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Pump Labeling

Federal Requirements

Federal regulations require specific labeling on gas pumps to provide consumers with information about the fuel being dispensed. These regulations are set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The Nebraska Ethanol Board provides fuel labels complimentary for fuel retailers. Request labels here. 

Minimum Federal Labeling Requirements

  • Motor fuel dispensers need to be labeled on both sides of the dispenser with the product identity. This information should be posted on the upper 50 percent of the dispenser front panel in a position clear and conspicuous from the driver’s position. Pay attention to the text size – per Nebraska Weights & Measures: label must be in a type at least 12.7 mm (1/2 in) in height, 1.5 mm (1/16 in) stroke (width of type).
  • Retailers can post exact ethanol content or round up to the nearest 10th to post the ethanol percentage. For ethanol fuel blends with 51 percent and higher ethanol content, retailers can post exact ethanol content, round up to the nearest 10th or use the 51-83 percent ethanol range. E15 and flex fuel blends require secondary labels from the FTC. 
  • Specific to E15 fuel dispenser labeling, the EPA requires reasonable measures be taken to ensure that any retail fuel pump dispenser that is dispensing a gasoline with greater than 10 percent ethanol and no more than 15 percent ethanol is clearly labeled. The label must be conspicuous and legible; the EPA requires the use of the orange federal labels. EPA requires the label be placed on the upper 2/3 of the dispenser where consumers will see the label and in a prominent position that makes clear which nozzle or button is dispensing E15.
  • The receipt provided to the consumer should have the same product description as the fuel the consumer purchased. If the dispenser says E15, the receipt should say E15 was purchased. The “boulevard” and advertising signs should also match the label on the dispenser and the receipt provided to the consumer.
  • Per the EPA, the below are the label design requirements that apply to retailers and wholesale purchaser-consumers of gasoline that contains greater than 10 volume percent ethanol and not more than 15 volume percent ethanol.

(a) Any retailer or wholesale purchaser-consumer who sells, dispenses, or offers for sale or dispensing E15 shall affix the following conspicuous and legible label to the fuel dispenser:

  • Attention
  • E15
  • Up To 15% Ethanol
  • Use only in
  • • 2001 And Newer Passenger Vehicles
  • • Flex-fuel vehicles
  • Don't use in other vehicles, boats, or gasoline-powered equipment. It may cause damage and is prohibited by Federal law.

(b) Labels under this section shall meet the following requirements for appearance and placement:

1. Dimensions: The label shall measure 3 and 5/8 inches wide by 3 and 1/8 inches high.

2. Placement:. The label shall be placed on the upper two-thirds of each fuel dispenser where the consumer will see the label when selecting a fuel to purchase. For dispensers with one nozzle, the label shall be placed above the button or other control used for selecting E15, or in any other manner which clearly indicates which control is used to select E15. For dispensers with multiple nozzles, the label shall be placed in the location that is most likely to be seen by the consumer at the time of selection of E15.

3. Text: The text shall be justified and the fonts and backgrounds shall be as described below: 

  • The word “ATTENTION” shall be capitalized in 20-point, black, Helvetica Neue LT 77 Bold Condensed font, and shall be placed in the top 1.25 inches of the label as further described in paragraph (b)(4)(iii) of this section.
  • The word “E15” shall be in 42-point, orange, Helvetica Black font, and shall be placed in the top 1.25 inches of the label.
  • The ethanol content: “Up to 15% ethanol” shall be in 14-point, center-justified, orange, Helvetica Black font in the top 1.25 inches of the label, below the word E15.
  • The words “Use only in” shall be in 20-point, left-justified, black, Helvetica Bold font in the bottom 1.875 inches of the label.
  • The words, and symbols “• 2001 and newer passenger vehicles • Flex-fuel vehicles” shall be in 14-point, left-justified, black, Helvetica Bold font.
  • The remaining two sentences shall be in 12-point, left-justified, Helvetica Bold font, except that the word “prohibited” in the second sentence shall be in 12-point, black, Helvetica Black Italics font.

4. Color:

  1. The background of the top 1.25 inches of the label shall be black.
  2. The background of the bottom 1.875 inches of the label shall be orange.
  3. (The label shall have on the upper left side of the label a diagonal orange stripe that is .3125 inches tall. The stripe shall be placed as far down and across the label as is necessary so as to as to create a black triangle of the upper left corner of the label whose vertical side is contiguous to the vertical edge of the label and is.4375 inches long, and whose horizontal side is contiguous to the horizontal edge of the label and is 1.0 inches long. The word “Attention” shall be centered to the upper edge of this stripe.

5. Alternative labels to those specified in this section may be used if approved by EPA in advance. Such labels must contain all of the informational elements specified in paragraph (a) of this section, and must use colors and other design elements similar in substance and appearance to the label required by this section. Such labels may differ in size and shape from the label required by this section only to a small degree, except to the extent a larger label is necessary to accommodate additional information or translation of label information.

A request for approval of an alternative label shall be sent to the attention of “E15 Alternative Label Request” to the following address:

  • For U.S. Mail: Attn: [TITLE AS DIRECTED], U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Mail Code 6405A, Washington, DC 20460.

  • For commercial service: Attn: [TITLE AS DIRECTED], U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, William Jefferson Clinton Building North, Mail Code 6405A, Room 6520V, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20004; Phone: 1-800-385-6164.

Octane Rating and Pump Totalizer Accuracy (FTC): For precise label requirements see the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

EPA-Approved Labels (EPA): EPA label requirements can be found in the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Handbook 130. See 2.20 Gasoline-Oxygenate Blends on page 130.

The U.S. Department of Energy provides this Handbook for Handling, Storing, and Dispensing E85 and Other Ethanol-Gasoline Blends (February 2016). 

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