The Tier II Emergency and Hazardous Chemical Inventory Form is the annual report that any U.S. facility storing hazardous chemicals at or above set thresholds must file with its State Emergency Response Commission, Local Emergency Planning Committee, and local fire department. It is required under Section 312 of EPCRA, the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986, and it tells first responders exactly what dangerous chemicals are on your site, how much you keep, and where they sit.
Most filers misjudge what counts as a reportable chemical, and that single mistake can leave a facility exposed when inspectors come knocking. The federal civil penalty for failing to file or filing wrong can climb past $68,000 per day, per violation, and the deadline of March 1 arrives every year without mercy. With more than 350,000 facilities reporting nationwide each year through systems like Tier2 Submit and E-Plan, getting this form right matters for your wallet and your neighbors.
Here is what you will learn in this guide:
- ✅ How to know if your facility crosses the 10,000-pound or 500-pound thresholds that force you to file
- 📋 What documents, ID numbers, and chemical data to gather before you open the form
- 🧪 A line-by-line walkthrough of every field on the Tier II form, with sample entries
- 🏭 Three full filled-out examples that follow real facilities from start to finish
- 🚫 The most common mistakes that trigger rejections, fines, and processing holds
What the Form Is and Who Must File It
The Tier II form is a hazardous chemical inventory report governed by 40 CFR Part 370, the federal rule that carries out EPCRA Section 312. The form’s job is simple to state and hard to ignore: it gives local fire crews, planners, and the public a clear picture of the chemicals at your site so they can plan for a spill, fire, or release. The current federal version carries a 2023 revision date for the form and a June 2017 date on the official instructions, so confirm you are using the latest one before you start.
You must file if your facility stored or handled a hazardous chemical at or above its reporting threshold at any single moment during the past calendar year. The general threshold for most hazardous chemicals is 10,000 pounds, while the threshold for an Extremely Hazardous Substance (EHS) drops to 500 pounds or its Threshold Planning Quantity (TPQ), whichever is lower, as explained in EPA’s hazardous chemical inventory guidance. A hazardous chemical is any substance for which OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard requires you to keep a Safety Data Sheet (SDS), which sweeps in common items like diesel fuel, propane, antifreeze, sulfuric acid, and ethanol.
Three agencies receive your report. Your State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) handles the statewide record, your Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) plans the community response, and your local fire department uses it to prep for a call to your address. Miss any one of these three recipients and you have not truly complied, even if you filed with the other two.
Before You Start: Documents and Information You Need
Filing goes faster when you gather everything first, because the form asks for precise numbers you cannot guess. Open the form only after you have this pile ready, since a missing data point often means starting a chemical record over from scratch.
- Facility name, physical address, and mailing address. The form cross-checks your location against fire-district maps, so a wrong address sends responders to the wrong place in an emergency.
- Latitude and longitude of the facility. Many state portals require coordinates, and a blank here can block your submission from validating.
- Primary NAICS code. This six-digit industry code tells regulators what your facility does; an absent or wrong code can flag your report for review.
- Dun & Bradstreet number and, if applicable, your Facility ID from the prior year. Reusing the prior-year ID keeps your record continuous instead of creating a duplicate.
- Number of full-time employees (occupants). Some states base their filing fee on this count, so an inflated number costs you money.
- EPCRA Section 302 and 313 (TRI) status, plus your RMP ID if you have one. These tie your report to other federal programs and skipping them can trigger follow-up notices.
- A Safety Data Sheet for every reportable chemical. The SDS supplies the CAS number, physical state, and hazard categories you must enter; without it you cannot complete the chemical section.
- Maximum and average daily amounts for each chemical, in pounds. These are the heart of the report, and rounding them wrong is the single most common error filers make.
- Storage type, pressure, temperature, and exact storage locations. Responders use this to decide how to approach a building, so vague locations defeat the form’s purpose.
- Emergency and owner/operator contact names with 24-hour phone numbers. A dead phone line on this form can leave responders with no one to call at 3 a.m.
Where to Get the Form and How to Access It
You can download the official federal form, but most facilities never fill out the paper version. EPA hosts the Tier II Emergency and Hazardous Chemical Inventory Form in both PDF and Word formats on the EPA Tier II forms page, along with the official instructions PDF and a Confidential Location Information Form for sensitive sites.
The two main electronic paths are EPA’s free desktop tool and state online portals. Tier2 Submit is a free downloadable program from the EPA Tier2 Submit page that builds an electronic version of the form and exports a file your state can accept. Many states instead require E-Plan, an online system you reach at the E-Plan Tier II portal using a seven-digit Access ID and password.
