What a fire extinguisher service tag must say, state by state

There is no national tag

There is no federal tag specification for portable fire extinguishers and no single national standard this research could read that sets one. What exists is a patchwork: some states specify the tag in rule, some specify a label on the extinguisher rather than the tag, some appear to specify nothing at state level, and a good many could not be confirmed either way.

The two states whose tag rules were read in full for this page prove the point on their own, because their tags are incompatible with each other.

Texas: 5¼ by 2⅝ inches, and not red

The Texas rule at 28 TAC § 34.520 specifies the service tag as 5¼ inches high by 2⅝ inches wide. It must carry the legend "DO NOT REMOVE BY ORDER OF THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL" in all capitals at not less than 10-point boldface. Service tags must not be red, because red is reserved for the separate out-of-service tag regime in the companion rule.

The tag shows the firm name, address, telephone number and registration number; the technician name, licence number and signature; the month and year of service and the type of work performed; the owner or occupant details; and the extinguisher specifications. A completed tag is attached securely on completion of the work, positioned so it can be inspected conveniently and does not hamper actuation. Tags may be printed for any five-year period, and adhesive-label tags are allowed where they carry everything required.

Georgia: light yellow, at least 3 by 5½ inches

The Georgia rule at 120-3-23-.14 governs service tags, maintenance labels, test labels, service collars and non-compliance tags. The service tag is light yellow and at least 3 inches by 5½ inches.

It carries the name of the firm that installed or serviced the extinguisher, with its street address, its mailing address where that differs, and its telephone number; the firm licence number; the name and permit number of the technician who did the work; the serial number of the extinguisher; the agent weight; and the hydrostatic testing due date.

Two states, two tags that do not match

Line them up. Texas sets a tag 5¼ by 2⅝ inches and forbids red. Georgia sets a tag at least 3 by 5½ inches and requires light yellow. Texas wants a specific legend about the state fire marshal in a specified type size. Georgia wants the agent weight and the hydrostatic due date on the face of the tag.

A single tag design cannot satisfy both, and a firm working across a state line needs two. That is the practical finding, and it is the reason a national answer to "what must my tag say" does not exist to be given.

Florida and Illinois: rules confirmed, text unread

Florida runs a standard service tag regime by rule. The chapter index that was read names 69A-21.240 for the requirements, 69A-21.241 for the specifications, and 69A-21.303 for the tag itself. What those rules actually say could not be read, because the state rules host serves each rule as a document to download rather than a page to read. So the rules exist, and their content is unconfirmed here.

Illinois specifies something on the extinguisher rather than on the tag: 41 Ill. Adm. Code 251.90 requires a pictorial classification decal affixed to the front of the unit, with durable, colour-fade-resistant markings on a single label complying with the standard's appendix. The rule text read for this page did not specify service-tag content, colour, or a signature requirement, which is unconfirmed rather than absent.

California: a real tagging article this research could not read

California has a tagging regime and this page says nothing about what it requires. Title 19, chapter 3, article 9 is titled "Tagging, Marking, Labeling and Seal of Registration" and runs from section 596.1 to 596.6. The article text returned an access refusal to every attempt in this research pass.

Search results describe its contents, and search results are not a source. So the honest position is this: the article exists, it is the thing to ask for by name and number, and anyone telling you what it says without having read it is guessing. Ask the Office of the State Fire Marshal for the current text of article 9.

Forty-six jurisdictions where no tag rule was confirmed

That leaves forty-six of the fifty-one with no confirmed service-tag rule in this data. Some of them will have one. Others will leave it to the standard the state adopted, or to the local authority, or to trade convention.

None of them is filled in here from a vendor summary, and none of them should be filled in from one anywhere else. A tag is a legal document in the states that specify it, and a plausible answer about a legal document is worse than an admitted blank.

What to do before a print run

Ask the licensing agency for your state for the current text of its tag rule by number, and ask whether an adhesive label is acceptable in place of a wired tag. Ask what the tag must say about the technician, because a signature requirement is common and a rubber stamp is not always accepted in its place. Ask whether a separate colour is reserved for out-of-service tags, as it is in Texas.

Then read the rule yourself before you commit to a print run, because printers hold old plates and rules move. Cadences vary by jurisdiction — verify with your AHJ.

Cadences vary by jurisdiction — verify with your AHJ.

Keep reading

• What does the colour of a fire extinguisher tag mean?
• Fire extinguisher service tags, explained
• Which NFPA 10 edition has your state adopted?

Elsewhere on this site

• Who may service fire extinguishers in your state: the 51-jurisdiction licensing layer
• Which NFPA edition your state has adopted, and why the year matters
• The free cadence lookup: next dates due for one unit
• The help centre