Government Affairs

Government regulation and intervention in the car wash industry seems to take three forms; water use policies, environmental policies, and employment practices. Employment practices in car wash facilities are governed by OSHA standards and are mostly a federal issue. Federal minimum wage requirements also impact car wash operations. State regulations regarding employment practices (i.e., right-to-work states vs. union states), workers compensation, and state and/or local minimum wage standards also impact operators.

At the local level, car wash operators may face similar challenges to restaurants, nightclubs and other businesses. Conditional Use Permits and other regulatory hurdles can affect an owner's ability to conduct business.

National Issues

Serious drought conditions affecting our region
Car Wash businesses are highly dependent on water usage and availability. Widespread drought in Southern and Western states in recent years has led to a greater desire among state and local elected officials to regulate water usage. Read more

Going green and environmental regulations
Environmental regulations do have some bearing on car wash operations. Some contaminants contained in runoff from car wash facilities are considered hazardous wastes and must be handled in a very specific manner to comply with state regulations. Hazardous waste handling and disposal is highly regulated and it is critical that operators monitor changes in these regulations to avoid problems with compliance. Many, if not most, car washes also have water reclaimers which require underground tanks to remove grit and contaminants. Read more