Agency: PA Department of Labor & Industry (certification); PA Department of Environmental Protection (notifications); Philadelphia Air Management Services and Allegheny County Health Department (local programs)
Official program page
Think of Pennsylvania in three layers: Labor & Industry (L&I) certifies the people and companies, DEP takes notifications for most of the state, and two local programs — Philadelphia and Allegheny County — replace DEP’s online system inside their boundaries.
Statewide certification (L&I)
L&I manages training and certification of individuals and companies that handle and remove ACM under the Asbestos Occupations Accreditation and Certification Act. Individual certifications cover disciplines including worker, supervisor, project designer, inspector, and management planner, and training must come from an approved provider following EPA’s Model Accreditation Plan. All individuals who enter containment must hold current L&I certification. Source: PA L&I Asbestos Occupations.
Inspector firms vs abatement contractors
L&I’s FAQ says companies that employ only project designers, inspectors, and/or management planners do not need asbestos company certification — but the individual inspectors still need their own certification. Abatement requires an individual photo-ID certification plus an Asbestos Contractor certification for the company, and Pennsylvania does not recognize other states’ asbestos licenses. Source: PA L&I Asbestos Certification FAQs.
DEP notifications (most counties)
DEP takes asbestos abatement and demolition/renovation notifications online through its GreenPort Online Asbestos Notification System. That system is not used for projects in Philadelphia or Allegheny Counties. Source: PA DEP notification page.
Philadelphia
Philadelphia requires a notification form at least 24 hours before encapsulation or removal of less than 40 linear or 80 square feet of asbestos. At or above 40 linear or 80 square feet, a licensed asbestos abatement contractor must obtain an asbestos abatement permit before work, and an independent certified Asbestos Project Inspector (API) must be hired. Notifications, license applications and listings of licensed asbestos professionals are on the Air Management Services online portal. Source: City of Philadelphia asbestos project permit.
Allegheny County (Pittsburgh area)
The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) regulates asbestos under Article XXI, incorporating the federal asbestos NESHAP, and requires all asbestos abatement contractors to be ACHD-licensed. ACHD states private homeowners are exempt from these regulations when working on their own home. Permits, licenses and notifications go through ACHD’s Citizen Access Portal, and ACHD publishes an Asbestos Abatement Contractor List. Source: ACHD Asbestos.
Verify a Pennsylvania company
L&I links a list of Certified Asbestos Abatement Companies with current expiration dates from its certification FAQ. Philadelphia and Allegheny County publish their own licensed-contractor listings (links above).
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Does my Pennsylvania asbestos inspector's company need state certification?
Per L&I, companies that only employ inspectors, project designers and/or management planners don't need company certification, but each individual must be certified. Source: PA L&I FAQ.
Is Philadelphia different from the rest of Pennsylvania?
Yes. Philadelphia uses its own Air Management Services portal; jobs of 40 linear / 80 square feet or more need a permit held by a licensed contractor plus an independent certified Asbestos Project Inspector. Source: phila.gov.
Do Allegheny County rules apply to homeowners?
ACHD states private homeowners are exempt from its asbestos regulations when performing work on their own home. Source: Allegheny County Health Department.
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
Philadelphia’s independent Asbestos Project Inspector requirement is a good example of why monitoring and clearance testing should be separate from the removal contractor.