State rules override the federal default, and you must check yours first. California, for example, does not use the federal form at all; facilities report through the California CERS portal to a local Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA). South Carolina mandates E-Plan, as noted on the South Carolina Tier II page, while other states run their own homegrown systems. Always confirm your state’s required format before you spend an hour on the wrong one.
Step-by-Step: How to Fill Out the Tier II Form Line by Line
The Tier II form splits into a facility identification section and a repeating chemical inventory section. Fill out the facility section once, then complete one chemical block for every reportable substance. Below, each field gets its own walkthrough so you know exactly what to write.
1. Reporting Year
This field asks which calendar year your report covers. Write the year that just ended, not the year you are filing in, using four digits like 2025. For a report due March 1, 2026, Aisha Okafor at a paint plant enters 2025 because she is reporting the chemicals she stored during last year.
A nuance trips up new filers here: the reporting year is always the prior calendar year, even though the deadline falls in the next year. The common mistake is entering the current year, which makes your report look like a future filing and can cause the state to reject it as invalid. A frequent misconception is that the year reflects when you file; it does not, because the law ties it to the chemicals you actually held during the past twelve months.
2. Facility Identification
This section asks for your facility’s legal name and full physical street address. Enter the name exactly as it appears on your business license and a real street address, never a P.O. Box, in the format the form shows. Marcus Reyes writes Reyes Cold Storage LLC and 4820 Industrial Way, Fresno, CA 93725 because that is where the chemicals physically sit.
If your site has no street number, you must provide latitude and longitude or a clear description so responders can find it. The common mistake is listing a corporate headquarters address instead of the storage site, which sends fire crews miles away from the real hazard. People often believe the mailing address and physical address are the same; when they differ, the physical address is the one that matters for an emergency.
3. Latitude and Longitude
This field asks for the geographic coordinates of your facility. Enter decimal degrees with enough precision to pinpoint the building, such as 36.7012 latitude and -119.6890 longitude. Aisha Okafor pulls her coordinates from a mapping tool and enters them so dispatchers can route trucks to the exact gate.
A nuance is that large sites should use the coordinates of the main chemical storage area, not the front office. The common mistake is dropping the negative sign on the longitude in the Western Hemisphere, which places your facility on the wrong side of the globe. Many filers think coordinates are optional; on most state portals they are required and a blank will fail validation.
4. Dun & Bradstreet Number and Facility ID
This field asks for your D&B number and any state-assigned Facility ID from prior filings. Enter the nine-digit D&B number and reuse last year’s Facility ID if your state issued one. Marcus Reyes enters his D&B number and the same Facility ID he used the year before so his record stays continuous.
The nuance is that a brand-new facility may not have a Facility ID yet, in which case you leave it blank and the system assigns one. The common mistake is creating a fresh record each year instead of updating the existing one, which produces confusing duplicate entries in the state database. A misconception is that the D&B number is the same as a tax ID; they are different numbers and mixing them up can stall your filing.
5. NAICS Code
This field asks for the North American Industry Classification System code that describes your business. Enter the six-digit primary code that best fits your main activity. A gas station owner, Priya Nair, enters 457110 for fuel dealers because that captures her core business.
The nuance is that a facility with several activities should pick the code for its dominant operation, not every operation. The common mistake is guessing a code or leaving it blank, which can flag your report for manual review and delay acceptance. People often think the NAICS code is just paperwork; in fact regulators use it to spot which facilities likely handle certain chemical risks.
6. EPCRA Program Identifiers (Section 302, TRI, and RMP)
This field asks whether your facility is subject to EPCRA Section 302 emergency planning, Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) reporting under Section 313, or a Risk Management Program (RMP). Check the boxes that apply and enter your RMP ID number if you have one. Aisha Okafor, whose plant handles an EHS above its TPQ, checks the Section 302 box and lists her RMP ID.
The nuance is that being subject to one program does not automatically mean you are subject to all of them, so review each separately. The common mistake is leaving these unchecked when they apply, which disconnects your Tier II from related federal records and can prompt an inquiry. A misconception is that RMP and Tier II are the same filing; they are distinct, and the RMP ID simply links them.
7. Maximum Amount on Hand
This field asks for the greatest amount of the chemical present at your site on any single day during the year. Convert the amount to pounds, then select the matching range or weight code the form uses. Marcus Reyes stored up to 14,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia at peak, so he enters that figure and the matching range code.
The nuance is that the maximum is a single-day peak, not a yearly total or an annual throughput. The common mistake is reporting how much you used over the whole year, which can inflate the number and misrepresent your real hazard. Many filers believe gallons are acceptable; the form works in pounds, so you must convert liquid volumes using the chemical’s density.
