EPA Lead Based Paint Brochure: Document Sourcing Guide
The EPA lead based paint brochure is the federal pamphlet “Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home,” document number EPA-746-K-99-001. It is a 16-page consumer-protection document that sellers, landlords, and renovators of pre-1978 housing must provide to buyers, tenants, and occupants under federal law. This guide explains exactly what the brochure is, where to source it free, what it contains, the federal rules requiring its distribution, and the language editions in which it is available. This guide summarizes EPA, HUD, and CDC lead-safety guidance current as of 2026 — consult a certified lead inspector for testing and your physician for blood-lead screening for children.
Is this mold, asbestos, or water damage? Get a free instant screen
Upload a clear photo of the suspect area. You'll get an instant AI screening opinion and what to do next. This is screening guidance, not a professional determination.
Screening guidance only. AI can be wrong. Confirm asbestos, mold type, or lead with lab testing or a licensed professional before acting.
The Brochure: Identity and Sourcing
The official name of the brochure is “Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home.” It is published by the US Environmental Protection Agency in coordination with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. The document number is EPA-746-K-99-001. The brochure has been periodically updated since its original 1995 release; current editions reflect post-2017 guidance.
The brochure is available free for download from the EPA lead program website at epa.gov/lead/protect-your-family-lead-your-home. Both English and Spanish editions are widely available, along with translations into approximately 16 languages including Vietnamese, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Russian, Korean, Arabic, French, Haitian Creole, Polish, Portuguese, Somali, and Tagalog. Printed copies can be ordered free in bulk through the EPA National Service Center for Environmental Publications.
What the Brochure Contains
The 16-page brochure covers seven core topic areas in plain language with photographs and simple illustrations.
Where Lead Is Found
The brochure identifies the primary sources of household lead exposure: lead-based paint in pre-1978 homes, lead dust from deteriorating or disturbed paint, lead-contaminated soil around older homes, drinking water from lead service lines or lead-soldered plumbing, and certain consumer products.
Health Effects on Children
The brochure explains the developmental harm caused by lead exposure in young children: brain and nervous system damage, slowed growth and development, learning and behavioral problems, hearing and speech problems, and lower IQ. The brochure emphasizes that no safe blood lead level has been identified.
Health Effects on Adults
Effects on adults are described: reproductive harm in both men and women, cardiovascular effects, kidney problems, high blood pressure, and risks for pregnant women and developing fetuses.
Where Lead-Based Paint Is Found
The brochure identifies the locations most likely to contain lead paint in pre-1978 housing: windows and window sills, doors and door frames, stairs, railings, banisters, and porches, exterior surfaces, and any high-friction surface.
Checking Your Home for Lead
The brochure describes professional inspection options: paint inspection (presence and amount of lead-based paint), risk assessment (sources of exposure and lead hazards), and combination inspections. It explains the difference between certified inspectors and risk assessors.
Reducing Lead Hazards
The brochure describes interim controls (specialized cleaning, paint repairs, dust control) and permanent abatement (encapsulation, enclosure, removal, or component replacement). It emphasizes that any work disturbing lead-painted surfaces must follow lead-safe practices.
Where to Get More Information
The brochure provides federal and state contact information for lead-program questions, including the National Lead Information Center, EPA regional offices, and state and local lead-poisoning prevention programs.
How the Brochure Has Evolved Over Time
The brochure has been updated several times since its original 1995 release. The original edition reflected mid-1990s knowledge of lead-paint hazards and exposure pathways. Subsequent revisions have incorporated updated CDC blood-lead reference values (the level of concern has dropped repeatedly as research accumulated), updated information on lead-safe renovation under the 2010 RRP rule, expanded coverage of lead in drinking water following high-profile contamination events, and refined language on encapsulation, enclosure, and abatement options.
EPA periodically updates the brochure to reflect current science and regulation. Compliance professionals should periodically verify they are distributing the current edition. The publication number remains EPA-746-K-99-001 across editions; the revision date on the back cover identifies the specific edition.
Federal Distribution Requirements
Federal law requires distribution of the brochure in three main contexts under three different regulatory frameworks.
Sale of Pre-1978 Housing (40 CFR 745 Subpart F)
Sellers must provide the brochure to buyers as part of the disclosure package, before contract signature, in any sale of housing built before 1978. The lead-warning disclosure form included in the sales contract must specifically acknowledge that the buyer received the brochure.
Lease of Pre-1978 Housing (40 CFR 745 Subpart F)
Landlords must provide the brochure to tenants before lease signature, with the same acknowledgment requirement. The brochure must be redistributed if the lease is renewed after federal updates to the brochure.
Renovation in Pre-1978 Housing (40 CFR 745 Subpart E)
Contractors performing paid renovation in pre-1978 housing must provide the EPA renovation pamphlet “Renovate Right” before work begins. The “Renovate Right” pamphlet is a related but distinct document from the main “Protect Your Family” brochure; both are EPA-published.
The HUD Office of Lead Hazard Control publishes compliance guidance and sample disclosure forms for sellers, landlords, and renovators.
Who Is Exempt from the Brochure Requirement
Several categories of transactions are exempt from the brochure-distribution requirement:
- Sales or leases of housing built in 1978 or later
- Housing certified as lead-free by a state-accredited inspector
- Short-term leases of 100 days or less (vacation rentals, short hotel stays)
- Renewals of existing leases when no new disclosure is triggered
- Foreclosure sales
- Sales between co-owners or family members in specified circumstances
- Housing exclusively for the elderly or persons with disabilities, where no child under six is expected to reside
- Zero-bedroom dwellings (studios, dormitories)
The exemptions are narrow; most ordinary sales and leases of pre-1978 housing require the brochure.
