concerning the presence of lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards."¹
Tenant right: "Homebuyers and renters of most housing built before 1978 have the right to know whether lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards are present before signing a contract or lease."¹

Section 1018 of Title X (42 U.S.C. 4852d) · Página en español

By state

Alabama

Schools and child care: "there are no state or federal requirements for childcare centers or schools to test for lead in drinking water."²ADEM Child Care Facilities and Schools Lead Testing Program

Alaska

Schools and child care: "The Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act established the Lead Testing in School and Child Care Program Drinking Water grant in 2016 to award funding to states, territories, and tribes to assist local and tribal educational agencies in voluntary testing for lead contamination in drinking water at schools and childcare facilities."³Alaska Department of Education and Early Development

Arizona

Schools and child care: "Any Arizona public school or state-regulated child care facility is eligible to enroll and participate in this program."⁴Arizona Department of Health Services

Arkansas

Schools and child care: "the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) is offering schools and daycares the opportunity to test their drinking water for lead. The testing is free thanks to a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that will cover the costs of the tests."⁵Arkansas Department of Education, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education

California

Schools and child care: "A licensed child day care center, as defined in Section 1596.76, that is located in a building that was constructed before January 1, 2010, shall have its drinking water tested for lead contamination levels on or after January 1, 2020, but no later than January 1, 2023, and every five years after the date of the initial test."⁶Health and Safety Code section 1597.16; Health and Safety Code section 116277 · Página en español (PDF)

Colorado

Schools and child care: Not confirmed: the rule's words were not found on its page today.⁷

Connecticut

Schools and child care: "Water from at least one drinking fountain or drinking, beverage and food preparation sink, and from two such sources if the facility has more than one, shall be tested every two years for lead content."⁸R.C.S.A. §19a-79-7a

Delaware

Schools and child care: "LCRR requires PWSs to test the drinking water that they supply in 20% of elementary schools and childcare facilities each year."⁹Lead and Copper Rule Revisions Guidance Document (PDF)
Landlord disclosure: "Effective [the implementation date under 85 Del. Laws, c. 98, § 5(2)], every rental agreement on a rental unit constructed prior to January 1, 1978, must contain a disclosure as to whether the rental unit and premises have been certified as lead safe or lead free, the date of the certification, and the name of the lead inspector issuing the certificate."¹⁰25 Del. C. § 5406(a)
Tenant right: "If a certificate is required under this chapter, the landlord must provide the tenant with a copy of a lead-safe or lead-free certificate identified in the rental agreement within 7 days of a request for the certificate."¹⁰25 Del. C. § 5406(b)

District of Columbia

Schools and child care: "Test all drinking water sources at the child development facility for lead annually;"¹¹D.C. Code § 7-2051
Landlord disclosure: "The owner of a dwelling unit constructed before 1978, which unit will be occupied or regularly visited by a person at risk, shall provide to the tenant an accurately and fully completed lead disclosure form and a clearance report issued within the previous 12 months."¹²D.C. Code § 8-231.04
Tenant right: "If a tenant of a dwelling unit constructed before 1978, in which unit a person at risk resides or which unit a person at risk regularly visits, notifies the owner of the property in writing that a person at risk resides in or regularly visits the dwelling unit, the owner of the dwelling unit shall provide to the tenant within 30 days a clearance report issued within the previous 12 months."¹²D.C. Code § 8-231.04

Florida

Schools and child care: No rule found on the page checked.¹³

Georgia

Schools and child care: "Available to licensed child care centers."¹⁴Georgia Department of Public Health

Hawaii

Schools and child care: "the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) granted states money to test drinking water for lead at schools and child care centers."¹⁵Hawaii Department of Health

Idaho

Schools and child care: "Testing for lead is recommended, though not required, in schools and child care facilities that are not regulated as public water systems."¹⁶Idaho Department of Environmental Quality

