Refrigerant Rules for Restaurants, Grocers and Stores

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Refrigerant rules changed again in 2026, and a lot of what you will find online is now out of date. Here are the federal and California rules that apply to a restaurant, grocery, convenience store, bar or cafe as of September 2026: who may handle refrigerant, when a leak must be fixed, what new equipment may use, and what California adds. It is not legal advice; it is what our technicians check before we repair or replace a system.

This guide is part of our Commercial Refrigeration Help Center. If a cooler or freezer is warm right now, start with the refrigeration emergency checklist and come back to the rules later.

One term comes up throughout: GWP, or global warming potential. The higher the number, the more a leaked refrigerant warms the climate, and the more the rules restrict it.

Who may handle refrigerant: EPA Section 608

Federal law says no one "maintaining, servicing, repairing, or disposing of an appliance ... may knowingly vent or otherwise release into the environment any refrigerant" (source). Anyone who could reasonably be expected to open the refrigerant circuit must pass an EPA certification exam, and since 1 January 2018 that has covered HFC refrigerants as well as older ones like R-22 (source). Technicians who service medium- and high-pressure equipment, which covers most commercial refrigeration, need Type II certification, and Universal certification covers every type. Our technicians are EPA Universal certified.

Refrigerant sales are restricted too: stationary refrigerant may be sold only to a certified technician or the company that employs one (source).

One exception matters for newer equipment. Propane (R-290) in stand-alone retail refrigerators and freezers and in self-contained ice machines is exempt from the venting ban and the rest of Section 608 (source). That is not a license for staff to work on it. R-290 is highly flammable, and manufacturers such as True say "Only qualified technicians should install and service the appliance" (True manual).

For your staff: do not cut, loosen or tighten refrigerant lines or fittings, do not buy refrigerant or "top off" kits, and do not let an uncertified handyman add gas. A top-off without a leak repair just means another warm cooler later. Our guide to refrigerant leak causes and symptoms explains what a leak looks like.

Leak repair: two federal rules

HFC systems with 15 lb or more (since 1 January 2026)

The AIM Act leak repair rule applies to equipment with a full charge of 15 pounds or more of an HFC, or of any substitute with a GWP above 53, and it has applied "as of January 1, 2026" (eCFR 84.106). For commercial refrigeration the trigger is a 20% annual leak rate. Once refrigerant is added to a system leaking faster than that, the owner or operator must "identify and repair leaks ... within 30 days," and the repair must be done by a certified technician. Residential and light commercial air conditioning and heat pumps are excluded.

The full charge is on the equipment nameplate. R-290 has a listed GWP of 3.3, below the 53 threshold (eCFR 84.64), so propane units fall outside this rule.

R-22 and other older refrigerants: 50 lb or more

The older Section 608 leak repair rule now covers only equipment with a full charge of 50 pounds or more of an ozone-depleting refrigerant such as R-22, with the same 20% trigger for commercial refrigeration. It "do[es] not apply to appliances containing solely substitute refrigerants" (eCFR 82.157).

Large systems and reclaimed refrigerant

• Automatic leak detection: commercial refrigeration with a full charge of 1,500 pounds or more must use an automatic leak detection system. Systems installed from 2017 through 2025 need it by 1 January 2027 (source).
• Reclaimed refrigerant: from 1 January 2026, refrigerant sold as reclaimed may contain no more than 15% virgin product. From 1 January 2029, supermarket systems and automatic commercial ice makers must be serviced with reclaimed refrigerant (source).

See how technicians detect refrigerant leaks.

Which refrigerants new equipment may use (federal)

EPA's Technology Transitions rules cap the GWP of refrigerant in new equipment. EPA amended them on 26 May 2026, effective 27 July 2026, and relaxed the limits for remote condensing units, supermarkets and cold storage until 2032 (Federal Register). Older articles giving walk-in condensing units a GWP 150 or 300 limit from 2026 are now wrong.

