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 (Adopted March 6, 2009) (Amended June 4, 2010) 

RULE 1143. CONSUMER PAINT THINNERS & MULTI-PURPOSE 

SOLVENTS 

(a) Purpose 

The purpose of this rule is to reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds 

(VOCs) from the use, storage and disposal of consumer paint thinners and multipurpose solvents commonly used in thinning of coating materials, cleaning of 

coating application equipment, and other solvent cleaning operations by limiting 

their VOC content. 

(b) Applicability 

This rule is applicable to any person who supplies, sells, offers for sale, or 

manufactures consumer paint thinners and multi-purpose solvents for sale in the 

District, as well as any person who uses or solicits the use of any consumer paint 

thinner and multi-purpose solvent within the District. 

(c) Definitions 

For the purpose of this rule, the following definitions shall apply: 

(1) CONSUMER means any person who seeks, purchases, or acquires any 

consumer product for personal, family, household, or institutional use. 

Persons who acquire a consumer product for resale are not “consumers” 

for that product. 

(2) DISTRIBUTOR means any person to whom a consumer product is sold or 

supplied for the purposes of resale or distribution in commerce, except that 

manufacturers, retailers, and consumers are not distributors. 

(3) EXEMPT COMPOUND is as defined in Rule 102. 

(4) FORMULATION DATA is the actual product recipe which itemizes all 

the ingredients contained in a product including VOCs and the quantities 

thereof used by the manufacturer to create the product. Material Safety 

Data Sheets (MSDS) are not considered formulation data. 
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(5) GRAMS OF VOC PER LITER OF MATERIAL is the weight of VOC per 

volume of material and can be calculated by the following equation: 

Grams of VOC per Liter of Material = Ws

 - Ww - Wes

Vm

Where: Ws = weight of volatile compounds in grams 

 Ww = weight of water in grams 

 Wes = weight of exempt compounds in grams 

 Vm = volume of the material in liters 

(6) INDUSTRIAL MAINTENANCE COATINGS are coatings, including 

primers, sealers, undercoaters, intermediate coatings and topcoats, 

formulated for or applied to substrates, including floors that are exposed to 

one or more of the following extreme environmental conditions: 

(A) immersion in water, wastewater, or chemical solutions (aqueous 

and non-aqueous solutions), or chronic exposure of interior 

surfaces to moisture condensation; 

(B) acute or chronic exposure to corrosive, caustic or acidic agents, or 

similar chemicals, chemical fumes, chemical mixtures, or 

solutions; 

(C) repeated exposure to temperatures in excess of 250 degrees 

Fahrenheit; 

(D) repeated heavy abrasion, including mechanical wear and repeated 

scrubbing with industrial solvents, cleaners, or scouring agents; or 

(E) exterior exposure of metal structures. 

(7) LACQUER THINNERS are solvents that are manufactured for the 

purpose of thinning, diluting, dissolving, and for clean-up of lacquer 

coatings. 

(8) MULTI-PURPOSE SOLVENTS are any liquid product designed or 

labeled to be used for dispersing or dissolving or removing contaminants 

or other organic materials. Multi-purpose solvents include products that 

do not display specific use instructions on the product container or 

packaging; products that do not specify an end-use function or application 

on the product container or packaging; and solvents used in institutional 

facilities, except for laboratory reagents used in analytical, educational, 

research, scientific or other laboratories. 
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Notwithstanding the above, multi-purpose solvents do not include solvents 

used in cold cleaners, vapor degreasers, conveyorized degreasers or film 

cleaning machines, or solvents that are incorporated into, or used 

exclusively in the manufacture or construction of, the goods or 

commodities at the site of the establishment. Multi-purpose solvents also 

do not include any product making any representation that the product may 

be used as, or is suitable for use as a consumer product which qualifies 

under another definition in Cal. Code Regs. tit 17, § 94508 as of the date 

of adoption. 

(9) PAINT THINNERS are solvents that are manufactured for the purpose of 

reducing the viscosity of coating compositions or components and displays 

the term, but not limited to, “Paint Thinner,” “Lacquer Thinner,” 

“Thinner,” or “Reducer” on the front panel of its packaging. 

(10) PERSON means any individual, firm, association, organization, 

partnership, business trust, corporation, company, contractor, supplier, 

installer, user or owner, or any state or local governmental agency or 

public district or any other officer or employee thereof. PERSON also 

means the United States or its agencies to the extent authorized by Federal 

law. 

(11) RETAIL OUTLET means any establishment at which consumer products 

are sold, supplied, or offered for sale directly to consumers. 

(12) SOLICIT is to require for use or to specify, by written or oral contract. 

