OSHA State Plans
There are 29 OSHA-approved state plans — 22 full plans (covering private and public sector) and 7 public-sector-only plans. Everywhere else, private employers are covered by federal OSHA. This page answers who enforces the law where you work; for the dollar amounts, see penalties by state.
OSHA-approved state plans
| Plan type | Coverage | Count | Jurisdictions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full | Private + state/local government | 22 | Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wyoming |
| Public-sector-only | State/local government only | 7 | Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| Total approved | All OSHA-approved state plans | 29 | All states/territories not listed above fall under federal OSHA. |
Every plan, its agency, and its serious-penalty cap
“At least as effective” does not mean identical — several plans set their own penalty maximums by state statute. The caps below come from each state’s verified record (see the per-state pages for the statute citations); jurisdictions with no override use the federal $16,550 maximum.
The 7 public-sector-only plans — Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, U.S. Virgin Islands — cover state and local government workers only; private employers in those jurisdictions are under federal OSHA and the federal penalty schedule.
OSHA state plan FAQ
How many OSHA-approved state plans are there?
There are 29 OSHA-approved state plans: 22 "full" plans that cover both private-sector and state/local government workers, and 7 "public-sector-only" plans that cover only state and local government employees. Everywhere else, federal OSHA has jurisdiction over private employers.
Does my state have its own OSHA plan?
Full state plans (private + public sector): Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wyoming. Public-sector-only plans: Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, U.S. Virgin Islands. If your state is not listed, private employers there are covered by federal OSHA.
What is the difference between a full and a public-sector-only state plan?
A full state plan covers both private-sector employers and state/local government workplaces with its own OSHA-approved program. A public-sector-only plan covers only state and local government employees — private-sector workplaces in those states remain under federal OSHA jurisdiction.
Are state-plan standards the same as federal OSHA?
State plans must be at least as effective as federal OSHA, and many adopt federal standards verbatim — but the differences are real. California's Cal/OSHA writes its own standards (including a Heat Illness Prevention standard that is already law) and layers Proposition 65 chemical warnings on top of HazCom. Penalty caps diverge in both directions: Cal/OSHA can propose up to $25,000 for a serious violation under 8 CCR §336, while Michigan (MCL 408.1035), Kentucky (KRS 338.991), Indiana (IC 22-8-1.1-27.1) and Tennessee (TCA §50-3-403) still cap serious violations at $7,000 — well below the federal maximum. Employers in state-plan jurisdictions should confirm the state-specific rules and amounts.
Guides & data analyses on state plans
The deep dives behind this page — jurisdiction mechanics, HazCom-specific consequences, and what the FY2025 enforcement data shows about how differently the plans behave:
Know your plan — then your penalties and rules
Whether you’re under a state plan or federal OSHA changes who inspects you and, in some states, the maximum penalty. Follow through to the specifics:
Official sources
- https://www.osha.gov/stateplans
- https://www.osha.gov/stateplans/approvedstateplans
- https://www.dir.ca.gov/title8/1509.html
Source: OSHA-approved State Plans (osha.gov/stateplans), verified August 21, 2026. Canonical URL: https://hazcomfast.com/osha-state-plans.
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