Illinois

Schools and child care: "Illinois school buildings occupied by more than 10 children or students, pre-kindergarten through grade 5, constructed on or before January 1, 2000 were required to test all sources of potable water for lead and submit results to IDPH by the end of 2018. Schools were also required to directly communicate with parents and legal guardians if any results were over 5 parts per billions."¹⁷225 ILCS 320/35.5; 225 ILCS 10/5.9
Landlord disclosure: "An owner of a regulated facility who has received a mitigation notice under Section 9 of the Act shall, before entering into a lease or purchase agreement for the regulated facility for which the mitigation notice was issued, provide prospective lessees or purchasers of that unit with written notice that a lead hazard has previously been identified in the regulated facility."¹⁸77 Ill. Adm. Code 845.25

Indiana

Schools and child care: "Sec. 4. (a) Except as provided in subsection (c), the owner or operator having authority over a child care facility or preschool shall test the drinking water in the child care facility or preschool before January 1, 2026, to determine whether lead is present in the drinking water in a concentration that equals or exceeds the action level for lead."¹⁹House Enrolled Act No. 1138 (2023), IC 16-41-21.2-4 (PDF)

Iowa

Schools and child care: "The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) grant awarded the Iowa Department of Education funds to support public schools and child care centers in voluntary lead testing of drinking water."²⁰Iowa Department of Education

Kansas

Schools and child care: Not confirmed: the rule's words were not found on its page today.²¹

Kentucky

Schools and child care: "The Kentucky Division of Water is coordinating a voluntary lead sampling program for schools and childcare facilities. A federal grant from EPA under the 2016 Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (WIIN Act) will fund the program."²²Kentucky Division of Water, Voluntary Lead Testing in Schools and Childcare Facilities

Louisiana

Schools and child care: "Schools/programs must make the testing results publicly available and notify parents, teachers, and employee organizations of the availability of the results."²³Louisiana Department of Health

Maine

Schools and child care: "This rule sets requirements for all schools in Maine to test any water used for drinking or culinary purposes and outlines the resources provided by the Department to assist these schools in such efforts."²⁴10-144 CMR Chapter 234
Landlord disclosure: "A landlord or other person who on behalf of a landlord enters into a lease or tenancy at will agreement for residential property who undertakes, or who engages someone else to undertake, any repair, renovation or remodeling activity in a residential building built before 1978 that includes one or more units that are rented for human habitation shall give notice of the activity and the risk of an environmental lead hazard pursuant to this subsection."²⁵14 M.R.S. §6030-B

Maryland

Schools and child care: "Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, the Department, in consultation with the State Department of Education, the Department of General Services, and Maryland Occupational Safety and Health, shall adopt regulations to require periodic testing for the presence of lead in each drinking water outlet located in an occupied public or nonpublic school building."²⁶Article - Environment, §6-1502
Landlord disclosure: "The owner is required by law to give you a copy of the inspection certificate when you move in."²⁷Maryland Reduction of Lead Risk in Housing Law (PDF)

Massachusetts

Schools and child care: No rule found on the page checked.²⁸
Landlord disclosure: "Effective December first, nineteen hundred and ninety-four, prior to entering into a tenancy agreement, the owner of premises or such other person to whom rent is to be regularly paid, shall provide a prospective tenant who is about to enter such an agreement to rent premises with:"²⁸ (the list follows on the page)Section 197A
Tenant right: "In addition, the owner shall disclose any information actually known by the owner concerning the location of paint, plaster or other accessible structural materials containing dangerous levels of lead, including such intact paint, plaster or other accessible structural materials containing dangerous levels of lead which have been covered or encapsulated."²⁸Section 197A

Michigan

Schools and child care: "Within 30 days after receiving the test results, send a copy of the test results to the department and send a notice to school staff and each parent or guardian of a student enrolled in the school, in a manner determined by the school district."²⁹MCL 380.1905; MCL 380.1907; MCL 722.113i; MCL 722.113j

