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A guide

Checking a cleanup company before you hire

California keeps a public list of registered cleanup companies. Looking a company up takes a few minutes.

What the state rules say

Paid cleanup needs registration

A person or company paid to remove human blood, body fluids and related residue from the scene of a serious injury, illness or death must register with the California Department of Public Health and follow Chapter 9.5 of the Medical Waste Management Act (Health and Safety Code section 118321 and following).

The waste has to go somewhere legal

To register, a company shows a contract with a registered medical waste transporter or a permitted facility that will take the waste.

Family members are not covered

The rules apply to people hired for the work. A relative or neighbor who cleans without being paid is outside them.

It is not a seal of quality

The health department says registration does not mean it endorses a company's work. It is a minimum, not a recommendation.

How to look a company up

  1. Ask for the registered name

    Companies sometimes trade under a different name. Ask for the exact name on their state registration.

  2. Open the state's list

    The registered practitioner list (PDF) is updated from time to time. Only the latest version counts.

  3. Match the name and city

    If you cannot find them, ask the company why. Don't hire on a promise to register later.

If walls or floors have to be rebuilt

Registration covers the cleanup. It is separate from a contractor's license. Putting back drywall, flooring or cabinets afterward can need a licensed contractor. The Contractors State License Board answers questions at (800) 321-2752.

Questions worth asking

  • What name are you registered under with the state?
  • What will you remove, and what will you clean and keep?
  • Who hauls the waste away?
  • How do you charge, and when will I get a written bill?
  • Will you set aside personal items for me?

When you are ready

One call, then a plan you can say yes or no to

You do not have to clean this yourself, and you do not have to decide anything tonight. If the home has been released, a company can talk you through the next steps.

Talk it through with a cleanup company

Say what happened and where. The company will tell you what it would do and what it needs from you. Nothing is agreed until you say so.

Call (559) 555-0101

Answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Calls may be recorded. Read the referral disclosure and the privacy policy.

Call (559) 555-0101