The 1996 EPA Disclosure Rule Background
The EPA Disclosure Rule (40 CFR Part 745 Subpart F) took effect in two phases. Owners of properties with five or more dwelling units became subject to the rule on September 6, 1996. Owners of properties with four or fewer dwelling units became subject on December 6, 1996. The phased rollout gave the smaller-landlord population an additional three months to come into compliance.
The rule implements Title X of the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992, which directed EPA and HUD to issue regulations ensuring that buyers and tenants of pre-1978 housing receive information about lead-paint hazards. The brochure is the primary vehicle for that information transfer.
How to Comply as a Seller
Sellers of pre-1978 housing should follow a standard compliance workflow.
Provide the Brochure Before Contract
The buyer must receive the brochure before any binding contract is signed. Many real-estate agents include it in the standard disclosure package presented at offer acceptance.
Include the Lead-Warning Statement
Sales contracts for pre-1978 housing must include the federal lead-warning statement and the buyer’s acknowledgment of receipt of the brochure.
Provide Known Information
Sellers must disclose any known lead-based paint or lead-paint hazards in the property and provide any existing inspection or risk-assessment reports.
Allow the 10-Day Inspection Window
The buyer must be allowed 10 days (or another mutually agreed period) to conduct a lead-based paint inspection or risk assessment. The buyer may waive this opportunity in writing.
Keep Records
The seller (or seller’s agent) must retain copies of the disclosure documents for at least three years after the transaction.
How to Comply as a Landlord
Landlords of pre-1978 rental housing follow a parallel workflow with some differences:
- Provide the brochure to tenants before lease signature
- Include the federal lead-warning statement in the lease
- Disclose any known lead-based paint or lead-paint hazards
- Redistribute the brochure when EPA issues updated editions and a new lease is signed
- Retain disclosure records for at least three years
Renewals of existing leases generally do not trigger new disclosure unless the brochure has been substantively updated by EPA.
What the Brochure Looks Like and How to Identify It
The current edition of the brochure is a 16-page color document, 8.5 by 11 inches when folded. The front cover features the title “Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home” in large type, with a photograph of a child and parent. The EPA, HUD, and CPSC seals appear together at the bottom of the cover. The publication number EPA-746-K-99-001 appears on the back cover along with revision date.
Counterfeit, outdated, or modified versions occasionally circulate. Compliance professionals should always source the brochure directly from epa.gov to ensure they are distributing the current authorized edition.
Differences Between the Main Brochure and Related EPA Documents
EPA publishes several lead-related consumer documents that searchers sometimes confuse. The main “Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home” brochure (EPA-746-K-99-001) is for sellers and landlords to provide to buyers and tenants. The “Renovate Right” pamphlet is a separate EPA document specifically for renovation contractors to provide to occupants before paid renovation work begins in pre-1978 housing. “The Lead-Safe Certified Guide to Renovate Right” is a more detailed companion document.
Additional related publications include EPA fact sheets on specific topics (lead in drinking water, lead in soil, lead in consumer products), state-specific lead-program brochures issued by state health departments, and HUD-published guides on lead-safe maintenance for federally assisted housing. When sourcing the federally required document for a specific compliance context, confirming the EPA document number is the cleanest way to ensure the correct publication is being distributed.
State-Specific Variations on the Federal Requirement
Several states impose additional lead-disclosure requirements that supplement the federal brochure distribution. Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island all maintain state-specific lead-disclosure forms or additional pamphlets that landlords and sellers in those states must distribute alongside the federal brochure. State lead-poisoning prevention programs typically maintain dedicated websites with state-specific compliance documents.
Colorado does not currently impose a state-specific lead-paint disclosure requirement beyond the federal floor. Front Range sellers, landlords, and renovators comply with lead-disclosure requirements primarily by following the federal EPA framework.
Why This Specific Document Matters
The brochure is the federally designated consumer-information document for pre-1978 housing transactions. Failure to provide it constitutes a violation of the EPA Disclosure Rule and can trigger civil penalties of up to several thousand dollars per violation, plus potential rescission of the affected transaction and treble damages in some private actions.
For homeowners, buyers, and tenants, the brochure is the single most authoritative plain-language source on residential lead-paint hazards and what to do about them. Reading it is one of the most useful steps any pre-1978 housing occupant can take to understand the practical risk landscape.
The broader pre-1978 housing context appears in the pre-1978 housing hazard guide, and the EPA pamphlet walkthrough covers the same document from a slightly different angle. The lead-based paint brochure overview also covers what homeowners need to know about the document.
References
- EPA Lead in Paint, Dust and Soil program and brochure download — US Environmental Protection Agency
- HUD Office of Lead Hazard Control disclosure guidance — US Department of Housing and Urban Development
- CDC Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Front Range buyers and homeowners with pre-1978 properties who want lead-paint inspection or testing to support compliance with disclosure and renovation rules can connect with a vetted local certified lead inspector through our contact page.
Lead paint test kits
Instant swab kits flag lead on painted surfaces in minutes — useful before a renovation in any pre-1978 home.
| Product | Why | Buy |
|---|---|---|
 3M LeadCheck Swabs | EPA-recognized instant swabs. | Amazon — $205.00 |
 Lead Test Kit (lab-based) | Mail-in for a documented result. | Amazon — $19.99 |