# Georgia Department of Motor Vehicle Safety, Law Enforcement Division — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

**Citation:** 02-0230  
**Type / status:** guidance / guidance  
**Agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration  
**Effective:** Not stated  
**Published:** 2002-10-16

02-0230 response to Georgia Department of Motor Vehicle Safety, Law Enforcement Division concerning 172.502.

## Document text

<<<PAGE 1>>>

•
us esporation
lashinoton. D.
JO Seventh Street, S.V
20590
esearch and
tamin traito
OCT 16 2002
Ref No. 02-0230
Law Enforcement Division
2206 East View Parkway
bi.2
Conyers, GA 30013-8047
Dear Captain Bugg:
This is in response to your August 30, 2002 letter, requesting clarification of the Hazardous Materials
Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) applicable to a company logo. Specifically, you state that
the company logo as shown in the photograph you supplied uses four (4) diamond-shaped devices and
resembles placards by its size, shape and color. You question if the logo is prohibited under the HMR.
As provided in § 172.502(a), no person may affix or display on a packaging, freight container, unit load
device, motor vehicle or rail car any sign, advertisement, slogan, or device that, by its color, design,
shape or content, could be confused with any placard prescribed in this subpart. This prohibition is
intended to limit the potential for dilution of hazard warning communication provided by the appropriate
hazardous materials placards. The logo as shown in the photograph is designed in the same "shape" (a
square-on-point configuration) and uses colors similar to those on hazard warning placards, therefore, it
can be confused with a placard prescribed in the HMR and is prohibited under § 172.502.
I hope this information is helpful. If we can be of further assistance, do not hesitate to contact us.
Sincerely,
Delm AS Aò
Delmer F. Billings
Chief, Standards Development
Office of Hazardous Materials Standards
172.502
020230

<<<PAGE 2>>>

Foster
$172.502
Placurding
Georgia Department of Motor Vehicle Safety
Law Enforcement Division
02-0230
P.O. Box 80447
Tim Burgess
Commissioner
2206 East View Parkway
Conyers, GA 30013-804
Col. Mark C. McLeod
Commanding Officer
Phone: 678.413.8825
www.dmvs.ga.gov
Fax: 678.413.8832
August 30, 2002
Mr. John Gale
US. DOT - RSPA
Office of Hazardous Materials Standards
400 Seventh Street, SW
Washington, DC 20590-0001
Dear Sir:
This letter follows up on e-mails from last year regarding this issue. Enclosed are photographs of
a company logo on a commercial vehicle. As you can see, the logo uses four diamond-shaped
devices (similar in layout to the NFPA 704 system), which are red, yellow, green, and black in
color.
size, shape, and color, and is therefore prohibited under 49 CFR $172.502. In our e-mail
In the opinion of the inspecting officer, and in my opinion, the logo resembles placards by its
correspondence, you indicated that the prohibition would apply in this case.
If you need more information, please contact me at 678.413.8825 or by e-mail at
obbugg@dmvs.ga.gov.
Sincerely,
Capt. Bruce Bugg
Special Projects Coordinator

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2002/020230.pdf>
- Source ID: `phmsa`
- SHA-256: `f4765a5473e8ef2cc4b2117eede14ed661f6c7af15851963b151877fb4cc4d58`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T00:59:31.977Z
- Exported: 2026-08-22T22:28:37.977Z
- Document slug: `phmsa-interpretation-02-0230`

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