“Do Not Flush” Labeling Laws by US State: Requirements for Wet Wipes

This table lists only states whose law text we checked. Other states may have bills or laws we have not verified, and a federal bill (the WIPPES Act) has been proposed but was not law at the time of writing. Laws change; confirm the current text before printing artwork.

Definitions differ slightly by state, but the core is the same: non-flushable premoistened nonwoven wipes used in or near a bathroom.

• Baby or diapering wipes — covered in every state listed.
• Wipes containing petrochemical-derived fibres likely to be used in a bathroom. California’s list includes bathroom, toilet and hard-surface cleaning, disinfecting, hand sanitizing, antibacterial, facial and makeup removal, general purpose, personal care, feminine hygiene, adult incontinence and body cleansing wipes (California AB 818).
• Washington covers non-flushable wipes for diapering, personal hygiene and household hard-surface cleaning (RCW 70A.525).

Products labelled and tested as flushable are handled separately. A plastic-free wipe can still be covered: in California, every baby wipe is covered regardless of fibre. See are flushable wipes really flushable?

• Symbol. The “Do Not Flush” symbol from the INDA/EDANA Code of Practice (GD4, fourth edition, May 2018), referenced in the state laws.
• Size. At least 2% of the surface area of the principal display panel (PDP). In Washington and Oregon, the PDP of a cylindrical canister is defined as 40% of height × circumference.
• Contrast. High contrast with the background — Washington and Illinois specify at least 70% contrast.
• Not obscured by seams, folds or other design elements.
• Text notice. California and Michigan also require the words “Do Not Flush” in a size at least 2% of the PDP; other states allow or require it in specific placements.

Washington uses the same core idea: symbol on the PDP, visible each time a wipe is dispensed. The details vary, so design to the strictest rule if you sell nationally. Pack formats are explained in the packaging guide.

Laws such as California’s and Michigan’s prohibit representations that a covered product is flushable or has flushable attributes or benefits, and the safest approach in every state is to make no flushability claim on covered products, on the pack or in marketing. Watch secondary elements: toilet imagery, “sewer safe” icons, and “biodegradable” used in a way that suggests flushing (see biodegradable vs plastic-free vs compostable). If you sell both flushable and non-flushable lines, keep artwork visibly different so retailers and consumers do not mix them up.

The laws place the duty on the manufacturer, and also on a wholesaler, supplier or retailer that is responsible for the labelling, such as a private label brand owner who controls artwork. New Jersey exempts retailers and wholesalers that do not package or label the product. In practice, the brand that approves the artwork should own the check.

The wider US labelling picture is in wet wipes regulations by market. LX Wipe prepares dielines with the symbol placed for the pack format you choose; final legal sign-off stays with your compliance adviser.