(13) SOLVENTS include diluents and thinners and are defined as organic 

materials which are liquids at standard conditions and which are used as 

dissolvers, viscosity reducers or cleaning agents. 

(14) SOLVENT CLEANING is the removal of adhesives, inks, coatings, and 

contaminants which include, but are not limited to, dirt, soil, and grease 

from parts, products, tools, machinery, equipment, and general work areas. 

(15) SOLVENT FLUSHING is the use of a solvent to remove adhesives, inks, 

coatings, or contaminants from the internal surfaces and passages of the 

equipment by inducing a rapid flow of solvent through the equipment. 

(16) VOC (VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUND) is as defined in Rule 102. 

(d) Requirements 

(1) Except as provided in paragraph (d)(2), no person shall supply, sell, offer 

for sale, manufacture, blend, or repackage any consumer paint thinner or 
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multi-purpose solvent for use in the District unless the consumer paint 

thinner or multi-purpose solvent complies with the applicable 

requirements set forth in the table below: 

EFFECTIVE 

1/1/2010 CATEGORY 

VOC 

g/L (lb/Gal)

Paint Thinner 300 

(2.50) 

Multi-Purpose 

Solvent 

300 

(2.50) 

(2) Sell-Through Provision 

Any paint thinner or multi-purpose solvent that is manufactured prior to 

the implementation date, may be sold, supplied, offered for sale, or used 

for up to one year after the specified effective date. 

(3) The prohibition of sale shall not apply to any manufacturer of paint 

thinners or multi-purpose-solvents provided that: 

(A) The product was sold to an independent distributor that was 

informed in writing by the manufacturer about the compliance 

status of the product, or 

(B) The product meets one of the exemptions as noted in subdivision 

(j), or 

(C) The product meets the sell-through provision in paragraph (d)(2). 

(4) Any solvent container in which the contents therein are applied directly to 

a surface from said container by pouring, siphoning, brushing, rolling, 

padding, rag application or other means, shall be closed when not in use. 

These solvent containers include, but shall not be limited to: drums, 

buckets, cans, pails, trays or other application containers. 

(5) General Prohibition 

No person shall supply, sell, offer for sale, manufacture, blend, or 

repackage any consumer paint thinner or multi-purpose solvent for use in 

the District subject to the provisions of this rule with any materials that 

contain in the excess of 0.1% by weight any Group II exempt compounds 

listed in Rule 102. Cyclic, branched, or linear, completely methylated 

siloxanes (VMS) are not subject to this prohibition. 
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(e) Administrative Requirements 

(1) Point of sale containers, for sale or distribution, of any consumer paint 

thinner or multi-purpose solvent subject to this rule shall display the 

maximum VOC content, as supplied, and the maximum VOC content after 

any dilution as recommended by the manufacturer. 

(2) Point of sale containers, for sale or distribution, of any consumer paint 

thinner and multi-purpose solvent subject to this rule shall display the date 

of manufacture of the contents or a code indicating the date of 

manufacture. The manufacturers of such consumer paint thinners and 

multi-purpose solvents shall file with the Executive Officer an explanation 

of each code. 

(3) Any manufacturer and any of their distributors that supply consumer paint 

thinners and multi-purpose solvents with intent to sell in the District shall 

submit an application as specified by the Executive Officer to apply for a 

distributor or manufacturer identification (ID) number by the applicable 

date in subdivision (g). The application form shall be signed by the 

responsible party for the distributors and manufacturers certifying that all 

information submitted (including electronic submittals) is true and correct. 

The Executive Officer shall be notified in writing within 30 days of any 

change in the responsible party of the manufacturer. 

(4) On or before May 1, 2010, and each subsequent January 1 thereafter, all 

distributors and manufacturers subject to this rule shall provide to the 

District a list of all their U.S. distributors to whom they supply products 

subject to this rule, including but not limited to private label coatings and 

toll manufactured coatings. The list shall be in a format determined by the 

Executive Officer and shall include the distributor’s name, address, 

contact person and phone number. 

(5) Effective April 1, 2010, each manufacturer and distributor shall, on or 

before April 1 of each subsequent calendar year, submit an annual quantity 

and emissions report to the Executive Officer. 