8. Average Daily Amount
This field asks for the typical amount of the chemical on hand on an average day. Add up the daily amounts and divide by the number of days the chemical was present, then enter that figure in pounds. Priya Nair averages her underground gasoline level across the year and enters the result.
The nuance is that you average only over the days the chemical was actually on-site, not all 365 days, if you stored it seasonally. The common mistake is entering the same number for both maximum and average, which signals to reviewers that you did not truly calculate it. People often think the average can exceed the maximum; it never can, and that error is an instant red flag.
9. Number of Days On-Site
This field asks how many days during the year the chemical was present at the facility. Enter a whole number between 1 and 365. Aisha Okafor kept her solvent on-site all year, so she enters 365.
The nuance is that a chemical delivered and consumed in short cycles may have far fewer days than you assume, so count carefully. The common mistake is defaulting to 365 for everything, which overstates exposure for seasonal or one-time storage. A misconception is that this field is trivial; responders use it to judge how routinely your hazard is present.
10. Physical State, Mixture, and CAS Number
This field asks whether the chemical is a solid, liquid, or gas, whether it is pure or part of a mixture, and its Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) number. Pull the physical state and CAS number straight from Section 1 and Section 9 of the SDS, and mark pure or mixture. Marcus Reyes marks anhydrous ammonia as a gas, pure, with CAS 7664-41-7 taken from the SDS.
The nuance is that for a mixture you may report either the mixture as a whole or its hazardous components, but not double-count both. The common mistake is copying the wrong CAS number from a similar chemical, which misidentifies the substance for responders. People often think every product has one tidy CAS number; mixtures often have several, and you must decide how to report them.
11. Physical and Health Hazards
This field asks you to check the hazard categories that apply, such as fire hazard, sudden release of pressure, reactive, immediate (acute) health hazard, and delayed (chronic) health hazard. Read Section 2 of the SDS and check every category the SDS supports. Aisha Okafor checks fire hazard and immediate health hazard for her flammable, irritant solvent.
The nuance is that the current form uses the OSHA-aligned hazard categories, so older five-category habits no longer match the boxes. The common mistake is checking only one box when a chemical carries several hazards, which understates the danger to responders. A misconception is that you choose the hazards yourself; you must mirror what the SDS already states.
12. Storage Type, Conditions, and Location
This field asks how and where the chemical is stored, including container type, pressure, temperature, and the specific location on-site. Use the form’s storage codes for container and conditions, then describe the location clearly. Priya Nair enters underground tank, ambient pressure, ambient temperature, and south lot UST #2 for her gasoline.
The nuance is that confidential or sensitive locations can be filed on the separate Confidential Location Information Form so they stay out of public view. The common mistake is writing a vague location like warehouse, which forces responders to search a large building during a crisis. People often skip storage conditions; pressure and temperature tell crews whether a container might rupture or boil over.
13. Emergency and Owner/Operator Contacts
This field asks for the names and 24-hour phone numbers of your emergency contact, owner or operator, and Tier II contact. Enter real names and lines answered around the clock, plus email addresses where asked. Marcus Reyes lists himself as owner with his cell and names his plant manager as the 24-hour emergency contact.
The nuance is that the emergency contact must be reachable at all hours, so a daytime-only office line does not satisfy the requirement. The common mistake is listing a number that goes to voicemail at night, which leaves responders stranded when an incident happens after hours. A misconception is that one contact covers all roles; the form expects distinct, reachable people for each.
14. Certification and Signature
This field asks the owner, operator, or an authorized official to sign and date the form, certifying the information is true. Type or sign your name, your title, and the date in MM/DD/YYYY format. Aisha Okafor signs as Plant EHS Manager and dates it 02/18/2026.
The nuance is that electronic portals capture this through a login certification rather than a wet signature, but the legal weight is the same. The common mistake is leaving the form uncertified, which renders the entire submission legally incomplete no matter how accurate the data. People often think a clerk can certify; only an owner, operator, or officially authorized representative may sign.
Three Filled-Out Examples Using Real Scenarios
These three scenarios follow named filers through the form so you can see how the fields connect. Each table shows the most important entries for that facility.
