(a) (1) Except as otherwise provided in subdivisions (b) to (f), inclusive, it is unlawful for a person to carry on, or engage in, the transportation of hazardous waste unless the person holds a valid registration issued by the department, and it is unlawful for a person to transfer custody of a hazardous waste to a transporter who does not hold a valid registration issued by the department. A person who holds a valid registration issued by the department pursuant to this section is a registered hazardous waste transporter for purposes of this chapter. A registration issued by the department to a transporter of hazardous waste is not transferable from the person to whom it was issued to any other person.

(2) A person who transports hazardous waste in a vehicle shall have a valid registration issued by the department in the person’s possession while transporting the hazardous waste. The registration certificate shall be shown upon demand to any representative of the department, officer of the Department of the California Highway Patrol, any local health officer, or any public officer designated by the department.

(3) The hazardous waste information required and collected for registration pursuant to this subdivision shall be recorded and maintained in the management information system operated by the Department of the California Highway Patrol.

(b) A person transporting only septic tank, cesspool, seepage pit, or chemical toilet waste that does not contain hazardous waste originating from other than the body of a human or animal and who holds an unrevoked registration issued by the health officer or the health officer’s authorized representative pursuant to Article 1 (commencing with Section 117400) of Chapter 4 of Part 13 of Division 104 is exempt from the requirements of subdivision (a).

(c) Except as provided in subdivisions (e) and (f), a person transporting hazardous waste to a permitted hazardous waste facility for transfer, treatment, recycling, or disposal, which waste does not exceed a total volume of five gallons or does not exceed a total weight of 50 pounds, is exempt from the requirements of subdivision (a) and from the requirements of paragraph (1) of subdivision (d) of Section 25160 requiring possession of a manifest while transporting hazardous waste, upon meeting all of the following conditions:

(1) The hazardous waste is transported in closed containers and packed in a manner that prevents the containers from tipping, spilling, or breaking during transport.

(2) Different hazardous waste materials are not mixed within a container during the transporting.

(3) If the hazardous waste is extremely hazardous waste or acutely hazardous waste, the extremely hazardous waste or acutely hazardous waste was not generated in the course of any business, and is not more than 2.2 pounds.

(4) The person transporting the hazardous waste is the producer of that hazardous waste, and the person produces no more than 100 kilograms of hazardous waste in any month.

(5) The person transporting the hazardous waste does not accumulate more than a total of 1,000 kilograms of hazardous waste onsite at any one time.

(d) A person authorized to collect solid waste, as defined in § 40191 of the Public Resources Code, who unknowingly transports hazardous waste to a solid waste facility, as defined in § 40194 of the Public Resources Code, incidental to the collection of solid waste is not subject to subdivision (a).

(e) A person transporting household hazardous waste or a very small quantity generator transporting hazardous waste to an authorized household hazardous waste collection facility pursuant to Section 25218.5 or 25218.5.1 is exempt from subdivision (a) and from paragraph (1) of subdivision (d) of Section 25160 requiring possession of a manifest while transporting hazardous waste.

(f) (1) To the extent consistent with federal law, the transport of household hazardous waste to a household hazardous waste collection facility is exempt from subdivision (a) and from paragraph (1) of subdivision (d) of Section 25160 requiring possession of the manifest if the transport is from another household hazardous waste collection facility, a permanent household hazardous waste collection facility, a temporary household hazardous waste collection facility, a recycle-only household hazardous waste collection facility, or a solid waste load checking program operating under an agreement with a household hazardous waste collection facility.

(2) A shipment of household hazardous waste described in paragraph (1) shall use a shipping paper that contains all the information set forth in Subpart C (commencing with Section 172.200) of Part 172 of Subchapter C of Chapter I of Subtitle B of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The shipping paper for the shipment shall be retained for a minimum of three years. For purposes of this subdivision, “shipping paper” may include a bill of lading or a manifest as required by federal law.

(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 499, Sec. 2. (AB 2481) Effective January 1, 2023.)