California updates Proposition 65 warnings for facilities
California state regulators have updated the Proposition 65 warnings that are required for use in commercial and industrial spaces. Proposition 65 says, “No person in the course of doing business shall knowingly and intentionally expose any individual to a chemical known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity without first giving a clear and reasonable warning.” For the last 30 years, businesses have been required to warn their customers and employees about potential toxic chemical exposure on the premises.
Since the major 2018 update that required businesses to notify employees and customers which specific chemicals are present, California has continued to strengthen these requirements. New amendments proposed in 2023 and approved on November 26, 2024 took effect on January 1, 2025. The most significant change requires short-form warnings to include at least one chemical name for each applicable endpoint, meaning cancer or reproductive harm. Previously, short-form warnings did not require any chemical names to be disclosed.
Businesses have a three-year transition period to implement the revised short-form warning content, meaning any product manufactured on or after January 1, 2028 must carry the new warning language. The amendments also clarify warning requirements for products sold on the internet and in catalogs, and add new signal word options such as “CA WARNING” or “CALIFORNIA WARNING” for both long and short-form warnings.
The updated safe harbor regulations are available from the state Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA). We offer Proposition 65 signage that is fully compliant with the latest regulations, so your business stays up to date and protected.
