Resources · Jurisdiction
Federal compliance isn't enough in 22 states.
State-plan states must be at least as effective as federal OSHA — and several go well beyond it. If you operate in California, Washington, Michigan, or nineteen others, the federal CFR is your floor, not your rulebook.
| Coverage model | States (examples) | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| State plan — private + public | CA, WA, OR, MI, MN, NC, SC, TN, VA, IN, IA, KY, MD, AZ, NM, NV, UT, AK, HI, VT, WY, PR | State agency enforces its own standards for nearly all employers |
| State plan — public sector only | NY, NJ, CT, IL, ME, MA, VI | State covers government workers; federal OSHA covers private employers |
| Federal OSHA | TX, FL, GA, OH, PA, CO, and the rest | Federal standards and enforcement apply directly |
OSHA jurisdiction by state type
Where state plans exceed federal rules
“At least as effective” permits “stricter,” and the big plans use it. Cal/OSHA runs a lower fall protection trigger in some construction contexts, a unique Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) requirement, first-in-the-nation heat illness standards, and its own permissible exposure limits. Washington and Oregon maintain distinct rulebooks with their own numbering. Michigan's MIOSHA and Minnesota's plan add state-specific requirements across industries. Multi-state employers can't run one compliance program — they run a federal baseline plus state deltas.
Enforcement differs too: state plans set their own penalty schedules (at least as stringent), run their own emphasis programs, and respond to complaints through their own agencies. The 15-working-day contest clock and the general inspection architecture, however, look familiar everywhere.
The practical playbook
Start with jurisdiction: which agency covers each site (including the public/private split states). Build to the federal standard as the floor — it's the shared foundation of every state plan — then layer each state's additions. RegLogic's federal libraries carry the baseline that all 50 states build on; for state-plan operators, that's the 80% shared core, with your state agency's site supplying the deltas.
Every standard referenced here is one search away in RegLogic — start here.
Start HereFAQ
Common questions
How do I know if I'm in a state-plan state?
OSHA maintains the list at osha.gov/stateplans. Remember the split-coverage states: in New York or New Jersey, private employers answer to federal OSHA while public employers answer to the state.
Can a state plan be less strict than federal OSHA?
No — plans must be at least as effective, and OSHA monitors them. States may be stricter, and the largest ones frequently are.
Does RegLogic include state-specific standards?
RegLogic covers the federal libraries — the baseline every state plan builds on. State-specific standards (like Cal/OSHA's Title 8) are on the roadmap; check with our team for current coverage.
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