Which roles describe your organization or corporate family?
This screening tool organizes producer-definition questions. It does not determine legal obligation, exemption status, covered-material status, or replace counsel/state guidance.
How the producer hierarchy commonly works
Maryland, Minnesota and Washington currently publish producer definitions that use a sequence beginning with the manufacturer in certain own-brand or unbranded situations, then moving through licensee/brand-owner concepts and—when higher-priority parties are not identified in the United States—toward importer and first-distributor responsibility. The exact text and exceptions differ by state.
Do not collapse the corporate family into one name. The company on the packaging, the U.S. importer, the brand owner and the entity actually selling into a state can be different legal entities. That is the control gap EPRScope is designed to preserve.
States with official producer-screening resources
Determining Producer Obligations and Definitions
DEQ links a dedicated producer-obligations decision resource from its official producer page.
CALRECYCLE“Are You a Producer?” screening tool
California publishes its own situational producer screening resource and PEPRS registration guidance.
COLORADO CDPHEProducer Determination Flow Chart
Colorado links a producer-determination flow chart from the official program page.
WASHINGTON ECOLOGYProducer FAQ
Ecology explains first-distributor, private-label and importer scenarios under Washington’s law.
Need the answer attached to the actual entity?
The free checker identifies the path to investigate. EPRScope’s paid Exposure Assessment maps the corporate family, state sources, unresolved facts, evidence and next actions.
Request an Exposure Assessment →Read the full producer guide