All businesses that store, handle or use hazardous materials in reportable quantities, as defined in Chapter 6.95 of Division 20 of the California Health and Safety Code (HSC), must obtain a CUPA Permit. In addition to obtaining a permit each business is required to submit a Hazardous Materials Business Plan (HMBP). The business plan will assist emergency responders in planning for and handling emergencies involving hazardous materials. The main program objective is to safeguard the lives of emergency responders, the public, and to minimize property loss.
Additional permitting requirements may be needed for Hazardous Waste, Underground Storage Tanks, Above Ground Storage Tanks, and CalARP. Specific requirements for those programs can be found via the main page.
PERMIT APPLICATION
To apply for a CUPA permit, click HERE.
Current Permitted List
Current permitted locations can be found HERE. If you have had a CUPA permit in the past and are unable to locate your facility on this list it could be due to the following:
- Your facility has not updated on this list. The list is only updated once a month. If you just paid your invoice please hold off until the following month.
- Your facility was inactivated due to Inspector verification that you are not required to be in the program. If you feel your business should be in the program please apply for a CUPA permit using the link provided in the section above.
- Your facility has outstanding invoices that are preventing the permit from being issued. No permit can be issued if you have outstanding fees due. For additional questions about paying outstanding fees please email lafdcupa@lacity.org
- Your facility is under formal enforcement (The CUPA is unable to issue annual CUPA permits for locations that have outstanding Class 1 violations or are in formal enforcement). For questions related to outstanding class 1 violations pleased contact your district inspector.
Locations Out-of-Compliance with CERS Annual Reporting Requirements
To confirm if your location is out of compliance with the annual CERS submission please click HERE.
Hazardous Materials
Hazardous materials are defined in California Health and Safety Code section 25501. For most businesses in Los Angeles this will be any material that poses a Health or Physical Hazard. You can determine if your material has a Health or Physical Hazard by referring to Section 2 of your Safety Data Sheet (SDS).
Reportable Thresholds
Reportable thresholds for hazardous materials and defined in California Health and Safety Code section 25507. The thresholds are determined based on the physical state of the material, Solids, Liquids and Gases. Below are the basic thresholds for each physical state. Please confirm reporting requirements HERE.
- Solids - 500 pounds
- Liquids - 55 gallons
- Gases - 200 cubic feet
Reportable Threshold Reference Guide
NOTE: There are many provisions in HSC 25507 that allow for thresholds to be reduced, increased, exempted or excluded. Refer to HSC 25507 to determine the reporting threshold for your specific material.