NEMA Enclosure Rating Chart
Compare all 18 current NEMA enclosure Types by indoor/outdoor use, rain, dust, washdown, corrosion, oil/coolant, and submersion.
Quick reference
NEMA Ratings by Environment
Use the chart first. Search or tap an exposure only when you need to narrow the 18 current Type designations.
No NEMA enclosure Types match the current search/filter. Clear the filters or use the Type finder below.
Scroll horizontally for additional columns and vertically for additional Types. Column headers remain visible while scrolling.
| Main protection | Typical use / key distinction | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| NEMA Type 1 | Indoor | Falling dirt | General dry indoor electrical enclosuresGeneral dry indoor enclosure; basic falling-dirt/contact protection. |
| NEMA Type 2 | Indoor | Falling dirt; Dripping + light splashing | Indoor locations with dripping or light splashType 1-style indoor protection plus dripping and light splashing water. |
| NEMA Type 3 | Indoor / outdoor | Falling dirt + windblown dust/lint/fibers; Drip/light splash + rain/snow/sleet | Outdoor weather + windblown dustWeather enclosure with windblown-dust protection; no hose-directed-water requirement. |
| NEMA Type 3X | Indoor / outdoor | Falling dirt + windblown dust/lint/fibers; Drip/light splash + rain/snow/sleet; Increased corrosion protection | Outdoor weather + windblown dust + corrosionType 3 environmental characteristics plus increased corrosion protection. |
| NEMA Type 3R | Indoor / outdoor | Falling dirt; Drip/light splash + rain/snow/sleet | Outdoor electrical equipment exposed to rain/snowCommon outdoor precipitation rating; does not add windblown-dust or hose-down protection. |
| NEMA Type 3RX | Indoor / outdoor | Falling dirt; Drip/light splash + rain/snow/sleet; Increased corrosion protection | Outdoor rain/snow where corrosion protection is also neededType 3R characteristics plus increased corrosion protection. |
| NEMA Type 3S | Indoor / outdoor | Falling dirt + windblown dust/lint/fibers; Drip/light splash + rain/snow/sleet | Icing environments where external mechanisms must remain operableType 3 weather/dust protection with external mechanisms operable when ice-laden. |
| NEMA Type 3SX | Indoor / outdoor | Falling dirt + windblown dust/lint/fibers; Drip/light splash + rain/snow/sleet; Increased corrosion protection | Icing + windblown dust + corrosionType 3S characteristics plus increased corrosion protection. |
| NEMA Type 4 | Indoor / outdoor | Falling + windblown/circulating dust; Rain/snow/sleet + splash + hose-directed water | Outdoor or washdown environments without a corrosion requirementIndoor/outdoor washdown-style protection against windblown dust and hose-directed water. |
| NEMA Type 4X | Indoor / outdoor | Falling + windblown/circulating dust; Rain/snow/sleet + splash + hose-directed water; Increased corrosion protection | Corrosive, coastal, sanitation or washdown environmentsType 4 environmental protection plus increased corrosion protection. |
| NEMA Type 5 | Indoor | Falling dirt + settling dust/lint/fibers; Dripping + light splashing | Indoor dusty industrial environmentsIndoor enclosure for settling airborne dust and limited water ingress. |
| NEMA Type 6 | Indoor / outdoor | Falling dirt + windblown/circulating/settling dust/lint/fibers; Rain/snow/sleet + hose water + temporary submersion | Wet environments with temporary immersion riskAdds occasional temporary submersion at limited depth; not unlimited immersion. |
| NEMA Type 6P | Indoor / outdoor | Falling dirt + windblown/circulating/settling dust/lint/fibers; Rain/snow/sleet + hose water + prolonged submersion; Increased corrosion protection | Severe wet/immersion environments requiring corrosion protectionAdds prolonged submersion at limited depth plus increased corrosion protection. |
| NEMA Type 7 | Class I, Division 1 hazardous | Explosion-proof scope for Class I, Division 1 | Class I, Division 1 hazardous locationsExplosion-proof hazardous-location designation tied to ANSI/UL 1203 and NEC area classification. |
| NEMA Type 9 | Class II, Division 1 hazardous | Dust-ignition-proof scope for Class II, Division 1 | Class II, Division 1 combustible-dust locationsDust-ignition-proof hazardous-location designation tied to ANSI/UL 1203 and NEC area classification. |
| NEMA Type 12 | Indoor | Falling + circulating/settling dust/lint/fibers; Dripping + light splashing; Oil/coolant: Seepage + light splashing | Industrial control panels and machinery indoorsIndoor industrial enclosure without knockouts; includes oil/noncorrosive-coolant seepage/light splash. |
| NEMA Type 12K | Indoor | Falling + circulating/settling dust/lint/fibers; Dripping + light splashing; Oil/coolant: Seepage + light splashing | Indoor industrial panels where knockouts are requiredSame basic environmental scope as Type 12, but constructed with knockouts. |
| NEMA Type 13 | Indoor | Falling + circulating/settling dust/lint/fibers; Dripping + light splashing; Oil/coolant: Spray + splash + seepage | Machine-tool and coolant/oil exposure indoorsIndoor industrial protection that extends to spraying, splashing and seepage of oil/noncorrosive coolants. |
Do not choose by number alone
Choose by the actual environment. Type 12 is not automatically more protective than Type 4, and Type 4X is not a substitute for Type 6P when submersion is the governing exposure.
