SW-01 · Materials & SupplyMaine has banned carpets, rugs and fabric treatments with intentionally added PFAS since January 1, 2023.1 Minnesota did the same from January 1, 2025, and its rule also covers floor waxes and finishes as cleaning products.2 Both states move to broad prohibitions on intentionally added PFAS in 2032 unless a use is found currently unavoidable.3 1 Adhesives and underlayments are not in the early categories, but the 2032 rules have no product exceptions of that kind.
PFAS are a large family of fluorinated chemicals used for decades to make products resist stains, water and grease. In flooring, the best-known use is stain-resistant treatment on carpet. Several states now restrict the sale of products that contain them on purpose. For flooring contractors, dealers and specifiers, the rules already affect carpet and some maintenance products. Broader bans in the next decade will reach much further. This is a plain summary of two of the most developed state programs, Minnesota and Maine. It is not legal advice.
What the laws mean by PFAS
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency defines PFAS as a class of fluorinated organic chemicals containing at least one fully fluorinated carbon atom.3 The prohibitions apply to intentionally added PFAS, meaning PFAS deliberately added during manufacture to perform a specific function.3 MPCA gives an example: PFAS applied to a rain jacket for water resistance are intentionally added. Trace amounts from manufacturing, where the water resistance comes from something else, may not be.3
Carpet and rugs: already banned in two states
Maine was first. Its Department of Environmental Protection lists carpet or rug, and fabric treatment, among products with intentionally added PFAS prohibited from sale from January 1, 2023.1 Minnesota's first prohibitions under Amara's Law took effect on January 1, 2025, covering 11 product categories including carpets or rugs and fabric treatments.2
Minnesota's carpet definition is broad. MPCA says any fabric with intentionally added PFAS that is marketed or intended for use as a floor covering is covered. That includes car floor mats, recreational vehicle carpeting, outdoor rugs and synthetic turf.2 Pre-treated fabrics in carpets and rugs are included.2 Maine sets a later date for artificial turf: January 1, 2029.1
Floor finishes count as cleaning products
This is the part flooring maintenance contractors most often miss. Minnesota's definition of cleaning products includes "a polish or floor maintenance product." MPCA says floor waxes and other floor finishes with intentionally added PFAS are therefore cleaning products. They are prohibited from sale from 2025.2 Maine lists cleaning products among the categories prohibited from January 1, 2026.1 Facilities teams buying VCT finish and floor polish for sites in those states need PFAS-free products, and contractors should check stock on the truck.
Adhesives, underlayment and the rest: 2032
Adhesives, underlayments and hard flooring are not among the early categories. That does not exempt them. Minnesota says that from January 1, 2032, all products containing intentionally added PFAS are prohibited unless the use is determined to be currently unavoidable.3 Maine's schedule has the same date for any product with intentionally added PFAS, unless the use is a currently unavoidable use.1 So by 2032, in those states, every flooring product with intentionally added PFAS needs either a reformulation or an approved unavoidable-use determination.
Minnesota also requires reporting. Initial reports on intentionally added PFAS in products sold in the state are due from manufacturers, with extensions to Dec. 14, 2026, and annual reports after that.3 MPCA says those reports will give the public detailed information.3
Who is responsible
The laws put the duty on manufacturers. MPCA says manufacturers are responsible for knowing if their products contain PFAS, and that it will not directly notify them that their products may be prohibited.2 It encourages buyers to ask manufacturers directly.3 Amara's Law makes no exceptions for products in the 2025 categories, and gives no timeline extensions where alternatives are lacking.2 For a dealer or contractor, the practical risk is selling or installing stock that can no longer legally be sold. That means carpet bought before a deadline, or an old pallet of floor finish.
What to ask suppliers
- Does the product contain intentionally added PFAS, including in any treatment or coating?
- For carpet and rugs: is the stain or soil resistance treatment fluorine-free?
- For floor finishes and cleaners: is the product compliant in the states where it will be used?
- For adhesives, underlayments and resilient flooring: is there a plan for the broad prohibitions ahead?
- Will the manufacturer put the answer in writing, or in a product disclosure such as an HPD?
Health Product Declarations are one place content is disclosed. The HPD Collaborative describes its open standard as a standard method for reporting product contents and associated health information for building products.4 See EPD and HPD requirements.
Exemptions and edge cases
The laws carry exemptions, and they differ. Minnesota's 2025 prohibition does not apply to products whose intentionally added PFAS are only in electronic or internal components. Those fall under the 2032 prohibition instead.2 Maine exempts several categories from its sales prohibitions, including products where federal law governs the presence of PFAS, packaging, and used products.1 Maine's schedule also reaches containers. Products sold in a fluorinated container, or one that otherwise contains intentionally added PFAS, fall under the prohibitions even when the product itself does not.1 For floor care products sold in plastic jugs, that is worth a question to the supplier as well.
Other states
Minnesota and Maine are not alone, and rules differ in scope and dates from state to state. Some cover only carpet and treatments; others will cover nearly everything. For multi-state contractors and distributors, the safest approach is to treat PFAS-free as the default for carpet, fabric treatments and floor care. Track each state where products are sold, and keep the written confirmations with the order records. For indoor air and emissions certification, which is a separate question, see the FloorScore and VOC checklist.
Sources
- Maine Department of Environmental Protection, “PFAS in Products, Maine Department of Environmental Protection”. maine.gov/dep/spills/topics/pfas/PFAS-products/index.html
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, “2025 PFAS prohibitions | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency”. pca.state.mn.us/air-water-land-climate/2025-pfas-prohibitions
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, “PFAS use prohibitions and reporting | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency”. pca.state.mn.us/air-water-land-climate/pfas-use-prohibitions-and-reporti
- HPD Collaborative (via CSRwire), “Health Product Declaration® (HPD) Collaborative Releases HPD Open Standard Version 2.1 – CSRwire”. csrwire.com/press-release/health-product-declaration-hpd-collaborative-r
General information for the flooring trade. This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources listed above; the manufacturer's current instructions and the project specification govern any real job. If something here is wrong or out of date, tell us.