Scenario 1: Priya Nair, retail gas station with underground tanks
| Form Section | What Priya Enters |
|---|---|
| Reporting Year | 2025 |
| Facility Name and Address | Nair Fuel Stop, 1290 Mission Blvd, Hayward, CA |
| NAICS Code | 457110 |
| Chemical 1 | Gasoline, liquid, mixture |
| Maximum Amount | Up to 60,000 gallons converted to pounds |
| Average Daily Amount | Roughly 35,000 gallons converted to pounds |
| Storage Type and Location | Underground tank, south lot UST #2 |
| Hazards Checked | Fire hazard, delayed health hazard |
| Emergency Contact | Priya Nair, 24-hour cell line |
Scenario 2: Marcus Reyes, cold-storage facility with anhydrous ammonia
| Form Section | What Marcus Enters |
|---|---|
| Reporting Year | 2025 |
| Facility Name and Address | Reyes Cold Storage LLC, 4820 Industrial Way, Fresno, CA |
| EPCRA Section 302 (EHS) | Checked, anhydrous ammonia is an EHS |
| Chemical 1 | Anhydrous ammonia, gas, pure, CAS 7664-41-7 |
| Maximum Amount | 14,000 pounds |
| Average Daily Amount | 11,500 pounds |
| Days On-Site | 365 |
| Storage Type and Location | Pressurized tank, refrigeration room east wing |
| Certification | Marcus Reyes, Owner, 02/20/2026 |
Scenario 3: Aisha Okafor, small paint and coatings manufacturer
| Form Section | What Aisha Enters |
|---|---|
| Reporting Year | 2025 |
| Facility Name and Address | Okafor Coatings Inc, 77 Foundry St, Oakland, CA |
| NAICS Code | 325510 |
| RMP / TRI Status | TRI subject, RMP ID listed |
| Chemical 1 | Toluene, liquid, pure, CAS 108-88-3 |
| Maximum Amount | 18,000 pounds |
| Average Daily Amount | 9,000 pounds |
| Hazards Checked | Fire hazard, immediate and delayed health hazard |
| Storage Type and Location | Steel drums, flammable storage cabinet, bay 3 |
| Certification | Aisha Okafor, Plant EHS Manager, 02/18/2026 |
How to File the Completed Form
You must send the report to all three recipients through your state’s required channel. Below are the main channels and what each one needs.
Online state portals (most common). Many states require electronic filing through E-Plan or a state system, and California requires the CERS portal. You log in with your Access ID, upload your data and any site plan, pay any fee by credit card or e-check, and download the confirmation page. Processing is usually immediate, and your proof of filing is the system confirmation number and receipt.
Tier2 Submit file plus email or upload. You build the report in Tier2 Submit, export the file, and send it to your SERC, LEPC, and fire department where the state accepts that method. There is often no software fee, though state filing fees may still apply by check or invoice. Keep the sent email and a copy of the exported file as your proof.
Mail or in person. Some LEPCs and fire departments still accept a printed form delivered by mail or hand. Send it to the exact SERC and LEPC addresses your state lists, include any required fee check, and request a date-stamped copy. Processing can take weeks, so mail well before March 1 and keep your certified-mail receipt as proof.
Fax. A small number of local agencies still accept faxed forms. Confirm the fax number with the LEPC, keep the fax transmission report, and follow up by phone to confirm receipt. This channel is fading, so treat it as a backup, not a primary path.
What Happens After You File
After you submit, your SERC logs the report into the statewide database and your LEPC folds it into the community emergency plan. Your local fire department now has a record of what is on your site, which shapes how crews respond if they get a call to your address. Most online systems return a confirmation number within minutes, and that number is your evidence that you met the deadline.
If your data raises a flag, such as an EHS above its TPQ or a missing field, the agency may send a follow-up request for clarification. You should answer these promptly, because an unresolved gap can convert a simple filing into an enforcement matter. Some states also forward your information to first responders during real incidents, so accuracy here can directly affect how safely a fire is fought at your facility.
Keep your full submission package for at least three years, including the certified report, the confirmation, and the SDSs behind your numbers. Inspectors can request these records, and a clean file is your best defense if the accuracy of your report is ever questioned. Many facilities start the next year’s report right after filing, since chemical inventories shift and year-round tracking prevents a March scramble.
Mistakes to Avoid When Filling Out the Form
Each error below has a direct cost, so scan this list before you certify your report.
- Reporting the current year instead of the prior calendar year, which makes the state reject your filing as invalid.
- Using a P.O. Box or headquarters address instead of the physical site, which sends responders to the wrong location.
- Dropping the negative sign on a longitude, which places your facility on the wrong side of the map.
- Entering amounts in gallons instead of converting to pounds, which misstates the true quantity on hand.
- Reporting annual throughput as the maximum amount, which inflates your hazard and confuses reviewers.
- Setting the average amount equal to or higher than the maximum, which is mathematically impossible and flags review.
