California’s PFAS rules for textiles are now in effect, changing how drapery and upholstery are specified

California’s law restricting intentionally added PFAS in many textile articles took effect January 1, 2025, and it reaches deep into interiors. Draperies, upholstery, bedding, and other home textiles fall under the statute, which bars the manufacture, distribution, or sale of covered items in the state if they contain regulated PFAS above set thresholds. The law, known as AB 1817, defines textile articles broadly and sets a schedule for compliance.

Operationally, the shift is not only chemical. From 2025, manufacturers must be able to provide certificates of compliance to distributors, documenting that products meet the new limits. These certifications formalize a paper trail that retailers and procurement teams will now request as standard, especially for hospitality and public projects. Advisory notes also flag a second milestone on January 1, 2027, when the acceptable PFAS level tightens to 50 parts per million, which will push suppliers to reformulate again.

For specifiers, the message is to verify finish chemistry early. Legacy stain and water repellents often relied on fluorinated compounds, so drapery and seating fabrics that once passed performance tests may no longer be acceptable unless reworked. The SGS summary highlights how the law covers articles ordinarily used in homes and businesses, explicitly naming draperies, shower curtains, furnishings, upholstery, towels, and linens, a list that maps directly to daily interiors.

Because California tends to set patterns for national retailers, the 2025 rule is already influencing assortments beyond the state. Many mills are shifting to wax or silicone based finishes, oleophobic weaves, or tighter constructions that resist stains without chemical coatings. Procurement teams should ask for third party testing and watch for disclosures where exemptions apply. The underlying statute uses the concept of regulated PFAS and bars intentional addition, a structure that continues to evolve as analytical methods improve.

The near term impact on project schedules is manageable but real. Lead times may rise for popular SKUs as mills work through reformulation and testing. Budget lines could shift as the cost of compliant chemistry stabilizes. Designers can hedge risk by shortlisting two or three fabrics per application and by confirming batch availability before sign off. Close reading of care labels also matters because some new finishes prefer gentle detergents and lower heat. These changes are an opportunity to improve life cycle performance, not only box ticking for compliance.

Retailers and multi family developers will watch returns and warranty claims through the first year to ensure that stain resistance and cleanability stay at acceptable levels. The rule does not prescribe exact performance methods, so brands will compete on how well their PFAS free finishes work in real homes and short term rentals. Expect marketing to emphasize lab reports and simple demonstrations, like red wine drops on natural fiber blends. The law’s broad definitions encourage innovation and will likely speed the shift of entire ranges.

Design schools and trade press are already treating the 2025 deadline as a teaching moment, linking chemistry literacy to everyday specification. The industry has seen similar learning curves before, for example with VOC limits in paints and formaldehyde rules in composite wood. By late 2025, a shared vocabulary should help clients understand why certain fabrics feel slightly different or carry new care instructions, and why some items disappear from price lists. The advisory timeline gives a clear view of what happens next.

Looking ahead, suppliers will use the 2027 tightening to remove remaining edge cases, while buyers will normalize certificate requests in bid packages. For project teams, the safe path is to log compliance documents with drawings and schedules, and to train installers to keep labels intact for post occupancy checks. California’s move is already changing the baseline for textiles in US interiors, and that shift will continue through 2026. senv.senate.ca.gov