Refrigerant Management Program

The Refrigerant Management Program (RMP) requires facilities with refrigeration and air conditioning systems containing more than 50 pounds of refrigerant with a GWP of 150 or more to conduct and report periodic leak inspections, promptly repair leaks; and keep service records on site. The rule also requires service practices intended to minimize refrigerant emissions.

How it works

The RMP is designed to reduce emissions of high-global warming potential refrigerants from leaky refrigeration and air conditioning equipment, and reduce emissions from the installation and servicing of refrigeration and air-conditioning appliances.

The strategy of the program includes:

Registration
Refrigerant leak detection and monitoring
Leak repair
Recordkeeping and reporting
System retrofit or retirement planning
Required service practices
Refrigerant distributor, wholesaler, and reclaimer prohibitions, recordkeeping, and reporting

Registration and fees

Most program participants will be requred to register in the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Management Platform (RAMP).

Estimated 2026 budget for program implementation

Ecology is proposing a fee update for the Refrigerant Management Program in 2026. The change is based on a workload analysis, updated budget needs, and projected revenue. Current revenues won’t cover the program’s operating costs, so we’re proposing revised fees for large facilities. A public comment period will open on August 1, 2025. The final fee and budget will be posted by December 1, 2025.

The 2026 fee proposed is open for public comment period from August 1-31,2025

Estimated 2026 fee for large facilities:

A $250 base fee
A $0.15 per MT CO₂e of total refrigerant charge size

There will be a $5,000 per-facility fee cap.

Total estimated budget for 2026	FTE	Total cost
Total Ecology staffing costs	12.08	$1,244,117
Other cost
Goods and services		$63,796
Travel		$55,179
Equipment		$11,277
Total other costs		$361,157
Grand total estimated budget for RMP implementation in 2026		$1,735,526
Ecology staffing covered by other fund sources		$625,830
Costs to be covered through RMP fees		$1,109,696

Use the step-by-step user guide or watch the training video to walk you through the process.
Sign up for a Secure Access Washington (SAW) account. SAW is a platform used by Washington state agencies for information security. Skip this step if you already have a business account in SAW.
Sign in to your SAW account.
Add the Climate Pollution Reduction Application portal to your list of services in SAW.
Create a profile in the Climate Pollution Reduction Application portal.
Add the Refrigerant and Air Conditioning Management Program (RAMP) to your list of applications in the Climate Pollution Reduction Application portal.
Open RAMP through the Climate Pollution Reduction Application portal to submit registration materials.
Access RAMP through the Climate Pollution Reduction Application Portal and log in to complete registration.

Training

Video of RAMP registration, step-by-step process for registering in Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Management Platform (RAMP).

Fees are assessed based on facility system size. Each facility must pay one fee based on the largest system at that facility.

Facilities with large refrigeration or air conditioning systems:

There is a one-time implementation fee of $150
There is an annual fee that of $370

Facilities with medium refrigeration or air conditioning systems:

There is an annual fee of $170.

Facilities with small refrigeration or air conditioning systems:

There are no fees for facilities with a small system.

All fees are due and payable to Ecology within 30 days of receipt of invoice following registration.

System Charge (lbs.)	Registration Deadline	Implementation Fee	Annual Fee
≥ 1,500 (large)	March 15, 2024	$150	$370
200 ≤ 1,499 (medium)	March 15, 2026	None	$170
50 ≤ 199 (small)	March 15, 2028	None	None

There are no fees for wholesalers, distributers, or reclaimers of refrigerants

Overview

Any facility with a refrigeration or air conditioning system containing over 50 pounds of refrigerant with a GWP of 150 or more, a high-GWP, is subject to the requirements under the Refrigerant Management Program (RMP).

The RMP categorizes facilities by the full refrigerant charge of the largest system in the given facility, as shown in the table below.

Since the RMP requirements for a given facility varies by facility category, it is important to confirm the full refrigerant charge of the largest system. California Air Resources Board provides a charge calculator to calculate the charge from the size components in the system.

Facility Category	Full charge of largest system containing refrigerant with a GWP of 150 or more
Large	≥ 1,500 pounds
Medium	200 ≤ 1,499 pounds
Small	50 ≤ 199 pounds

Leak Inspection

RMP-regulated systems must be regularly inspected for leaks. The frequency of inspection for each system varies by the size category of the system.

Facility Category	Leak Inspection Frequency (WAC 173-443-145)	Effective Date
Large	Monthly (if automatic leak detection is not installed) Enclosed systems required to utilize an automatic leak detection that meets specifications	Jan. 1, 2024
Medium	Quarterly None for systems with automatic leak detection that meets specifications	Jan. 1, 2026
Small	Annually None for systems with automatic leak detection that meets specifications	Jan. 1, 2028
Systems not operated year round (charge ≥50 lbs.)	Within 30 days of resuming operation; then every 90 days or less	See above

Monitoring requirements for large systems: Install an automatic leak detection system by Jan. 1, 2025 if the refrigerant circuit, compressor, evaporator, condenser or other component with a high potential for leakage is fully enclosed within a building or structure.

Leak Repair

Fix all leaks within 14 days of detection
Refer to leak repair provisions if leaks cannot be fixed within 14 days
Check system for leaks after repair
Use only U.S. EPA-certified technicians
If leak repair fails, a Retrofit and Retirement Plan is required unless an exemption is granted

Reporting & Recordkeeping

Owner operators of all covered systems must register in RAMP.

Owner operators of facilities with large systems must register by March 15, 2024 and begin submitting annual reports one year after registration.
Owner operators of facilities with medium systems must register by March 15, 2026, and begin submitting annual reports one year after registration.
Owner operators of facilities with small systems are must register by March 15, 2028, but are not required to submit annual reports.

Annual reports must cover all Washington facilities and provide all data required by WAC 173-443-185. Facilities with a small system or less are not required to submit an annual report.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2024, all owner operators with systems with more than 50 pounds must maintain specific records for a minimum of 5 years. Records can be physical or electronic but must be kept at the facility housing the relevant systems.

Recordkeeping and reporting guidelines can be found in the HFC informational handbook. For specific requirements on recordkeeping and reporting, please refer to the rule.

Overview

Distributors, wholesalers and reclaimers of refrigerants that sell, supply, or distribute any amount of refrigerant with a GWP of 150 or higher are required to register in the program, keep records, and report annually beginning March 15, 2025. These reporting requirements do not apply to the following purposes:

Selling to a refrigerant distributor or wholesaler for eventual resale
Providing to a person for reclamation or destruction

Registration & Fees

Distributors, wholesalers and reclaimers of refrigerants are required to register in RAMP, and to report as outlined in the reporting section of the rule (WAC 173-443-215). There are no fees for wholesalers, distributers, or reclaimers of refrigerants.

Reporting & Recordkeeping

Refrigerant distributors, wholesalers and reclaimers are required to submit an annual report to Ecology starting March 15, 2025. The annual report must cover all Washington facilities and provide required data including:

Contact information
Refrigerant distribution data

Beginning Jan. 1, 2024, all refrigerant wholesalers, distributors, and reclaimers must maintain specific records for a minimum of 5 years. Records can be physical or electronic but must be kept at the facility housing the relevant systems.

Recordkeeping and reporting guidelines can be found in the HFC informational handbook. For specific requirements on recordkeeping and reporting, please refer to the rule.

Required service practices

Technicians performing any installation, maintenance, service, repair, or disposal of a refrigeration or air conditioning system with a full charge greater than or equal to 50 pounds of a refrigerant with a GWP 150 or more must comply with required service practices (WAC 173-443-205).

Certification

Technicians must have a valid U.S. EPA certification.