What should be on a manifest
Every legitimate manifest should include:
- Business name and address
- Cleaning date and time
- Pumper company name and DEP license number
- Technician name and signature
- Volume of grease removed (in gallons or pounds)
- Disposal facility where the grease was taken
Missing any of these is a red flag. A clean manifest with a verifiable DEP license number is your protection during an inspection.
Why it must be paper and on-site
DEP inspectors will not accept a phone screenshot, PDF on a laptop, or emailed receipt. The requirement is a physical document you can hand to the inspector. This is non-negotiable and has been enforced consistently.
Store manifests in a binder kept in the back of house or office. A 3-year rolling file means every cleaning for the past 3 years should be accessible without searching.
What happens if records are missing
| Records not physically on-site during inspection | $1,000 to $5,000 |
| Using an unlicensed pumper | $2,500 to $10,000 |
| Failure to maintain or clean grease trap | $1,000 to $10,000 |
Note that "records not on-site" is a violation even if the trap is clean and the pumper is licensed. The records requirement is enforced separately.
How to verify your pumper is DEP-licensed
Before hiring, check the DEP licensed pumper directory. If a company cannot provide a DEP license number on request, do not hire them. A fake or expired license on the manifest exposes you to the full fine range.
A common mistake
Many owners assume their grease pumper also handles their cooking oil (IKG). These are two different services with two different license types. Grease trap pumpers are DEP-licensed for sewer discharge; IKG haulers are BIC-licensed for waste transport. You need manifests from both.