Minnesota

Schools and child care: "The schedule must require that each building be tested at least once every five years."³⁰Minn. Stat. § 121A.335; Minn. Stat. § 145.9273
Tenant right: "may elect to immediately terminate the tenancy effective on the date the tenant vacates the premises due to lead hazard reduction"³¹Minn. Stat. § 144.9504

Mississippi

Schools and child care: No rule found on the page checked (PDF).³²

Missouri

Schools and child care: "within two weeks after receiving test results, make all testing results and any lead remediation plans available on the school's website"³³RSMo § 160.077
Tenant right: "no tenant shall be evicted because an individual with an elevated blood lead level or with suspected lead poisoning resides in the dwelling"³⁴RSMo § 701.308

Montana

Schools and child care: "all schools accredited by the Montana Board of Public Education will be required to sample all drinking water fountains and kitchen fixtures that can be used for human consumption."³⁵Montana Department of Environmental Quality

Nebraska

Schools and child care: "has funding available to test for lead in drinking water at schools and licensed childcare facilities, and funding to remove and replace water faucets, fountains and filler stations that have been found to have lead."³⁶Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services

Nevada

Schools and child care: "These voluntary testing programs provided an opportunity to confirm that children in learning and care environments have access to safe drinking water"³⁷Nevada Division of Environmental Protection

New Hampshire

Schools and child care: "Public and private schools and licensed child care facilities shall test a minimum of 3 rounds for the presence of lead in drinking water at all outlets at the school or facility."³⁸RSA 485:17-a
Tenant right: "Any tenant who is party to a written lease and who is forced to relocate due to a lead exposure hazard may, at his sole option, terminate the lease as of the day the tenant relocates from the dwelling unit."³⁹RSA 130-A

New Jersey

Schools and child care: "All entities must test for lead from all drinking water outlets during the same three-year testing cycle."⁴⁰N.J.A.C. 6A:26-12.4
Landlord disclosure: "The owner shall also affix a copy of any such certification as an exhibit to the tenant's lease."⁴¹N.J.A.C. 5:28A-3.1 (PDF)

New Mexico

Schools and child care: "Public schools and licensed childcare facilities are eligible to participate in this program which provides free sampling and laboratory testing to identify lead in drinking water."⁴²New Mexico Environment Department

New York

Schools and child care: "All New York State public schools, charter schools, and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) are required to test all potable water outlets for lead and take action if lead levels exceed 5 micrograms/liter (μg/L)."⁴³Public Health Law §1110

North Carolina

Schools and child care: "shall complete a one-time test of all water outlets used for drinking or food"⁴⁴10A NCAC 41C .1005; 15A NCAC 18A .2816

North Dakota

Schools and child care: No rule found on the page checked.⁴⁵

Ohio

Schools and child care: "The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) is currently offering free testing for lead in water for licensed childcare providers and public schools in Ohio."⁴⁶Ohio Department of Health, Lead in Drinking Water

Oklahoma

Schools and child care: "The Oklahoma Lead Testing Program is a free, statewide initiative by DEQ to reduce lead exposure where children are cared for. Public schools and licensed child care facilities are eligible to participate in this program which provides free sampling and laboratory testing to identify lead in drinking water."⁴⁷Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality

Oregon

Schools and child care: "All school districts, ESDs, and charter schools must test all required fixtures for elevated levels of lead at least every 6 years starting July 1, 2020"⁴⁸OAR 333-061-0400; OAR 581-022-2223; ORS 332.334

Pennsylvania

Schools and child care: "The Department of Environmental Protection (Department) is offering grant funding to eligible public schools and public or private regulated childcare facilities located in this Commonwealth to reduce lead in drinking water."⁴⁹54 Pa.B. 7967

