What 172.204 means in plain language
When you transport hazardous materials, your shipping papers must include an emergency response telephone number. This is the contact that emergency personnel or shippers can call if something goes wrong—a spill, leak, fire, or exposure. The number connects them to someone trained to advise on how to handle the specific hazardous material you're carrying.
This requirement exists because hazmat incidents can escalate quickly. First responders at the scene may not know the exact properties of the chemical, its reactivity, or the right way to contain it. An emergency response phone number gives them immediate access to technical guidance that can prevent injuries, deaths, and environmental damage.
If an inspector finds that your shipping papers lack this phone number, you'll be cited for 172.204. It's a documentation violation—your hazmat may be properly loaded, placarded, and packaged, but the paperwork itself is incomplete.
What our enforcement data actually shows
Across our 13 million inspection records, 172.204 has generated zero citations in our all-time database, zero citations in the last 12 months, and zero citations in the last 90 days. This is a rarely cited violation in roadside enforcement.
Because the violation carries zero citations in our records, there is no out-of-service rate data to report. The code exists in the FMCSR framework, but it does not appear to be a primary focus of roadside inspection activity. This may indicate strong industry compliance with the shipping paper requirement, or it may suggest that inspectors encounter and address this issue through warnings or correction before formal citations are issued.
For context, other hazmat documentation and placarding codes in the same regulatory family show much higher enforcement volume. This rarity does not mean the requirement is unimportant—it means you are unlikely to be stopped specifically for this violation, but you must still comply.
Who gets cited most
Given zero citations recorded in our database for this code, there are no state or carrier distribution patterns to report. This violation does not appear in the top enforcement targets across any state or fleet in our 13 million inspection records.
This absence of citation data should not be read as permission to skip the requirement. Rather, it suggests that either carriers and drivers have strong compliance rates, or inspectors may address the issue through alternative channels such as warnings or corrective actions that do not result in formal citations.
How severe is this compared to similar codes
Other hazmat-related shipping paper and documentation violations carry significantly higher enforcement frequency. For example, our records show 1,464 citations for 172.602(c)(1)—maintenance and accessibility of emergency response information—with a 0.0% out-of-service rate. That code addresses keeping emergency response materials accessible and readable, while 172.204 specifically requires the phone number itself on the papers.
Placarding violations carry much higher citation volumes: 177.817(a) has 2,274 citations with a 75.1% out-of-service rate, and 177.817(e) (placard deterioration) has 2,038 citations with a 5.2% out-of-service rate. Loading and unloading violations are even more heavily enforced, with 177.834A-HMC at 3,954 citations and a 99.2% out-of-service rate.
The low or non-existent citation count for 172.204 suggests it is either very well complied with or inspected less frequently than structural and operational hazmat violations. General loading, placarding, and emergency information accessibility appear to be higher-priority inspection targets.
How to avoid it
Complying with 172.204 requires one straightforward action before you ever leave the shipper's facility:
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Verify the emergency response phone number is printed or written on every shipping paper. Before accepting the load, review each document. The number must be clearly visible and legible. If it's missing or illegible, ask the shipper to correct it. Do not depart with incomplete papers.
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Understand which phone number must be listed. It should be the number of the shipper, the carrier's hazmat emergency response team, or a chemical emergency response service that the shipper has contracted. Do not assume the shipper has filled in this field—confirm it during your pre-load inspection.
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Keep shipping papers organized and accessible. Store them in a location you can reach without leaving the driver's seat. If stopped, you need to produce them quickly. Poor organization can lead to missed details during your own review.
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Flag incomplete or illegible shipping papers immediately. If you discover the emergency number is missing or unreadable during your pre-trip, return to the shipper or your dispatcher. Do not accept liability for a compliance failure you inherit from the shipper.
Because this violation has generated zero citations in our records, it is unlikely to be the sole reason you are stopped. However, if inspectors do examine shipping papers closely—especially in response to other hazmat concerns—a missing emergency number can compound an already difficult inspection. Making sure this detail is correct takes seconds and protects you.