Source for the table: (eCFR 84.54). A remodel can count as a new installation: the rule includes increasing a system's cooling capacity (by more than 15% for supermarkets), or replacing 75% or more of the evaporators plus all of the compressor racks and condensers.

None of this forces you to stop using what you have. EPA says "There are no requirements to stop using any specific equipment or appliance currently in use" (EPA).

California goes further

• New facilities: new retail food refrigeration systems holding more than 50 pounds of refrigerant in new facilities must use refrigerant with a GWP under 150, a rule in force since 1 January 2022 (CARB). An existing store that replaces most of its evaporators and all of its racks and condensers can count as a new facility.
• R-404A and R-507A: CARB has prohibited them in new remote condensing units and supermarket systems, and as retrofit refrigerants in those systems, since 1 January 2019, and in many new stand-alone units since 2019 or 2020 (CARB).
• SB 1206: since 1 January 2025, no one may sell newly produced bulk HFCs with a GWP above 2,200 in California, dropping to 1,500 in 2030 and 750 in 2033. "Certified reclaimed refrigerants" are exempt (HSC 39735). CARB's own examples: R-404A and R-507 were prohibited on 1 January 2025, R-410A follows in 2030, and R-448A and R-134a in 2033 (CARB). In practice, an existing R-404A or R-507A system can still be repaired here, but only with certified reclaimed refrigerant.
• Company-wide targets: CARB also sets fleet GWP targets for companies that own retail food facilities (CARB). Multi-location operators should review them with their contractor.

CARB Refrigerant Management Program (RMP)

"Any facility with a stationary refrigeration system containing over 50 pounds of high-GWP refrigerant is subject to duties under the Refrigerant Management Program" (CARB). The 50-pound test uses the largest single system at the site. What it requires:

• Registration for every covered facility. Small facilities (over 50 to under 200 lb) pay no fee and file no annual report; Medium (200 to under 2,000 lb) and Large facilities must also report each year.
• Leak inspections: every 365 days or less for Small facilities and every 90 days or less for Medium, unless a qualifying automatic leak detection system is installed.
• Leak repair: "Fix all leaks within 14 days of detection," using only EPA-certified technicians. That is shorter than the federal 30 days.
• Records: keep service records on site for at least 5 years for each refrigeration unit.

Sites using only ammonia or CO2 are exempt (CARB).

R-290 (propane) in new self-contained units

Because of the stand-alone limit above, most new reach-ins and merchandisers now use hydrocarbon refrigerant. True tells owners to "Check the serial label to identify the appliance's refrigerant" (True manual).

• Charge limits: EPA's 2024 rule lets new designs follow UL 60335-2-89, which allows up to 494 g of R-290 in open cases and 304 g in units with doors or drawers. The older limit under UL 471 was 150 g (Federal Register).
• Flammability: EPA lists R-290 in ASHRAE class 3, "higher flammability." R-32 and R-454B are class 2L, "lower flammability" (EPA).
• Use conditions: red hoses and piping, marked service ports, and use only in new equipment designed for it. No listing allows converting an existing unit to R-290 (Federal Register).

What this means when you repair or buy

1. Know what you have. Photograph each nameplate: refrigerant type and full charge decide which rules apply.
2. Keep records. CARB requires 5 years of them for covered facilities.
3. Repair leaks, don't just recharge. The federal clock is 30 days once the trigger is passed; CARB's is 14 days from detection.
4. Plan for R-404A and R-507A. Service now depends on reclaimed refrigerant. Our repair or replace guide walks through the decision.
5. Check the rules before a remodel. A big enough remodel counts as a new installation under EPA and CARB rules.

A good maintenance schedule is the cheapest way to stay under the leak thresholds. When a condensing unit reaches the end of its life, our condensing unit replacement service sizes the new unit to the current refrigerant limits.

Book a refrigerant compliance check

Frequently asked questions

Written and reviewed by Jim McKinny, owner of Cool Aid Air Conditioning & Refrigeration — California C-20 and C-38 licensed, EPA Universal certified, second generation of a family business serving the Bay Area since 1966. Every job we complete is backed by our 1-year parts & labor warranty.