Is R-22 illegal to sell?

R-22 is not completely illegal to sell, but its sale is heavily restricted and virgin R-22 cannot be sold for new production. R-22, or HCFC-22, is an ozone-depleting refrigerant phased out under Montreal Protocol. In the United States, it became illegal to produce or import virgin R-22 from January 1, 2020, so no new virgin R-22 can be manufactured or imported for sale. However, it is still legal to sell recovered, recycled, and reclaimed R-22 that has been cleaned to AHRI 700 standards for servicing existing equipment that already contains R-22, provided the seller and buyer comply with EPA Section 608 regulations, including certification verification and record keeping. It is illegal to sell R-22 to uncertified individuals for large cylinders, illegal to sell it for use in new equipment designed for other refrigerants, and illegal to knowingly vent it. It is also illegal to sell contaminated or mixed refrigerants mislabeled as pure R-22. So while sale of virgin R-22 is banned, sale of reclaimed R-22 for servicing old systems by certified technicians is still legal, though increasingly rare and expensive as supplies dwindle and industry transitions to alternatives.