Agency: NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development (LWD) Asbestos Control and Licensing; NJ Department of Health (training/exams); NJ Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Asbestos Hazard Abatement Subcode
Official program page
Typical order of steps in New Jersey
- Have suspect material inspected and sampled (NJ DOH recommends an EPA-certified inspector).
- Send samples to an accredited lab — NJ DOH points to AIHA and NVLAP accreditation.
- If abatement is needed, hire an LWD-licensed contractor; the employer files a Notification of Asbestos Abatement at least 10 calendar days before work.
- School or public building? A DCA-authorized ASCM firm monitors the job and handles clearance.
Three agencies, three jobs
NJ DOH explains the split: DCA regulates asbestos abatement in all educational facilities and public buildings and trains/authorizes asbestos safety control monitoring firms and technicians; LWD licenses abatement contractors, permits workers and supervisors, and investigates complaints about improper abatement in private homes and commercial buildings; DOH oversees training. Source: NJ DOH Asbestos FAQ.
Licenses and permits for abatement
Under the Asbestos Control and Licensing Act (N.J.S.A. 34:5A-32 et seq.) and N.J.A.C. 12:120, abatement companies need a State-issued license and the people doing the work need State asbestos worker or supervisor performance identification permits. The Act excludes employers subject to federal OSHA who use their own employees for abatement in their own facility. Source: NJ LWD Asbestos Control and Licensing.
Notification before work
Every employer planning asbestos work in New Jersey must submit a written Notification of Asbestos Abatement at least 10 calendar days before beginning the work. Source: NJ LWD.
Clearance monitoring in schools and public buildings
Any educational facility or public building undergoing asbestos abatement must be monitored by an authorized Asbestos Safety Control Monitoring (ASCM) firm and get a permit from the administrative authority with jurisdiction. ASCM employees, called Asbestos Safety Technicians (ASTs), are certified by DCA and continuously monitor and inspect abatement under N.J.A.C. 5:23-8. DCA asks owners to verify an ASCM firm’s certification before engaging it. Source: NJ DCA Asbestos Hazard Abatement.
Testing your own home
NJ DOH recommends hiring a professional asbestos inspector certified by U.S. EPA to inspect and sample suspect material, and says you can’t tell whether material contains asbestos just by looking — a lab accredited for asbestos analysis must test it (DOH names the AIHA Asbestos Analysts Registry and NVLAP). DOH says no regulation forbids homeowners from removing asbestos in their own home, but strongly advises against it. Source: NJ DOH Asbestos FAQ.
PLM, PCM or TEM?
NJ DOH’s FAQ describes PLM as the most common bulk method, PCM as common for air samples but unable to identify asbestos directly, and TEM as able to identify fibers PLM and PCM cannot, recommended for dust wipe samples and usable for bulk and air. Source: NJ DOH Asbestos FAQ. See also our air testing guide.
Checking a contractor or monitor
NJ DOH says to contact LWD to request a list of contractors or to check whether a contractor is licensed, and DCA keeps a periodically updated list of current ASCM firms. Sources: NJ DOH FAQ, NJ DCA.
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Who regulates asbestos in New Jersey schools?
The NJ Department of Community Affairs regulates abatement in educational facilities and public buildings, and those projects must be monitored by an authorized ASCM firm. Source: NJ DCA.
How far ahead must New Jersey asbestos work be reported?
At least 10 calendar days before the work starts, via a written Notification of Asbestos Abatement. Source: NJ LWD.
Can a New Jersey homeowner remove asbestos themselves?
NJ DOH says no regulation forbids it in your own home, but strongly advises against it because improper removal can seriously contaminate the home. Source: NJ DOH FAQ.
Every fact above is taken from official state, city/county, or EPA pages fetched for this site (last checked November 2026). If a detail could not be verified, it was left out.
Testing guides
New Jersey’s DOH FAQ is a good primer on PLM vs PCM vs TEM; our guides cover how bulk, air and clearance testing fit into a project.