Hazmat Package Marking and Labeling
Procedure for marking and labeling non-bulk hazardous material packages before they are offered for transportation, covering the proper shipping name and identification number markings, consignee and consignor information, durability and contrast rules, orientation arrows for liquids, primary and subsidiary hazard class labels, label placement, and the verification step before a package leaves the pack station.
- Audience
- Hazmat-trained pack station associates who mark and label packages, the hazmat shipping coordinator, and shipping supervisors
- Review cycle
- annual
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-17
- Revision
- 1
What is in the procedure
8 sections. Regulatory language is fixed and passes through verbatim. Sections marked customized get rewritten around your facility, your equipment, and your job titles.
- 01
Purpose
FixedThis procedure governs how non-bulk hazardous material packages are marked and labeled at the pack station before they are offered for transportation, implementing the marking requirements of 49 CFR part 172 subpart D...
- 02
Scope
CustomizedThis procedure applies to every non-bulk package of hazardous materials that this facility offers for transportation by any mode, whether the package was filled here or received prelabeled and reshipped.
- 03
Responsibilities
CustomizedThe hazmat shipping coordinator owns this procedure, maintains the label and marking stock, keeps the current 172.101 table reference material at the pack station, and resolves every question a packer raises before the...
- 04
Procedure: Package Markings
Fixed1. Work from the shipping paper for the order.
- 05
Procedure: Orientation Arrows for Liquids
Fixed1. Pack every combination packaging that holds inner packagings of liquid hazardous material with the closures upward.
- 06
Procedure: Hazard Class Labels
Fixed1. Determine the required primary hazard label from column 6 of the 172.101 hazardous materials table for the entry on the shipping paper, per 49 CFR 172.400: for example FLAMMABLE LIQUID for Class 3, FLAMMABLE GAS for...
- 07
Procedure: Verification Before the Package Leaves the Pack Station
CustomizedNo hazmat package leaves the pack station until it passes this check: 1. The proper shipping name and identification number on the package match the shipping paper character for character.
- 08
References
Fixed49 CFR part 172 subpart D (Marking), including 172.300, 172.301, 172.304, and 172.312. 49 CFR part 172 subpart E (Labeling), including 172.400, 172.402, and 172.406. The 172.101 hazardous materials table reference...
Regulatory references
Hazmat Package Marking and Labeling: 49 CFR 172.300
Every SOP generated from this template cites the paragraphs below, with a plain-language summary of what each one requires. Citations are informational and are not legal advice.
| Standard | Title | What it requires |
|---|---|---|
| 49 CFR 172.300 | Marking: applicability to persons who offer hazardous materials for transportation | Each person who offers a hazardous material for transportation must mark each package, freight container, and transport vehicle containing the hazardous material in the manner required by subpart D of part 172, and a carrier that performs a marking function assigned to it must mark the package, freight container, or transport vehicle in the same manner. |
| 49 CFR 172.301 | General marking requirements for non-bulk packagings | A non-bulk package must be marked with the proper shipping name and the identification number preceded by UN, NA, or ID as appropriate. The identification number characters must be at least 12 mm (0.47 inches) high, with smaller characters permitted for packages of 30 liters or 30 kg capacity or less and for very small packages. Technical names must be marked in parentheses in association with the proper shipping name where required by 172.203(k). The package must also be marked with the name and address of the consignor or consignee, except in limited cases such as certain highway-only movements and shipments that move as a full load from a single consignor to a single consignee. Packagings already bearing a legible required marking need not be re-marked. |
| 49 CFR 172.304 | Marking requirements: durability, language, contrast, and visibility | Each required marking must be durable, in English, and printed on or affixed to the surface of the package or on a label, tag, or sign. It must be displayed on a background of sharply contrasting color, must be unobscured by labels or attachments, and must be located away from any other marking, such as advertising, that could substantially reduce its effectiveness. |
| 49 CFR 172.312 | Liquid hazardous materials in non-bulk packagings: orientation and arrows | A non-bulk combination packaging with inner packagings containing liquid hazardous materials must be packed with closures upward and must be marked with package orientation arrows on two opposite vertical sides, with the arrows pointing in the correct upright direction. Arrows for purposes other than indicating proper package orientation may not be displayed on a package containing a liquid hazardous material. Exceptions include flammable liquids in inner packagings of 1 liter or less (except for transport by air), hermetically sealed inner packagings of 500 mL or less, inner packagings that are cylinders, and leak-tight liquids in manufactured articles. |
| 49 CFR 172.400 | General labeling requirements: hazard class labels keyed to the 172.101 table | Each person who offers a hazardous material for transportation must label the package, unless it is placarded in accordance with subpart F. Labeling applies to non-bulk packages, and to certain bulk packagings, portable tanks, and overpacks below stated size thresholds. The label required is determined by the hazard class or division in accordance with column 6 of the 172.101 hazardous materials table and the label table in this section, for example FLAMMABLE LIQUID for Class 3, FLAMMABLE GAS for Division 2.1, OXIDIZER for Division 5.1, CORROSIVE for Class 8, and CLASS 9 for Class 9 materials. |
| 49 CFR 172.402 | Additional labeling requirements: subsidiary hazard labels | A package containing a hazardous material must be labeled with primary and subsidiary hazard labels as required by the 172.101 table, with subsidiary label requirements varying by hazard class, division, and packing group. The appropriate hazard class or division number must be displayed in the lower corner of the primary hazard label and each subsidiary hazard label. |
| 49 CFR 172.406 | Placement of labels | Each label must be printed on or affixed to a surface of the package other than the bottom, and located on the same surface of the package and near the proper shipping name marking when the package dimensions are adequate. When primary and subsidiary hazard labels are required they must be displayed next to each other, within 150 mm (6 inches) of one another. A label must have a background of contrasting color or a dotted or solid line outer border that enhances its visibility, and must be clearly visible and not obscured by markings or attachments. Duplicate labels must be displayed on at least two sides or two ends of packages of 1.8 cubic meters (64 cubic feet) or more and of certain other packagings and containers. A package too small to hold a label, a cylinder, or a package with an irregular surface may have the label affixed by a securely attached tag or other suitable means. |
Compliance checklist
What an inspector looks for
Every package of hazardous material offered for transportation is marked as required by subpart D before it leaves the facility
49 CFR 172.300
Each non-bulk package is marked with the proper shipping name and the identification number preceded by UN, NA, or ID, in characters meeting the minimum size for the package
49 CFR 172.301
The consignor or consignee name and address is marked on each package unless a recognized exception applies
49 CFR 172.301
All markings are durable, in English, on a sharply contrasting background, unobscured, and located away from other markings that could reduce their effectiveness
49 CFR 172.304
Combination packagings of liquid hazardous materials are packed closures-up and marked with orientation arrows on two opposite vertical sides, and no non-orientation arrows appear on the package
49 CFR 172.312
The primary hazard label matches column 6 of the 172.101 table for each material shipped
49 CFR 172.400
Every required subsidiary hazard label is applied and the class or division number appears in the lower corner of each label
49 CFR 172.402
Labels are placed on the same surface as and near the shipping name marking, not on the bottom, primary and subsidiary within 150 mm of each other, visible and unobscured, with duplicate labels on two sides or ends of packages 1.8 cubic meters or larger
49 CFR 172.406
Only current hazmat-trained employees mark, label, and offer hazmat packages, and every package passes the documented pack station verification before release
Waitlist
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This page is informational and is not legal advice. Have a qualified safety professional review any procedure before it goes into service at your facility.