Washington, USA, Updates Law on Lead in Cookware

SafeGuardSHardgoodsMarch 31, 2026

SG 046/26

Washington State amends requirements and clarifies exemptions for lead in cookware law.

In 2025, Washington State revised its lead in cookware law by reducing the scope of cookware to three product categories and adopting a two-tier, phased-in approach to lead content limit values (SafeGuardS 65/25, 70A.565 RCW).

On March 18, 2026, the governor of Washington signed Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5975 (ESSB 5975, Chapter 110, Laws of 2026, the Act) into law, revising the state’s law on lead in cookware.

What does the regulation require?

Key updates in the new law include:

Clarifying the scope of exemption for a) aluminum and brass cookware (see Table 1) and b) aluminum and brass utensils
Prohibiting the intentional use of lead within the defined scope of products
Adopting a three-tier, phased-in approach for the restriction of lead in aluminum and brass pots and pans, and their components, over a period of eight years

Who is impacted?

The law applies to multiple economic operators, including manufacturers (which, by statute, also covers importers and distributors), as well as wholesalers and retailers.

When does it apply?

The Act will become effective on June 11, 2026.

Key changes in ESSB 5975 are summarized in Table 1.

	ESSB 5975 (Chapter 110, Laws of 2026) amending 70A.565 RCW ‘Cookware Containing Lead’	70A.565 RCW ‘Cookware Containing Lead’ (existing law)
Substance	Lead	Lead
Scope	Aluminum and brass cookware Aluminum and brass utensils Aluminum and brass cookware components	Aluminum and brass cookware Aluminum and brass utensils Aluminum and brass cookware components
Exemption for aluminum and brass cookware	Items with only an internal layer of aluminum or brass that is enclosed by stainless steel Electrical components of electronic cooking devices and the body of electronic cooking devices with removable cooking containers, such as slow cookers, rice cookers, and pressure cookers	Items with only an internal layer of aluminum or brass that is completely enclosed by stainless steel Body of electronic cooking devices with removable cooking containers, such as slow cookers, rice cookers, and pressure cookers
Requirement	≤ 90 ppm for items manufactured from January 1, 2026 Prohibited from January 1, 2027, if lead is intentionally added¹ ≤ 50 ppm for aluminum and brass pots and pans, and their components, for items manufactured from January 1, 2030 ≤ 20 ppm for aluminum and brass pots and pans, and their components, for items manufactured from January 1, 2034²	≤ 90 ppm from January 1, 2026 ≤ 10 ppm from January 1, 2028³
Effective date	June 11, 2026	Amended by ESSB 5975 (Chapter 110, Laws of 2026)
¹Intentionally added’ means lead added to aluminum or brass cookware, cookware components, or utensils that serves an intended function in the final product or in the manufacturing of the product or product part. This term excludes lead in recycled materials ²Cookware and cookware components may be exempt from these restrictions for consistency with rules for priority consumer products under section 4 of this act ³May lower the limit by rule after December 2030

Table 1

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