- Defaulting every chemical to 365 days on-site, which overstates exposure for seasonal storage.
- Copying the wrong CAS number from a similar product, which misidentifies the chemical for first responders.
- Checking only one hazard box when the SDS lists several, which understates the danger.
- Writing a vague storage location like warehouse, which forces crews to search blindly in an emergency.
- Listing an after-hours phone line that goes to voicemail, which leaves responders with no live contact.
- Filing with only one of the three required recipients, which leaves you non-compliant despite the effort.
- Forgetting the certification signature, which renders the entire submission legally incomplete.
- Missing the March 1 deadline, which can expose you to civil penalties that exceed $68,000 per day, per violation.
Do’s and Don’ts
Do:
- Do confirm your state’s required format before you start, because filing in the wrong system wastes hours.
- Do pull every chemical figure from the matching SDS, since the SDS is your defensible source of truth.
- Do convert all amounts to pounds, because the federal form and most states standardize on weight.
- Do save your confirmation number and receipt, since that is your only proof you met the deadline.
- Do send the report to your SERC, LEPC, and fire department, because all three must receive it.
- Do start tracking inventory year-round, because a January scramble leads to errors and missed thresholds.
Don’t:
- Don’t guess at amounts you have not calculated, because rounding errors are the top reason reports get questioned.
- Don’t reuse a competitor’s or template’s CAS numbers, since a wrong number misidentifies your hazard.
- Don’t assume small or common chemicals are exempt, because diesel and propane often cross the threshold.
- Don’t list a daytime-only phone for the emergency contact, since incidents happen at night.
- Don’t wait until February 28 to begin, because portal problems and fee snags can push you past the deadline.
- Don’t ignore state add-ons like site plans or fees, since a federal-only filing can still be incomplete.
Pros and Cons of Filing on Your Own vs. With Help
Deciding whether to file yourself or hire a consultant depends on how many chemicals and sites you manage.
Pros of filing on your own:
- You save consultant fees, which matters for a single small facility with few chemicals.
- You learn your own inventory deeply, which sharpens your year-round compliance.
- You control the timeline, so you are not waiting on an outside firm before March 1.
- You build direct relationships with your SERC and LEPC, which helps with future questions.
- You keep your chemical data in-house, which some facilities prefer for confidentiality.
Cons of filing on your own:
- You carry the full risk of a costly error, since penalties land on the facility, not a helper.
- You must learn each state portal yourself, which is slow for multi-state operations.
- You spend internal labor hours that a busy operator may not have in February.
- You may miss subtle threshold or EHS rules that a specialist would catch.
- You lack a second set of eyes on the certification, which is where final mistakes hide.
FAQs
Is the Tier II report due on March 1 every year?
Yes. The federal deadline is March 1 for the prior calendar year, though some California CUPAs and certain New Jersey filers follow different local dates, so confirm with your state.
Do I have to file in pounds even if I buy chemicals in gallons?
Yes. The form standardizes on pounds, so you convert liquid volumes to weight using the chemical’s density before entering the maximum and average amounts.
Is diesel fuel reportable under Tier II?
Yes. Diesel is a hazardous chemical with an SDS, so it is reportable once you store 10,000 pounds or more at any single time during the year.
Do I write my maximum amount as a single-day peak or a yearly total?
No, never the yearly total. You enter the largest amount present on any one day during the year, not the sum of everything you used.
Can the average daily amount be higher than the maximum amount?
No. The average can never exceed the maximum, and entering a higher average is an instant red flag that will draw agency scrutiny.
Do I report a mixture or its individual hazardous components?
Yes, you may do either. You report the mixture as a whole or break out its hazardous components, but you must not double-count both.
Do I need to send the report to the fire department too?
Yes. You must file with your SERC, your LEPC, and your local fire department; sending it to only one or two leaves you non-compliant.
Is a P.O. Box acceptable for the facility address?
No. You must give the physical street address or coordinates where chemicals are stored, because responders need the real location in an emergency.
Do underground gas station tanks get a higher threshold?
Yes. Retail stations with compliant underground tanks use 75,000 gallons for gasoline and 100,000 gallons for diesel instead of the standard threshold.
Is the Tier II form the same as a Risk Management Program filing?
No. They are separate programs; the form simply asks for your RMP ID to link them if your facility is also subject to RMP.
Do I need to certify the form myself, or can a clerk sign?
No, a clerk cannot certify. Only the owner, operator, or an officially authorized representative may sign and certify the report’s accuracy.
Is there a filing fee for the Tier II report?
Yes, in many states. Fees vary by state and may be charged per chemical, per employee count, or per report, and some LEPCs add their own.
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