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Earlier editions: 2020-112018-112026-09

DIVISION 104. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH 106500-119406›PART 1. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSONNEL 106500-107175›CHAPTER 4. Professional Certification 106600-107175›ARTICLE 1. Registered Environmental Health Specialists 106600-106735

§ 106635

California Health and Safety Code · 2026-10 edition · updated 2026-10-04 · California

(a) The requirements for registration of environmental health specialists shall be a minimum of a bachelor’s degree from a department-approved educational institution or an educational institution of collegiate grade listed in the directory of accredited institutions of postsecondary education compiled by the American Council on Education.

(b) A transcript shall demonstrate both of the following:

(1) Basic science coursework taken from a department-approved educational institution in accordance with Section 106640 or an educational institution of collegiate grade listed in the directory of accredited institutions of postsecondary education compiled by the American Council on Education.

(2) Basic science coursework, as follows:

Basic Requirements Experience Training
I. 30 semester or 45 quarter basic science units.Three of the required basic science courses shall include a laboratory. 18 months 600 hrs.
General Chemistry
General Physics or Organic Chemistry
General Microbiology
General Biological Science
Calculus or College Algebra
II. 45 semester or 68 quarterbasic science units.Three of the required basic science courses shall include a laboratory. one year 450 hrs.
General Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
General Physics
General Microbiology
General Biological Science
Calculus or College Algebra
III. 30 semester or 45 quarter basic science units.Three of the required basic science courses shall include a laboratory. 9 months 300hrs.
General Chemistry
General Physics or Organic Chemistry
General Microbiology
General Biological Science
Calculus or College Algebra
plus
Three semester or four quarter unit courses in each of the following:
Epidemiology
Statistics
Public Administration or Environmental Health Adminis–tration and;
10 semester or 15 quarter units in environmental healthscience, including one or more of the following:
water quality, waste management, food and consumer protection, housing and institution sanitation, vector control, recreational health, air quality, milk and dairy products, occupational health, electromagnetic radiation, noise control, toxicology, soil science, or land use development.
IV. 45 semester or 68quarter basic science units, including the following: 6 months 200hrs.
Three of the following required basic science courses shall include a laboratory:
General Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
General Physics
General Microbiology
General Biological Science
Calculus or College Algebra
plus
Three semester or four quarter unit courses in each of the following:
Epidemiology
Statistics
Public Administration or Environmental Health Adminis–tration and;
10 semester or 15 quarter units in
Environmental Health Science, including one or more ofthe following:
water quality, waste management, food and consumer protection, housing and institution sanitation, vector control, recreational health, air quality, milk and dairy products, occupational health, electromagnetic radiation, noise control, toxicology, soil science, or land use development.
V. Possess a minimum ofa bachelor’s degreein environmental health from aNational Environmental Health Science & Protection Accreditation Council (EHAC) approved institution or an institution approved by the com­mittee, which includes:One year of lecture and laboratory coursework in each of the following: Nonerequired Nonerequired
General Chemistry
General Physics
General Biological Science, and
One semester course in:
Calculus or College Algebra
Organic Chemistry
General Microbiology with Laboratory
Public Administration or Environmental Health Adminis–tration
Epidemiology
StatisticsField Orientation Course in Environmental Health
Fifteen semester units of environmental health science courses selected from: water quality, waste management, food and consumer protection, housing and institution sanitation, vector con­trol, recreational health, air quality, milk and dairy prod­ucts, occupational health, electromagnetic radiation, noise control, toxicology, soil science, or land use development.

(c) (1) For purposes of this section, “basic sciences” include life sciences, natural sciences, physical sciences, and health sciences.

(2) Social science courses, such as sociology or psychology, shall not count toward the basic science requirements.

(Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 297, Sec. 3. (AB 1288) Effective January 1, 2026.)

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