FOG Requirements by State
Look up grease trap and FOG compliance requirements for all 50 US states and Canadian provinces. See whether cleaning and record-keeping rules are set state-wide or locally, a verified example from a major city where we found one, and the primary regulatory authority for each jurisdiction.
How FOG Regulation Actually Works in the US and Canada
There is no single federal grease trap law in the United States. The EPA sets discharge standards under the Clean Water Act, but FOG program specifics — cleaning frequencies, inspection requirements, hauler licensing, and enforcement — are set at the state and municipal level. This creates significant variation: a restaurant in Dallas operates under a different set of requirements than one in Phoenix, even though both are in states with active environmental programs.
In Canada, the structure is similar: federal and provincial environmental laws set the framework, but the operational requirements for food service establishments are set by municipalities. Toronto, for example, requires grease traps to be serviced every four weeks or before grease and solids reach 25% of the liquid volume, whichever comes first; smaller Ontario municipalities may have less prescriptive requirements. This tool shows the regulatory framework for each state or province, whether cleaning rules are set state-wide or locally, a verified city example where we found one, and the authority responsible for FOG oversight.
Important: Requirements shown reflect the most common standard across major municipalities in each state or province. Your specific municipality may have stricter requirements. Always confirm your exact obligation with your local sewer authority or environmental regulator — use this tool to orient your research, not to substitute for it.
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Why Requirements Vary So Much — and What That Means for You
The variation in FOG requirements across the US and Canada reflects three factors: the age and capacity of local sewer infrastructure, the density of food service establishments in the municipality, and the political history of FOG enforcement in each jurisdiction. Cities with older combined sewer systems — like New York, Chicago, and many Northeastern cities — have the most aggressive FOG programs because their aging infrastructure is most vulnerable to grease-related blockages. Newer cities in the Sun Belt often have more permissive baseline requirements, though municipalities with rapid restaurant growth are increasingly adopting stricter programs.
For restaurant operators, the practical takeaway is that your local sewer authority's rules are what govern your operation day to day. The table above marks a jurisdiction "State Program" only where we found a state law or regulation that specifically covers grease traps or grease waste; everywhere else it says "Municipal-Level", meaning the cleaning and record-keeping rules come from your city or sewer utility.
Canadian operators face an additional layer: provincial environmental acts govern waste hauler licensing and manifest requirements, while municipalities set the operational requirements for food service establishments. Toronto's Food Service Establishment Environmental Code of Practice shows how specific those local rules can be: grease traps serviced every four weeks (the City can allow up to eight weeks with records showing the trap stays below 25%), and servicing and disposal records kept for at least seven years. Always confirm the interval and record-keeping period your own municipality sets rather than relying on a typical figure.
FOG Regulations — Common Questions
No — and typically it works in the opposite direction. Where a state sets a rule, it is a minimum; cities and sewer utilities can and often do adopt stricter requirements of their own. In Texas, for example, Houston's city code requires grease interceptors to be pumped at least every 90 days and waste manifests kept for 5 years. Always comply with the stricter of state and local requirements, which in most places means the local sewer rules are the ones that apply day to day.
In this table, "State Program" means we found a state law or regulation that specifically covers grease traps or grease waste: for example, Florida's grease waste statute, Hawaii's state registration for grease haulers, or Massachusetts's septic-system code. "Municipal-Level" means we found no such state-wide rule, so the requirements come from your city or sewer utility. Municipal-level doesn't mean no regulation; many cities have detailed grease trap ordinances of their own.
Some states and provinces require grease trap haulers to register or hold a permit (Hawaii, for example, requires grease haulers to register with its Department of Health); many leave it to cities and sewer utilities, which often keep their own approved or certified hauler lists. In practice: ask your contractor which permits or registrations they hold, check that your local sewer utility accepts them, and keep the service manifest they give you after each pump-out.
This tool shows state and provincial rules plus one verified city example where we found one, not every city's ordinance. For your specific requirements, contact your local publicly owned treatment works (POTW) or sewer authority directly — search for "[your city] sewer authority FOG program" or "[your city] grease trap ordinance". If you can't find information online, call your city or county public works department and ask whether there is a FOG control ordinance and what cleaning frequency applies to your establishment type. Get the answer in writing if possible.
We checked each row against official sources in September 2026. Where we found no state- or province-wide rule, the table says "Set locally" and, where we could verify one, gives a major city's rule as an example with a link to the source. Rules change, so always confirm current requirements with your local sewer utility before acting on information in this tool.
Official Sources
- 40 CFR 403.5 — Prohibited discharges (the federal pretreatment rule bans "solid or viscous pollutants" that obstruct sewer flow; specific grease trap rules are left to state and local programs)
- City of Toronto — Grease Interceptor Maintenance (service every four weeks or before grease and solids reach 25% of liquid volume, up to eight weeks with records; records kept at least seven years)
Fact-checked September 23, 2026.
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