Optional selection aid
Which NEMA Enclosure Type Should I Check?
Choose only the conditions that actually apply. The result highlights candidate rows; it does not certify an enclosure or infer that a higher Type number is automatically suitable.
For hazardous/classified locations, the finder stops at Types 7 and 9 and requires a separate area-classification review. For all applications, verify the complete enclosure assembly, certification/listing, manufacturer instructions and project requirements.
Common NEMA Enclosure Types Compared
3R vs 4 vs 4X
3R: rain/snow. 4: adds windblown dust and hose-directed water. 4X: adds increased corrosion protection.
4 vs 4X
Both cover the same major Type 4 weather/washdown conditions; 4X adds increased corrosion protection.
12 vs 4
Type 12 is indoor industrial protection for dust, drips/light splash and oil/coolant seepage; Type 4 is indoor/outdoor and includes hose-directed water.
12 vs 13
Both are indoor industrial Types. Type 13 extends oil/noncorrosive-coolant protection to spraying and splashing, not only seepage/light splash.
6 vs 6P
Type 6 addresses occasional temporary submersion. Type 6P addresses prolonged submersion at limited depth and adds increased corrosion protection.
NEMA 3R vs 4 vs 4X
| Characteristic | 3R | 4 | 4X |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indoor / outdoor | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Rain / snow / sleet | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Windblown dust | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Hose-directed water | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Increased corrosion protection | — | — | ✓ |
What the NEMA Suffixes Mean
NEMA vs IP Ratings: Can You Convert Them?
Not one-to-one. NEMA Type designations and IEC IP codes are different classification systems. An IP code describes defined ingress-protection characteristics, while NEMA Types can include additional environmental considerations.
Do not reverse-convert blindly
If a project specifies an IP code, interpret it using the IP Rating Chart, then evaluate the NEMA requirements separately.
NEMA Types 7 and 9: Hazardous Locations
The current ANSI/NEMA EN 10250-2026 scope includes Type 7 for Class I, Division 1 explosion-proof enclosures and Type 9 for Class II, Division 1 dust-ignition-proof enclosures, with referenced ANSI/UL 1203 and NEC requirements. Ordinary weather/dust filters cannot establish hazardous-location suitability.
The Rating Applies to the Complete Enclosure Assembly
Doors, covers, gaskets, fasteners, conduit/cable entries, vents, drains, operators, viewing windows, accessories, modifications and installation orientation can affect the finished enclosure. “4X material” is not the same thing as a completed assembly verified for Type 4X performance.
Engineering Basis and Source Notes
Current standard: ANSI/NEMA EN 10250-2026, Enclosures for Electrical Equipment (1,000 Volts Maximum). It revises the 2024 edition and confirms the 18 main Type designations used on this page.
Detailed transformed characteristics: NEMA BI 50055-2024, NEMA 10250 Enclosure Types, supplies the comparison/definition basis for the plain-language environmental characteristics. Because that guide is based on the 2024 edition, use the current 2026 standard and the actual product certification/listing for specification work.
- ANSI — ANSI/NEMA EN 10250-2026Current enclosure standard; ≤1000 V scope and the current indoor, indoor/outdoor, and Types 7/9 hazardous-location groups.
- ANSI catalog — NEMA BI 50055-2024NEMA enclosure-Type guide used for independently transformed detailed protection characteristics and common comparisons.
- NEMA — Enclosure Types guidancePublic NEMA reference used as a secondary cross-check for common Type definitions.
- Rows
- 18 main Type designations
- Current standard
- ANSI/NEMA EN 10250-2026
- Detailed comparison guide
- NEMA BI 50055-2024
- Scope
- Electrical equipment enclosures ≤ 1000 V
- Rights treatment
- Independent transformed summaries; no reproduction of complete normative tables/test procedures
- Last source verification
- October 2026
Related Engineering References
NEMA Enclosure Rating FAQs
Outdoor use alone does not identify one Type. Type 3R is a common precipitation starting point; Type 4 adds windblown-dust and hose-directed-water protection; Type 4X adds increased corrosion protection; Types 6 and 6P address submersion.
Type 3R covers falling dirt and outdoor precipitation conditions. Type 4 adds windblown-dust and hose-directed/splashing-water protection.
Type 4X adds increased corrosion protection to the Type 4 environmental envelope. That does not make it universally “better”; submersion or hazardous-location requirements can require a different Type.
Type 12 is an indoor industrial enclosure Type for dust, dripping/light splash, and oil/noncorrosive-coolant seepage/light splash. Type 4 is indoor/outdoor and adds outdoor weather, windblown dust, and hose-directed water.
No. The classification systems evaluate different requirements, so an IP code should not be reverse-converted into a guaranteed NEMA enclosure Type.