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Letters of Interpretation

PHMSA has published several Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) documents on programmatic topics. Please review these documents here at: https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/about-phmsa/phmsa-faqs.

Additionally, Office of Hazardous Materials Safety has published Hazardous Materials FAQs based on letters of interpretation on the following topics:

Office of Hazardous Materials Safety: For questions about transporting hazardous materials, needing clarifications of the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180), or requesting a formal letter of interpretation, please go to the Hazardous Materials Information Center (HMIC) page for contact information (phone and email address). Pending interpretation letters that are under review by the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety can be found at Pending Hazardous Materials (Hazmat) Interpretations.  

Office of Pipeline Safety: A written regulatory interpretation, response to a question, or an opinion concerning a pipeline safety issue may be obtained by submitting a written request to the Office of Pipeline Safety (PHP–30), PHMSA, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590–0001 or at the email address: pipeline_interp_submittal@dot.gov. In addition to email address, the requestor must include his or her return address and should also include a daytime telephone number. Requests should be submitted at least 120 days before the time the requestor needs a response. Note: electronic submission is provided as alternative to the 49 CFR Part 190.11(b) mail-in requirement.

Interpretation letters under review are available at the Office of Pipeline Safety’s Interpretation Review page. To submit comments on an interpretation under review, proceed to the Interpretation Review page, locate the interpretation to comment on, and click the appropriate link to submit a comment on the corresponding interpretation. Comment submissions will be accepted for 30-days after the interpretation letter is posted.

This section of the website below provides the ability to find regulations information including regulations parts, content of sections, and interpretations for regulations sections. A list of parts, identified by the part number and subject is also provided. To browse sections by part, click on the subject link below. You will be taken to the eCFR website to view sections for a part.

The eCFR is also searchable by keyword and other available options on the eCFR website. To search and browse regulations using the eCFR website, use the link below. For assistance, please send an email to PHMSA.Webmaster@dot.gov.

Search the eCFR

Interpretations Reference #

Search Tip: Use quotation marks to search for commonly used phrases, such as “gas transmission” or “cargo tank motor vehicle.”
E.g., 02/09/2021
E.g., 02/09/2021
Ref ID: Date Company Name Individual Name Response Document
12-0053 Blue Sky Technologies Mr. Charley Simpson View
12-0068 Argonne National Laboratory Mr. Lee Stevens View
12-0059 Mr. William Briner View
12-0031 Wiley Rein LLP Mr. George Kerchner View
12-0038 Mr. Charles E. Tudor View
10-0251 PBI Technology, Inc. Mr. Paul Bess View
12-0044 Council on the Safe Transportation of Hazardous Articles, Inc. Mr. Tom Ferguson View
11-0090 Hazmat Compliance & Transportation Mr. Kevin Gannon View
10-0095 Mr. Bill Briner View
11-0146 Mr. Thomas W. Ferguson The Council on Safe Transportation of Hazardous Articles, Inc. View
11-0252 Diamon-Fusion International, Inc. Ms. Ana Zax View
11-0296 Washington Closure Hanford, LLC Mr. Robinson E. Fillmore View
12-0005 Global Passive Safety System Ltd. Mr. Andy Abrams View
10-0236 Mr. Peter Lowe View
12-0054 DuPont Global Logistics Mr. Kevin M. Greene View
12-0045 DG Advisor, LLC Mr. Ben Barrett View
12-0080 Christensen Company Ms. Rhonda Heltzel View
11-0158 Corrosion Testing Laboratories, Inc. Mr. Bradley D. Krantz View
12-0033 Freehold Cartage, Inc. Mr. J. Chip Brackett View
11-0221 Mr. Denis Jacques View
12-0060 Bombardier Aerospace Mr. Jeff Christafore View
11-0294 Sea-Land Chemical Co. Mr. Kerry McMahon View
12-0013 GeoDynamics Mr. Rick Chewning View
11-0003 S.E. McDonough & Associates, Inc. Ms. Susan E. McDounough View
12-0039 Caterpillar, Inc. Mr. Jerry A. Shipman En View
11-0310 Dannemiller Associates, Inc. Mr. Larry Dannemiller View
12-0064 Boyle Transportation Mr. Rick Araniz View
12-0016 View
12-0058 Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico Mr. David Castillo View
12-0034 Container-Quinn Testing Laboratories, Inc. A Division of Holmes Testing, Inc. Mr. Steven Powell View
11-0302 Navarro Research and Engineering, Inc. Mr. David Wilson View
11-0291 Environmental Management, Inc. Jamie Newton View
12-0028 Waste and Compliance Management, Inc. Mr. Eric Smith View
11-0189R Mr. W. Eugene Sanders III W.E. Train Consulting View
11-0278 Thunderbird Cylinder Mr. Fred Nachman View
12-0037 Naval Ordnance Safety and Security Activity Mrs. Karen Bonnin View
11-0272 Safetech Mr. Robert Holley View
11-0289 CH2MHILL Plateau Remediation Mr. Chris Backus View
12-0002 Mr. Henry Wake Huffman View
11-0170 Orica USA, Inc. Ms. Lisa Nitschke View
12-0029 Colorcon No Tox Products Mr. Tim Jamison View
12-0018 United Parcel Service (UPS) Mr. Bob Cogen View
12-0035 Winchester Ammunition Ms. Laura Hamilton View
12-0055 J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. Mr. Tom Ziebell Sr. View
11-0304 Dangerous Goods Transport Consulting, Inc. Mr. Frits Wybenga View
12-0052 Doughty & Carson, PLLC Mr. Oliver D. Adams Hodges View
12-0006 Lighter Association, Inc. Mr. David H. Baker View
11-0198 Landstar Transportation Logistics, Inc. Mr. Wes Pace View
11-0217 View
11-0276 Mr. Lawrence W. Bierlein View