Expand AllClick here for a more accessible versionAny individuals who are conducting asbestos abatement and/or asbestos abatement activities in Pennsylvania must complete approved asbestos abatement training and submit the appropriate application, training certificate(s) and fee to our office.
Any company who employs individuals who conduct asbestos abatement services in Pennsylvania must submit the appropriate application and fee to our office. Companies who only employ project designers, inspectors, and/or management planners do not need Asbestos certification in Pennsylvania.
The current application forms and fees can be found on our website at
https://www.dli.pa.gov/asbestos
A valid Pennsylvania asbestos certification photo ID license (for the individual) and an Asbestos Contractor certification (for the company) is required to conduct asbestos abatement in Pennsylvania.
All companies applying for Asbestos Contractor certification are required to have a valid, licensed Asbestos Contractor Individual on staff. All asbestos certified workers and supervisors must work for a valid, licensed Asbestos Contractor in order to perform asbestos abatement activities. Working for multiple valid, licensed Asbestos Contractors at a time or as a day-laborer for any valid, licensed Asbestos Contractor is permissible.
A list of Pennsylvania accredited asbestos training providers and their contact information can be found on our website at https://www.dli.pa.gov/asbestos . You can contact them regarding their training schedule and training course fees.
Pennsylvania is reciprocal with other states’ asbestos abatement training, provided the training is accredited by a state that is accredited by EPA to run the asbestos program.
Applicants need to submit a completed application, a copy of either ALL Asbestos Training Course Certificates, including your Initial Course, OR your most recent Asbestos Refresher Training Course Certificate with a valid out-of-state Asbestos license for that discipline and a check or money order for the appropriate fee. The current application forms and fees can be found on our website at https://www.dli.pa.gov/asbestos
A company must complete the Asbestos Contractor Certification Application and submit it to our office with the applicable fee. On the application, they must designate which of their employees will be their Asbestos Contractor Individual and that employee’s Asbestos Contractor Individual certification number. The employee who will work in the capacity of the Contractor Individual for the company must have completed Asbestos Supervisor training. The employee’s initial asbestos occupation application can be submitted at the same time as the contractor application.
Yes, there is a one (1) year grace period for Asbestos training.
If you have held a Pennsylvania asbestos certification previously and are applying for renewal, you need to submit a copy of your most recent valid training course certificate, and any training course certificate(s) taken since you last applied, along with a completed application and applicable fee. However, if you are applying for a new type of certification (i.e., you were a Worker previously and now are applying for Supervisor, etc.) you must follow the guideline on how to obtain initial certification.
The current application forms and fees can be found on our website at https://www.dli.pa.gov/asbestos
If you are an employee of an abatement company that has an expired certification, you cannot renew your certification until their certification has been renewed, since an individual cannot perform abatement work for a company who does not hold current abatement certification. To verify the current expiration date of an abatement company, please view the Certified Asbestos Abatement Contractors list on our website at www.dli.pa.gov/asbestos.
No, Pennsylvania requires everyone who works in asbestos abatement and/or asbestos abatement activities to be certified by Pennsylvania and hold a valid Pennsylvania asbestos photo ID license.
Certification is issued through the training certificate’s expiration date. For example: If you apply for your Pennsylvania Asbestos Worker certification on May 1, 2022, with your training certificate, which was issued on January 1, 2022 and valid through January 1, 2023, then your Pennsylvania certification will be issued as valid through January 1, 2023. As the time between May 1, 2022 and January 1, 2023 is 7 months, the fee of “6 months or more” would apply.
A current list of the application fees can be found on our website at www.dli.pa.gov/asbestos.
Federal and state government employees who perform abatement work exclusively for their employer are exempt from the certification fee. Also, public school district employees who perform abatement work exclusively for the school district are exempt from the certification fee under Act 24.
A check or money order made payable to the Commonwealth of PA.
Applicants are permitted to hand deliver their application to the Labor & Industry building, but the review and processing of the paperwork is completed on a first come, first serve basis. Applicants should mail their application along with their appropriate training documentation and fee to:
Department of Labor & Industry
Asbestos Division
651 Boas Street, Room 1606
Harrisburg, PA 17121
No, your application must be reviewed and processed prior to you being able to perform asbestos abatement activities in Pennsylvania.
The review and processing of submitted paperwork is completed on a first come, first serve basis and, on average, can take two to three weeks once the submission is received by our office. However, as soon as your application is processed and your name shows on our website listing of Individuals Certified to Perform Asbestos Abatement Work, you may work as long as your employer and the facility being abated does not require you to have the license in hand. The list can be found on our website at
https://www.dli.pa.gov/asbestos
Applicants will receive a letter with a barcode in the mail that they must take to a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Photo Center. To find a Photo Center in Pennsylvania near you, please visit PennDOT’s website at https://www.dmv.pa.gov/locations . There, the applicant will present their original bar code letter, have their picture taken, and receive their Asbestos photo ID license. The Asbestos photo ID license is required to be held at the jobsite when performing asbestos abatement activities.
Important: the barcode letter is only valid in lieu of the photo ID for 30 days from its issue date. (The issue date is listed on the barcode letter.) You can utilize the barcode letter to obtain the Asbestos photo ID license at PennDOT until the expiration date listed on the letter.
If you do not receive the barcode letter in the mail, please contact our office at CALBOIS@pa.gov stating your name, the discipline you applied for, and the address the letter should have been sent to.
If you need another copy of your license, you must send a written request to our office for a duplicate barcode letter along with a check or money order for the current duplicate fee. The request should include your name, the discipline of the duplicate barcode letter being requested and the address where the letter should be mailed. The current fees can be found on our website at https://www.dli.pa.gov/asbestos and our mailing address is as follows:
Department of Labor & Industry
Asbestos Division
651 Boas Street, Room 1606
Harrisburg PA 17121
Certification/licensure is an annual process that is issued through the training certificate’s expiration date.
For example: If you apply for your Pennsylvania Asbestos Worker certification on May 1, 2022, with your training certificate, which was issued on January 1, 2022 and valid through January 1, 2023, then your Pennsylvania certification will be issued as valid through January 1, 2023.
The list of asbestos certified individuals and abatement companies can be found on our website at https://www.dli.pa.gov/asbestos
If you have additional questions about the Department of Labor & Industry's asbestos certification requirements, please contact our office:
Email: CALBOIS@pa.gov
Phone: 717-772-3396
Fax: 717-705-0196
Mailing Address:
PA Department of Labor & Industry
Certification, Accreditation & Licensing Division
651 Boas Street, Room 1606
Harrisburg, PA 17121