(f) Recordkeeping 

(1) Manufacturers and/or distributors shall maintain a copy of the application 

receipt from the District. The receipt shall be maintained for five (5) years 

and made available upon request by the Executive Officer. 
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(2) Manufacturers shall maintain records to verify data necessary to determine 

annual paint thinner and multi-purpose solvent sales subject to this rule 

and VOC emissions in the District, and compliance with applicable rules 

and regulations. The records shall be maintained for five (5) years and 

made available upon request by the Executive Officer. Such records shall 

include but not be limited to: 

(A) Product formulation records (to include grams of VOC per liter of 

material): 

(i) Laboratory reports [including percent weight of nonvolatiles, water, and exempts (if applicable); density of the 

coating; and raw laboratory data] of test methods conducted 

as specified in paragraph (i)(1), or 

(ii) Product formulation data, including physical properties 

analyses, as applicable, with a VOC calculation 

demonstration; and 

(B) Production records including batch tickets with the date of 

manufacture, batch weight and volume; and 

(C) Distribution records: 

(i) Customer lists or store distribution lists or both (as 

applicable) and 

(ii) Shipping manifests or bills of lading or both (as 

applicable); and 

(D) Sales records consisting of point of sale receipts or invoices to 

local distributors or both, as applicable. 

(g) Compliance Dates 

(1) Consumer paint thinner and multi-purpose solvent manufacturers that 

begin to manufacture, supply, sell or offer for sale consumer paint thinners 

and multi-purpose solvents subject to this rule and for use in the District 

after July 1, 2009 shall submit the application required in paragraph (e)(3) 

no later than thirty (30) calendar days prior to manufacturing, supplying, 

selling, or offering for sale, any consumer paint thinner and multi-purpose 

solvent subject to this rule and for use in the District. 

(2) Within thirty (30) calendar days after a change of consumer paint thinner 

and multi-purpose solvent manufacturer, the new consumer paint thinner 

and multi-purpose solvent manufacturer shall submit the application for a 
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company ID number as required in paragraph (e)(3). That filing shall 

include the previous consumer paint thinner and multi-purpose solvent 

manufacturer’s ID number. 

(h) Confidentiality of Information 

Subject to the provisions of the California Public Records Act (Govt. Code §§ 

6250-6276.48) information submitted to the Executive Officer may be designated 

as confidential. District guidelines require a detailed and complete basis for such 

claim. 

(i) Test Methods 

For the purpose of this rule, the following test methods shall be used: 

(1) Determination of VOC Content 

The VOC content of materials subject to the provisions of this rule shall be 

determined by: 

(A) U.S. EPA Reference Test Method 24 (Determination of Volatile 

Matter Content, Water Content, Density, Volume Solids, and 

Weight Solids of Surface Coatings, Code of Federal Regulations 

Title 40, Part 60, Appendix A) with the exempt compound content 

determined by Method 303 (Determination of Exempt 

Compounds) in the SCAQMD "Laboratory Methods of Analysis 

for Enforcement Samples" manual; or 

(B) Method 304 [Determination of Volatile Organic Compounds 

(VOC) in Various Materials] in the SCAQMD "Laboratory 

Methods of Analysis for Enforcement Samples" manual. 

(C) Exempt Perfluorocarbon Compounds 

The following classes of compounds: 

cyclic, branched, or linear, completely fluorinated alkanes 

cyclic, branched, or linear, completely fluorinated ethers with 

no unsaturations; 

cyclic, branched, or linear, completely fluorinated tertiary 

amines with no unsaturations; and 

sulfur-containing perfluorocarbons with no unsaturations and 

with sulfur bonds only to carbon and fluorine 

will be analyzed as exempt compounds for compliance with 

subdivision (d), only when manufacturers specify which individual 
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compounds are used in the solvent formulations. In addition, the 

manufacturers must identify the U.S. EPA, CARB, and SCAQMD 

approved test methods, which can be used to quantify the amount 

of each exempt compound. 

(2) Equivalent Test Methods 

Other test methods determined to be equivalent upon approval in writing 

by the Executive Officer, CARB, and the U.S. EPA may also be used. 

(3) Multiple Test Methods 

When more than one test method or set of test methods are specified for 

any testing, a violation of any requirement of this rule established by any 

one of the specified test methods or set of test methods shall constitute a 

violation of the rule. 

(4) All test methods referenced in this subdivision shall be the version most 

recently approved by the appropriate governmental entities. 

(j) Exemptions 

(1) The provisions of this rule shall not apply to:

(A) Solvents sold in this District for shipment outside of this District or 

for shipment to other manufacturers for repackaging. 

(B) Solvents offered for sale and use for the clean-up of application 

equipment provided that they are labeled and designated for 

polyaspartic and polyurea coatings. 

(C) Thinners offered for sale and use provided that they are labeled and 

designated for the thinning of Industrial Maintenance (IM) 

coatings, Zinc-Rich IM Primers, and High Temperature IM 

Coatings. This exemption does not apply to clean-up operations. 

(D) Laboratory reagents used in analytical, educational, research, 

scientific or other laboratories