UN1219 isopropanol decoder.

The UN1219 row in the Hazardous Materials Table

The table below is 49 CFR 172.101 as published in the eCFR, current through October 29, 2026, for UN1219. Columns are: class (3), packing group (5), label codes (6), special provisions (7), packaging exceptions (8A), non-bulk packaging (8B), bulk packaging (8C), quantity limits for passenger aircraft or railcar (9A) and cargo aircraft only (9B), and vessel stowage (10A and 10B). There is one row.

Reading the packaging columns

Columns 8A to 8C do not hold rules themselves; they point to sections of part 173. For this entry they point to:

• 173.4b: referenced in the table (section not read for this page).
• 173.150: Exceptions for Class 3 (flammable and combustible liquids).
• 173.202: Non-bulk packagings for liquid hazardous materials in Packing Group II.
• 173.242: Bulk packagings for certain medium hazard liquids and solids, including solids with dual hazards.

Exceptions in column 8A apply only if that section is referenced for the specific material in the table, so a limited quantity route that exists for one UN number is not automatically open to another.

Special provisions on this entry

The letter prefixes on special provisions tell you where each applies (172.102(c)): a code of only numbers is multi-modal; "A" applies only to transportation by aircraft; "B" only to bulk packaging; "IB" and "IP" only to IBCs; "N" only to non-bulk packaging; "T" and "TP" only to UN portable tanks.

• IB2: Authorized IBCs: metal (31A, 31B, 31N), rigid plastic (31H1, 31H2) and composite (31HZ1).
• T4: a portable tank instruction. It set the minimum test pressure, shell thickness, bottom opening and pressure relief requirements for UN portable tanks.
• TP1: The maximum degree of filling of a portable tank must not exceed the figure from the formula given in the provision.

Two names, one entry

The table lists the material as "Isopropanol or Isopropyl alcohol", and the ERG 2024 numerical index lists both "Isopropanol" and "Isopropyl alcohol" against UN1219 and Guide 129. The entry describes the material itself, so the shipping paper should use the name as written in the table.

The 4b exception: 173.4b de minimis quantities

Column 8A shows "4b, 150". The 4b points to 173.4b, which says Packing Group II and III materials of Class 3 (among others) packaged in accordance with the section do not meet the definition of a hazardous material and are not subject to the subchapter. The conditions are strict: not more than 1 mL (0.03 ounce) of liquid per inner receptacle, closures held securely, absorbent cushioning, a strong outer packaging that survives the drop and compression tests, and an aggregate quantity per package that stays within the section limits. At one millilitre per receptacle it covers samples and test kits, not bottles of cleaner. The 173.150 limited quantity route (150) is the one that fits retail bottles.

Guide 129: water-miscible and noxious

ERG 2024 puts isopropanol in Guide 129, Flammable Liquids (Water-Miscible/Noxious), rather than Guide 127. The health section of Guide 129 adds "May cause toxic effects if inhaled or absorbed through skin" on top of the irritation and dizziness language of Guide 127. Public-safety distances are the same as Guide 127: isolate 50 meters (150 feet) in all directions, consider downwind evacuation of at least 300 meters (1000 feet) for a large spill, and 800 meters (1/2 mile) for a tank in a fire.

ERG 2024 Guide 129: Flammable Liquids (Water-Miscible/Noxious)

The ERG 2024 numerical index lists UN1219 against Guide 129. The guide appears on pages 187 to 188 of the 2024 guidebook. The guidebook is meant for first responders during the initial phase of an incident, and it says to call 911 and then the emergency response telephone number on the shipping paper.

• Fire or explosion: "HIGHLY FLAMMABLE: Will be easily ignited by heat, sparks or flames." Vapors may form explosive mixtures with air, flash back from a source of ignition, and collect in low or confined areas.
• Health: unlike Guide 127, this guide adds "May cause toxic effects if inhaled or absorbed through skin", plus irritation or burns to skin and eyes and dizziness or asphyxiation in confined areas.
• Evacuation: isolate a spill or leak area for at least 50 meters (150 feet) in all directions; for a large spill consider initial downwind evacuation of at least 300 meters (1000 feet); for a tank, rail tank car or highway tank in a fire, isolate for 800 meters (1/2 mile).
• Fire response: small fire, dry chemical, CO2, water spray or alcohol-resistant foam; large fire, water spray, fog or alcohol-resistant foam, avoiding straight or solid streams onto the product.

The guide is a starting point until the material is identified. Read the full guide in the current ERG, and use the shipping paper emergency number for product-specific advice.

Placards, quantity and vessel stowage

3 is a Table 2 category in 172.504(e), so the placard is FLAMMABLE. On a highway vehicle with less than 454 kg (1,001 pounds) aggregate gross weight of Table 2 materials in non-bulk packages, no placard is required, but bulk packagings and materials subject to 172.505 are not eligible for that exception (172.504(c)).

Vessel stowage is the category in column 10A (B), which the table sets for this entry, plus the column 10B codes. Column 10B is blank for this entry. Hazmat shipped as a limited quantity is allocated stowage category A and is not subject to the column 10B stowage codes (176.63(a)).

Worked example

A medical supplier ships eight 500 mL bottles of 99 percent isopropanol by ground. Each inner packaging is 0.5 L, under the 1.0 L Packing Group II limit in 173.150(b), and the case is well under 30 kg gross, so the limited quantity exception can apply. By cargo aircraft only the 4 L net is within the 60 L limit, and also within the 5 L passenger limit. The 4b entry does not help, because each bottle is far over the 1 mL per receptacle limit in 173.4b.

Limits

This page reads the 172.101 table, the 172.102 special provisions, 172.504 and the section titles named above, plus ERG 2024. It does not classify your material, choose a proper shipping name, or build shipping papers, marks, labels or training requirements. The checker compares your net quantity to the printed column 9A and 9B limits and applies the 1,001 pound rule to the class on the row; it does not model subsidiary hazard placards (172.505), mixed loads, state rules or carrier restrictions. Special provisions are shown in summary; read the full text in 172.102 before relying on one. Hazmat shipping needs trained hazmat employees (49 CFR part 172, subpart H).

Sources

Sources opened and read November 2, 2026.

• eCFR: 49 CFR 172.101, Hazardous Materials Table (current through October 29, 2026) (read November 2, 2026)
• eCFR: 49 CFR 172.102, special provisions (current through October 29, 2026) (read November 2, 2026)
• eCFR: 49 CFR 172.504, general placarding requirements (current through October 29, 2026) (read November 2, 2026)
• eCFR: 49 CFR 173.4b, De minimis exceptions (current through October 29, 2026) (read November 2, 2026)
• eCFR: 49 CFR 173.150, Exceptions for Class 3 (flammable and combustible liquids) (current through October 29, 2026) (read November 2, 2026)
• eCFR: 49 CFR 173.202, Non-bulk packagings for liquid hazardous materials in Packing Group II (current through October 29, 2026) (read November 2, 2026)
• eCFR: 49 CFR 173.242, Bulk packagings for certain medium hazard liquids and solids, including solids with dual hazards (current through October 29, 2026) (read November 2, 2026)
• eCFR: 49 CFR 176.84, other requirements for stowage, cargo handling and segregation (current through October 29, 2026) (read November 2, 2026)
• eCFR: 49 CFR 176.63, stowage locations (current through October 29, 2026) (read November 2, 2026)
• PHMSA: Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG) landing page (read November 2, 2026)
• PHMSA: ERG 2024 PDF, numerical index and guide pages (the phmsa.dot.gov host refused automated requests; the Internet Archive copy of this file was read) (read November 2, 2026)