Chemical products

About the permit

In some cases, a permit is required  if you intend to sell and/or use what are known as very hazardous chemical products. Permits are required for:

1. professional transfer/sale of very hazardous chemical products
2. private handling of very hazardous chemical products 

You apply for a permit from the County Administrative Board in the county in which the business will be conducted. The permit is normally valid for five years.
 
The chemical products that are considered as very hazardous and therefore requiring a permit are specified in the Swedish Chemical Agency’s Regulations (KIFS 2017:7) on Chemical products and Biotechnical.

Certain exemptions from the permit requirement are also specified in the Swedish Ordinance (SFS 2008:245) on Chemical Products and Biotechnical Organisms.

Since 1 January 2025, a permit is required for private use of some corrosive drain cleaners (products intended for drain opening and drain cleaning). If you sell such drain cleaners, you must keep records of sales and check that private customers have a valid permit. However, you will not need a permit yourself when placing such products on the market.

Duty of recording 

Anyone professionally transferring very hazardous chemical products must record the following information:

• the date of the sale, product name and amount,
• buyer\'s name or company name and address,
• whether or not the product has been professionally transferred/sold or handled for private use. When selling to private customers information on how the buyer has demonstrated its permit must be recorded.

The information must be storied for a minimum of three years so that it can be easily checked.

Chemical products that require a permit must be stored in such a way that unauthorized personnel cannot access them. 

Permit issuer and supervision 

The county administrative board is the authority that decides whether a permit should be granted. The Swedish Chemical Agency and the municipalities are the supervisory authorities.