Fuel cans and DOT?

OverlandZJ

Expedition Leader
Are there Federal regulations denoting Fuel can color minimum requirements?

I have some OD cans that i'd like to be legal with. Some googling has me unsure if the whole can or just the cap needs to be red in color to determine gasoline stored inside.

Am i legal with red straps on Scepters and red caps on Wedco's?
 

Curmudgeon

Adventurer
All of my NATO cans are entirely OD, and I have never had any trouble getting them filled. And here in good ol' Oregon we aren't allowed to pump our own gas, so they are always filled by a station attendant. No one has ever questioned it or even mentioned it. Whether it's federal law or just Oregon law I'm not sure, but I do know it's illegal to dispense fuel into a glass container.

-
 

saburai

Explorer
I've been concerned about this as well.

I recently had AJ build me a great set of bumpers for my XJ, enclosed winch in front and a tire carrier w/ a hi lift and dual jerry cans in the back. The cans are side by side. A few days ago I went to a sail maker, he is making me a cover for the cans. Out of sight, out of mind. Problem solved.
 
Strap red and you're clear.

If you like, you can do the whole cap.

If you enjoy painting, you can do the whole can.

But red strap will make you legal.
 

bugnout

Adventurer
Strap red and you're clear.

If you like, you can do the whole cap.

If you enjoy painting, you can do the whole can.

But red strap will make you legal.

Certainly the safe thing to do, but do you have a source for the legality issue? That seems to continue to be the question. I haven't seen any basis for the claim that color is mandated by law for any fuel cans. Just seems to be an industry standard for gas cans to be red, diesel to be yellow.
 

OverlandZJ

Expedition Leader
I cannot for the life of me find the source where i "thought" i read they needed some color to be compliant. Thought it was a Pa requirement..

Anyway, i think i'll just paint the Scepter straps and Nato caps red. Thanks for the input.
 

James86004

Expedition Leader
I have a vague recollection of reading that some fire regulation required it to be red. Maybe a local fire marshal requirement somewhere? Probably from when I lived in Massachusetts, where they seemed to have a law for everything.
 

bugnout

Adventurer
I submitted a question to USDOT online and they called me back this morning. The gentleman I spoke too said that fuel container color is not defined by USDOT. He thought I should check with OSHA.

I checked the OSHA site and spent about an hour searching for the common terms color or code or container or fuel or diesel or gasoline. I found nothing except some placarding requirements for large volumes and workplace safety. No mention of color coding for fuel containers anywhere.

The only color coding i did find was on the CARB site, Certification Requirements http://www.arb.ca.gov/regact/pfc/2005/cp501.pdf where section 2.2 clearly defines the colors for each fuel type.

Guess you guys from california will have to stop carrying blue containers for water as they will too easily be confused for Kerosene. :sombrero:
 
Last edited:

angusdevil

Adventurer
Here in Wisconsin, there are clearly marked signs at all gas stations that say gas can only be put into a red container, diesel in yellow and keroseen in blue. It's the first time I have ever seen any reference to color mandations with containers. It listed the law article number under it but I haven't bothered to look at it as all of my cans are properly marked and colored.
 
I don't know that there is any requirement that they be red, but I can tell you that the NATO cans that have gasoline in them at my house are painted red. The kerosene can is yellow. The used oil is in a grey NATO jerry can.

Just because, well, I'm just not that smart :sombrero:
 

Nick B

Observer
One time at Costco the attendant would not let me fill up my U.S. GI OD can with the red strap . He said their rule is that the whole can had to be red .
 

Jeepthreat

Observer
So the final word, is that its clear to use whatever color nationally, but there are some state or city ordances that reuire red, and indivuals who are mistake that red is required nationally?

I have my cans black with a red stripe on them /nato/ style cans. Can i make my run across the states with it?
 
Last edited:

Forum statistics

Threads
185,527
Messages
2,875,534
Members
224,922
Latest member
Randy Towles
Top