About Respirator Approval Program

For Everyone

Mar. 4, 2025

NIOSH is the federal agency responsible for evaluating and approving respirators used in U.S. workplace settings.
NIOSH only approves respirators that meet its strict quality assurance and performance requirements as identified in regulation 42 Code of Federal Regulations Part 84 (42 CFR Part 84).

Image of respirator testing during approval process.

What it is

The NIOSH approval is more than just passing a one-time test or claiming that a product meets a standard at the time of application. Achieving NIOSH approval requires active quality assurance on the part of the approval holder. A NIOSH approval holder must continue to meet the conditions of the approval as it was granted. NIOSH ensures this through post-market conformity evaluations.

Confidently protected

The respirator approval process provides users confidence that their respirator will provide the expected level of protection, as long as it fits properly and is worn correctly. This confidence is critical to workers who rely on respirators to protect them.

Current projects

Average Number of Days for New Approvals Granted 2018-2024

Only projects that were successfully granted approval are included among these averages.

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Status of Current Approval Projects: Air-Purifying Respirators July 20, 2026

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Status of Current Approval Projects: Air-Supplied Respirators July 20, 2026

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Status of Current Approval Projects: Combination APRs and ASRs July 20, 2026

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Respirator Approval Summary

Currently, NIOSH has over 9,000 active approvals. From January to June 2026, NIOSH has added 142 new approvals.

Infographic showing the number of respirator approvals using a pie chart from January through June 2026. — NIOSH's respirator approval numbers from January to June 2026.

Mar. 4, 2025

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Content Source:

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Sources