# Freight containers and aircraft unit load devices.

**Citation:** 49 CFR 172.512  
**Type / status:** regulation / current  
**Agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration  
**Effective:** 2026-08-18  
**Published:** Not stated

(a) Capacity of 640 cubic feet or more. Each person who offers for transportation, and each person who loads and transports, a hazardous material in a freight container or aircraft unit load device having a capacity of 640 cubic feet or more shall affix to the freight container or aircraft unit load

## Document text

(a) Capacity of 640 cubic feet or more. Each person who offers for transportation, and each person who loads and transports, a hazardous material in a freight container or aircraft unit load device having a capacity of 640 cubic feet or more shall affix to the freight container or aircraft unit load device the placards specified for the material in accordance with § 172.504. However:

(1) The placarding exception provided in § 172.504(c) applies to motor vehicles transporting freight containers and aircraft unit load devices,

(2) The placarding exception provided in § 172.504(c) applies to each freight container and aircraft unit load device being transported for delivery to a consignee immediately following an air or water shipment, and,

(3) Placarding is not required on a freight container or aircraft unit load device if it is only transported by air and is identified as containing a hazardous material in the manner provided in part 7, chapter 2, section 2.8, of the ICAO Technical Instructions (IBR, see § 171.7 of this subchapter).

(b) Capacity less than 18 m 3 (640 cubic feet). (1) Each person who offers for transportation by air, and each person who loads and transports by air, a hazardous material in a freight container or aircraft unit load device having a capacity of less than 18 m 3 (640 cubic feet) shall affix one placard of the type specified by paragraph (a) of this section unless the freight container or aircraft unit load device:

(i) Is labeled in accordance with subpart E of this part, including § 172.406(e);

(ii) Contains radioactive materials requiring the Radioactive Yellow III label and is placarded with one Radioactive placard and is labeled in accordance with subpart E of this part, including § 172.406(e); or,

(iii) Is identified as containing a hazardous material in the manner provided in part 7; chapter 2, section 2.8, of the ICAO Technical Instructions (IBR, see § 171.7 of this subchapter).

(2) When hazardous materials are offered for transportation, not involving air transportation, in a freight container having a capacity of less than 640 cubic feet the freight container need not be placarded. However, if not placarded, it must be labeled in accordance with subpart E of this part.

(c) Notwithstanding paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section, packages containing hazardous materials offered for transportation by air in freight containers are subject to the inspection requirements of § 175.30 of this chapter.

[Amdt. 172-29, 41 FR 15996, Apr. 15, 1976]

Editorial Note:For Federal Register citations affecting § 172.513, see the List of CFR Sections Affected, which appears in the Finding Aids section of the printed volume and at www.govinfo.gov.

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://www.ecfr.gov/on/2026-08-18/title-49/section-172.512>
- Source ID: `ecfr`
- SHA-256: `abf6f48715bb41097c31ae46bb81a844e189568a8b4e9e3bc34a20a4100e0286`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T05:45:59.130Z
- Exported: 2026-08-23T16:05:14.734Z
- Document slug: `49-cfr-172-512`

### Source metadata

```json
{
  "cfrTitle": 49,
  "part": "172",
  "section": "172.512",
  "subpart": "Subpart F—Placarding",
  "corpusVersion": "2026-08-18",
  "jurisdiction": "US"
}
```