Rhode Island

Schools and child care: "“Comprehensive environmental lead inspection” or “CELI” means a surface-by-surface investigation of a child care facility, single-family house, dwelling unit and common areas, or premises to determine the presence of lead in paint, dust, soil, and water in order to identify lead hazards or determine compliance with the lead-safe standards in § 5.8 of this Part."⁵⁰216-RICR-50-15-5
Landlord disclosure: "Provide tenants: (i) Basic information about lead hazard control; (ii) A copy of the independent clearance inspection; and (iii) Information about how to give notice of deteriorating conditions; and"⁵¹R.I. Gen. Laws § 42-128.1-8
Tenant right: "In the event that a water service line in a rental property is found to contain lead and the property owner declines or is unresponsive, the tenant shall be entitled to make a second (2nd) request to the property owner for service line replacement. If the property owner refuses or fails to respond within sixty (60) days, the tenant shall have the option to terminate the lease."⁵²R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-24.6-28

South Carolina

Schools and child care: "this grant allowed the Department to offer sampling and laboratory analysis at no cost to participating locations."⁵³R.61-58.11

South Dakota

Schools and child care: "This program will be offered during the spring of 2022 and is funded by the Environmental Protection Agency's WIIN Act 2107 grant."⁵⁴South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Tennessee

Schools and child care: "Each local board of education shall develop a policy to implement a program to reduce the potential sources of lead contamination in drinking water in public schools that incorporates, at a minimum, periodic, not to exceed biennial, testing of lead levels in drinking water sources at school facilities that were constructed prior to January 1, 1998"⁵⁵T.C.A. § 49-2-133 (PDF)

Texas

Schools and child care: "The free Lead Testing in School and Child Care Program trains participants to collect samples, tests their drinking water for lead, and helps them take action to reduce lead in drinking water."⁵⁶Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

Utah

Schools and child care: "consumable taps for lead by no later than December 31, 2023."⁵⁷Utah Code section 19-4-115

Vermont

Schools and child care: Not confirmed: the rule's words were not found on its page today.⁵⁸
Landlord disclosure: "Prior to entering into a lease agreement, an owner or owner’s representative shall provide approved tenants with written materials approved by the Department regarding lead hazards and a copy of the owner’s most recent RRPM compliance statement."⁵⁹18 V.S.A. § 1759

Virginia

Schools and child care: "Each local school board shall take all steps necessary to notify parents if testing results indicate lead contamination that exceeds 10 parts per billion."⁶⁰§ 22.1-135.1
Landlord disclosure: "The disclosure requirements in subsection C shall continue during the term of the tenancy for any new information in the possession of the owner or about which the owner has actual knowledge concerning the presence of lead-based paint or lead-based paint hazards."⁶¹§ 8.01-226.7
Tenant right: "the existence of paint containing lead pigment on surfaces within the dwelling, provided that the landlord has notice of such paint. The tenant may file such an assertion in a general district court in which the premises is located by a declaration setting forth such assertion and asking for one or more forms of relief as provided for in subsection D."⁶²§ 55.1-1244

Washington

Schools and child care: "The department shall conduct sampling and testing for lead contamination at drinking water outlets in school buildings built, or with all plumbing replaced, before 2016 as specified in this section."⁶³RCW 43.70.830

West Virginia

Schools and child care: No rule found on the page checked.⁶⁴

Wisconsin

Schools and child care: "must provide sampling results, regardless of lead sample concentration, as soon as practicable but no later than 30 days after receipt of the results"⁶⁵Wis. Admin. Code NR 809.551 (CR 25-063, effective November 1, 2027)
Landlord disclosure: "For tenancy of a dwelling unit under a rental agreement, the property owner shall ensure that a lead-safe information pamphlet under subd."⁶⁶Wis. Admin. Code DHS 163.42(3)(b)

Wyoming

Schools and child care: No rule found on the page checked.⁶⁷

Checked on each official page October 5, 2026. The rule's words only, not legal advice: read the page it sits on.

Sources

Checked October 5, 2026.

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