What 172.602A means in plain language
When you transport hazardous materials, federal regulation requires you to have complete and accessible Emergency Response information on hand. This typically appears on your shipping papers, placards, or in a written emergency response guide that a first responder could use in case of an accident, spill, or other incident.
172.602A focuses specifically on whether that information is complete—meaning it contains all the required data points that emergency crews need to safely handle the material. Missing, illegible, or incomplete details about what the hazmat is, how to handle exposure, or what safety measures apply all fall under this violation.
This is not about whether your placard is missing or whether you have the guide at all. This is about the content quality and completeness of what you do have. If an inspector finds your Emergency Response information lacking critical details, you'll receive this citation.
What our enforcement data actually shows
Across our 13 million+ inspection records, 172.602A ranks #1275 of 3,036 FMCSR codes by total citation volume. Inspectors have issued 166 citations all-time for this violation, with 102 citations in the last 12 months and 14 in the last 90 days.
Here's the critical part: 0.0% out-of-service rate. None of the 166 drivers cited for this code were placed out of service as a result. This is dramatically lower than the all-FMCSR average OOS rate of 31.4%, and lower than almost every other hazmat-related code. This tells you that while inspectors are catching incomplete Emergency Response information, FMCSA is treating it as a documentation or completeness issue, not an immediate safety threat that warrants pulling the vehicle off the road.
The citation volume has remained relatively steady over the past year. September 2025 saw the highest month with 17 citations, while lighter months (April, January, March 2026) recorded 3–5 citations each.
Who gets cited most
Our inspection data shows Texas leads by a significant margin. In the last 180 days, Texas inspectors issued 31 citations for 172.602A with a 0.0% OOS rate. North Carolina follows with 3 citations (0.0% OOS rate), and Illinois with 2 citations (0.0% OOS rate). New Mexico had 1 citation with no out-of-service placement.
The geographic concentration in Texas reflects both higher inspection activity in that state and the volume of hazmat transport through major corridors there. All four states show identical OOS rates (0.0%), which reinforces that this citation is handled consistently as a non-safety-critical documentation violation across regions.
Looking at carriers in our all-time data, our records show fleets such as Ear Telecommunications LLC and Lightning Transportation LLC each with 3 citations for this code. Transportaciones de Petroliferos Marom SA de CV, Quality Tank SA de CV, Darkhorse Energy Services LLC, Titsa Grupo Transportista SA de CV, Transportes Especializados Antonio Garza Ruiz SA de CV, AAA Cooper Transportation, Olson Construction Services LLC, and Dorado Transportation LLC each have 2 citations. This distribution suggests the violation occurs across different fleet sizes and hazmat specialties, not concentrated in any single carrier type.
How severe is this compared to similar codes
The hazmat category includes codes with vastly different enforcement severity. Here's how 172.602A compares:
177.834A (General loading/unloading hazmat) has been cited 3,954 times with a 99.2% OOS rate—nearly every citation results in the truck being removed from service. That's the extreme end.
177.817(a) (Placarding violation) appears 2,274 times with a 75.1% OOS rate. Three-quarters of placarding citations lead to out-of-service orders.
172.602(c)(1) (Maintenance/accessibility of Emergency Response information) is the closest peer code to yours—it shares the same regulatory focus (Emergency Response information) but addresses a different aspect (maintenance and accessibility rather than completeness). That code has 1,464 citations with a 0.0% OOS rate, exactly matching your code's enforcement profile.
Your code sits in the lower-severity tier of hazmat violations. The fact that both 172.602A and its peer 172.602(c)(1) carry 0.0% OOS rates tells you FMCSA views information completeness and accessibility issues as correctable documentation problems, not immediate roadside safety emergencies.
How to avoid it
Prevent this citation by making Emergency Response information verification part of your pre-trip hazmat routine:
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Before loading, verify your shipping papers include all required Emergency Response data. Check that the material name, hazard class, UN/NA number, and emergency response procedures are fully legible and complete. Don't accept incomplete paperwork from your shipper.
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Cross-check your Emergency Response guide against what you're carrying. If you're hauling multiple hazmat shipments, ensure your guide or information source covers every material in the load and contains current contact numbers and handling instructions.
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Inspect your placard and any placards on packages for legibility and accuracy. While most placard violations are separate offenses, incomplete information often stems from damaged or faded placards that lack detail. Damaged or deteriorated placards frequently appear alongside Emergency Response documentation issues—in our last 90 days of data, placarding violations co-occurred with 172.602A citations in 6 shared inspections.
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If you operate a Freightliner, other heavy-duty truck, or tanker vehicle, pay extra attention. Our data shows Frht (Freightliner) vehicles account for 43 citations of this code, and tanker units (Ptrb/PTRB classification) for 24 citations. These vehicle types are heavily used in hazmat transport and draw proportionally more hazmat inspections.
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Know that incomplete Emergency Response information sometimes appears alongside other hazmat violations. In recent inspections, this code co-occurred with 177.823A (movement of damaged hazmat packages) and 177.817A (placarding violations) in 4 shared inspections each. If you're being inspected for hazmat, assume all documentation angles will be scrutinized.