General placarding requirements.

Link to an amendment published at 91 FR 49339, Aug. 4, 2026.#

(a)General. Except as otherwise provided in this subchapter, each bulk packaging, freight container, unit load device, transport vehicle or rail car containing any quantity of a hazardous material must be placarded on each side and each end with the type of placards specified in tables 1 and 2 of this section and in accordance with other placarding requirements of this subpart, including the specifications for the placards named in the tables and described in detail in §§ 172.519 through 172.560.#

(b)DANGEROUS placard. A freight container, unit load device, transport vehicle, or rail car which contains non-bulk packages with two or more categories of hazardous materials that require different placards specified in table 2 of paragraph (e) of this section may be placarded with a DANGEROUS placard instead of the separate placarding specified for each of the materials in table 2 of paragraph (e) of this section. However, when 1,000 kg (2,205 pounds) aggregate gross weight or more of one category of material is loaded therein at one loading facility on a freight container, unit load device, transport vehicle, or rail car, the placard specified in table 2 of paragraph (e) of this section for that category must be applied.#

(c)Exception for less than 454 kg (1,001 pounds). Except for bulk packagings and hazardous materials subject to § 172.505, when hazardous materials covered by table 2 of this section are transported by highway or rail, placards are not required on—#

(1)A transport vehicle or freight container which contains less than 454 kg (1001 pounds) aggregate gross weight of hazardous materials covered by table 2 of paragraph (e) of this section; or#

(2)A rail car loaded with transport vehicles or freight containers, none of which is required to be placarded.#

The exceptions provided in paragraph (c) of this section do not prohibit the display of placards in the manner prescribed in this subpart, if not otherwise prohibited (see § 172.502), on transport vehicles or freight containers which are not required to be placarded.#

(d)Exception for empty non-bulk packages. Except for hazardous materials subject to § 172.505, a non-bulk packaging that contains only the residue of a hazardous material covered by Table 2 of paragraph (e) of this section need not be included in determining placarding requirements.#

(e)Placarding tables. Placards are specified for hazardous materials in accordance with the following tables:#

Table 1 to Paragraph (e) Category of material (Hazard class or division number and additional description, as appropriate) Placard name Placard design section reference (§ ) 1.1 EXPLOSIVES 1.1 172.522 1.2 EXPLOSIVES 1.2 172.522 1.3 EXPLOSIVES 1.3 172.522 2.3 POISON GAS 172.540 4.3 DANGEROUS WHEN WET 172.548 5.2 (Organic peroxide, Type B, liquid or solid, temperature controlled) ORGANIC PEROXIDE 172.552 6.1 (material poisonous by inhalation (see § 171.8 of this subchapter)) POISON INHALATION HAZARD 172.555 7 (Radioactive Yellow III label only) RADIOACTIVE 1 172.556 1 RADIOACTIVE placards are also required for: All shipments of unpackaged LSA-I material or SCO-I; all shipments required by §§ 173.427, 173.441, and 173.457 of this subchapter to be operated under exclusive use; and all closed vehicles used in accordance with § 173.443(d).#

Table 2 to Paragraph (e) Category of material (hazard class or division number and additional description, as appropriate) Placard name Placard design section reference (§ ) 1.4 EXPLOSIVES 1.4 172.523 1.5 EXPLOSIVES 1.5 172.524 1.6 EXPLOSIVES 1.6 172.525 2.1 FLAMMABLE GAS 172.532 2.2 NON-FLAMMABLE GAS 172.528 3 FLAMMABLE 172.542 Combustible liquid COMBUSTIBLE 172.544 4.1 FLAMMABLE SOLID 172.546 4.2 SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUSTIBLE 172.547 5.1 OXIDIZER 172.550 5.2 (Other than organic peroxide, Type B, liquid or solid, temperature controlled) ORGANIC PEROXIDE 172.552 6.1 (other than material poisonous by inhalation) POISON 172.554 6.2 NONE 8 CORROSIVE 172.558 9 CLASS 9 (see § 172.504(f)(9)) 172.560#

(f)Additional placarding exceptions. (1) When more than one division placard is required for Class 1 materials on a transport vehicle, rail car, freight container or unit load device, only the placard representing the lowest division number must be displayed.#

(2)A FLAMMABLE placard may be used in place of a COMBUSTIBLE placard on—#

(i)A cargo tank or portable tank.#

(ii)A compartmented tank car which contains both flammable and combustible liquids.#

(3)A NON-FLAMMABLE GAS placard is not required on a transport vehicle which contains non-flammable gas if the transport vehicle also contains flammable gas or oxygen and it is placarded with FLAMMABLE GAS or OXYGEN placards, as required.#

(4)OXIDIZER placards are not required for Division 5.1 materials on freight containers, unit load devices, transport vehicles or rail cars which also contain Division 1.1 or 1.2 materials and which are placarded with EXPLOSIVES 1.1 or 1.2 placards, as required.#

(5)For transportation by transport vehicle or rail car only, an OXIDIZER placard is not required for Division 5.1 materials on a transport vehicle, rail car or freight container which also contains Division 1.5 explosives and is placarded with EXPLOSIVES 1.5 placards, as required.#

(6)The EXPLOSIVE 1.4 placard is not required for those Division 1.4 Compatibility Group S (1.4S) materials that are not required to be labeled 1.4S.#

(7)For domestic transportation of oxygen, compressed or oxygen, refrigerated liquid, the OXYGEN placard in § 172.530 of this subpart may be used in place of a NON-FLAMMABLE GAS placard.#

(8)For domestic transportation, a POISON INHALATION HAZARD placard is not required on a transport vehicle or freight container that is already placarded with the POISON GAS placard.#

(9)For Class 9, a CLASS 9 placard is not required for domestic transportation, including that portion of international transportation, defined in § 171.8 of this subchapter, which occurs within the United States. However, a bulk packaging must be marked with the appropriate identification number on a CLASS 9 placard, an orange panel, or a white square-on-point display configuration as required by subpart D of this part.#

(10)For Division 6.1, PG III materials, a POISON placard may be modified to display the text “PG III” below the mid line of the placard.#

(11)For domestic transportation, a POISON placard is not required on a transport vehicle or freight container required to display a POISON INHALATION HAZARD or POISON GAS placard.#

(g)For shipments of Class 1 (explosive materials) by aircraft or vessel, the applicable compatibility group letter must be displayed on the placards, or labels when applicable, required by this section. When more than one compatibility group placard is required for Class 1 materials, only one placard is required to be displayed, as provided in paragraphs (g)(1) through (g)(4) of this section. For the purposes of paragraphs (g)(1) through (g)(4), there is a distinction between the phrases explosive articles and explosive substances. Explosive article means an article containing an explosive substance; examples include a detonator, flare, primer or fuse. Explosive substance means a substance contained in a packaging that is not contained in an article; examples include black powder and smokeless powder.#

(1)Explosive articles of compatibility groups C, D or E may be placarded displaying compatibility group E.#

(2)Explosive articles of compatibility groups C, D, or E, when transported with those in compatibility group N, may be placarded displaying compatibility group D.#

(3)Explosive substances of compatibility groups C and D may be placarded displaying compatibility group D.#

(4)Explosive articles of compatibility groups C, D, E or G, except for fireworks, may be placarded displaying compatibility group E.#

Editorial Note:For Federal Register citations affecting § 172.504, see the List of CFR Sections Affected, which appears in the Finding Aids section of the printed volume and at www.govinfo.gov.#