DOT Placard Calculator
Type a UN number from your shipping paper. We auto-fill the class and labels. Enter weight in lbs or kg, or for liquids enter gallons, drums, or totes and we'll convert using the material's specific gravity. Hit calculate, get your placards per 49 CFR 172.504.
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How Placarding Works
Table 1 materials (49 CFR 172.504(e)) always require placards regardless of weight: Class 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 explosives, Class 2.3 toxic gas, Class 4.3 dangerous when wet, Class 6.1 PG I inhalation hazard, and Class 7 Radioactive Yellow-III.
Table 2 materials (Classes 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 2.1, 2.2, 3, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1 non-inhalation, 6.2, 8, 9) require placards only when their aggregate gross weight on the vehicle reaches 1,001 lbs.
DANGEROUS placard may substitute for individual placards when you have 1,001+ lbs of two or more Table 2 classes. Exception: if 5,000 or more lbs of any single class was loaded at one facility, that class must have its own placard.
Subsidiary hazards per 49 CFR 172.505: a subsidiary placard is required for the subsidiary class when the primary meets placarding thresholds.
Class 1.4 Compatibility Group S is exempt from placarding on highway vehicles per 49 CFR 172.504(f)(7). Not exempt on rail.
Residue packaging (49 CFR 172.514): bulk packagings (tank cars, cargo tanks, portable tanks) must remain placarded until cleaned and purged or refilled. Non-bulk residue packagings do not require placarding.
Limited Quantity (49 CFR 172.315): LTD QTY shipments are exempt from placarding. Packages must bear the square-on-point LTD QTY marking, and shipping papers must identify the material as "Limited Quantity" or "Ltd Qty".
Placard placement (49 CFR 172.516): placards must be displayed on all four sides of a vehicle, freight container, or rail car. They must be visible from ground level with no obstructions, advertisements, or labels interfering with visibility.