Visual plug & outlet identification
NEMA Plug & Receptacle Chart
Start with the outlet shape or enter the code you already have.
Fastest path: match one of the common outlet faces below. If you already know the designation, search 5-20R, TT-30R, 14-50, or L14-30P. P = plug, R = receptacle, and L = locking.
Match by outlet shape
Common NEMA Outlet Types
Select a face to load the electrical rating and matching plug/receptacle designations.
Simplified face schematics for identification only; not dimensional drawings and not to scale.
Do not match by amperage alone. Equal-amp configurations can have different voltage systems, conductor arrangements, and incompatible blade patterns.
NEMA designation decoder
Search a designation above, select a visual outlet type, or choose View on a chart row.
Filter the full 23-family chart
No verified NEMA configuration matches these filters. Check the designation or clear one or more filters.
Scroll horizontally to view additional columns and vertically to view additional rows. The NEMA configuration column and column headers remain visible while scrolling.
| Plug | Receptacle | Actions | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-15 | Straight blade | 125 V | 15 A | 2 | 2 | Non-grounding | 1-15P | 1-15R | |
| 5-15 | Straight blade | 125 V | 15 A | 2 | 3 | Grounding | 5-15P | 5-15R | |
| 5-20 | Straight blade | 125 V | 20 A | 2 | 3 | Grounding | 5-20P | 5-20R | |
| 5-30 | Straight blade | 125 V | 30 A | 2 | 3 | Grounding | 5-30P | 5-30R | |
| 5-50 | Straight blade | 125 V | 50 A | 2 | 3 | Grounding | 5-50P | 5-50R | |
| 6-15 | Straight blade | 250 V | 15 A | 2 | 3 | Grounding | 6-15P | 6-15R | |
| 6-20 | Straight blade | 250 V | 20 A | 2 | 3 | Grounding | 6-20P | 6-20R | |
| 6-30 | Straight blade | 250 V | 30 A | 2 | 3 | Grounding | 6-30P | 6-30R | |
| 6-50 | Straight blade | 250 V | 50 A | 2 | 3 | Grounding | 6-50P | 6-50R | |
| 10-30 | Straight blade | 125/250 V | 30 A | 3 | 3 | Non-grounding | 10-30P | 10-30R | |
| 10-50 | Straight blade | 125/250 V | 50 A | 3 | 3 | Non-grounding | 10-50P | 10-50R | |
| 14-20 | Straight blade | 125/250 V | 20 A | 3 | 4 | Grounding | 14-20P | 14-20R | |
| 14-30 | Straight blade | 125/250 V | 30 A | 3 | 4 | Grounding | 14-30P | 14-30R | |
| 14-50 | Straight blade | 125/250 V | 50 A | 3 | 4 | Grounding | 14-50P | 14-50R | |
| TT-30 | Straight blade | 125 V | 30 A | 2 | 3 | Grounding | TT-30P | TT-30R | |
| L5-15 | Locking | 125 V | 15 A | 2 | 3 | Grounding | L5-15P | L5-15R | |
| L5-20 | Locking | 125 V | 20 A | 2 | 3 | Grounding | L5-20P | L5-20R | |
| L5-30 | Locking | 125 V | 30 A | 2 | 3 | Grounding | L5-30P | L5-30R | |
| L6-15 | Locking | 250 V | 15 A | 2 | 3 | Grounding | L6-15P | L6-15R | |
| L6-20 | Locking | 250 V | 20 A | 2 | 3 | Grounding | L6-20P | L6-20R | |
| L6-30 | Locking | 250 V | 30 A | 2 | 3 | Grounding | L6-30P | L6-30R | |
| L14-20 | Locking | 125/250 V | 20 A | 3 | 4 | Grounding | L14-20P | L14-20R | |
| L14-30 | Locking | 125/250 V | 30 A | 3 | 4 | Grounding | L14-30P | L14-30R |
Use this chart to identify a NEMA configuration—not to size conductors, overcurrent protection, or approve an installation. Exact geometry and compliance-critical dimensions belong to the current ANSI/NEMA WD 6 standard.
NEMA Plug Chart — common straight-blade, RV, and locking configuration reference. Verify the exact device and current applicable requirements before installation.
Common NEMA Plug Types by Use
Use the application only as an identification clue. The equipment nameplate and the exact NEMA designation control the match.
| Typical application | Common configuration | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| General household outlet | 15 A · 125 V | |
| 20 A household / commercial outlet | 20 A · 125 V | |
| 30 A RV / travel trailer | 30 A · 125 V | |
| Modern electric dryer | 30 A · 125/250 V | |
| Welder / 250 V equipment | 50 A · 250 V | |
| Range / RV / some EV charging | 50 A · 125/250 V | |
| Locking generator / transfer equipment | 30 A · 125/250 V |
Commonly Confused 30 A Types
All three are 30 A families, but they are electrically and mechanically different.
Commonly Confused 50 A Types
They share a 50 A rating but do not share the same conductor arrangement or receptacle pattern.
NEMA 5-20R
20 A, 125 V, 2-pole, 3-wire grounding receptacle. The matching plug is 5-20P.
NEMA 14-50R
50 A, 125/250 V, 3-pole, 4-wire grounding receptacle. It includes two ungrounded conductors, neutral, and equipment grounding.
NEMA L14-30P
30 A, 125/250 V, 3-pole, 4-wire grounding locking plug. The matching receptacle is L14-30R.
How to Read a NEMA Plug Number
A NEMA designation identifies a wiring-device configuration family. In L14-30P, the L indicates a locking configuration, 14 identifies the configuration series, 30 is the ampere rating, and P identifies a plug. The matching receptacle uses the R suffix.
L14-30R = locking + 14-series + 30 A + receptacle. The series identifies the electrical configuration family; it is not simply the voltage.
- L prefix
- Locking configuration. A designation without L in this chart is straight blade.
- Series number
- Identifies the voltage/conductor configuration family; it is not itself a voltage value.
- Ampere number
- The number after the hyphen is the nominal ampere rating for the configuration.
- P / R suffix
- P = plug. R = receptacle. A family such as 14-30 can refer to the matched P/R configuration pair.
Do not choose by amperage alone. A 30 A device can belong to 125 V, 250 V, or 125/250 V families with different conductor arrangements and incompatible configurations.
Straight-Blade, Locking, Grounding, Poles, and Wires
Straight blade vs. locking
- Straight-blade devices connect by insertion/removal.
- Locking configurations use the L designation and a twist-locking interface.
- Do not substitute one family for the other with improvised adapters.
Grounding matters
- Most modern configurations shown are grounding types.
- The 10-30 and 10-50 rows are explicitly shown as non-grounding configurations.
- A grounding conductor is not interchangeable with a neutral conductor.
Poles vs. wires
- Poles describe current-carrying contacts used by the circuit configuration.
- Wire count includes all conductors represented by the configuration, including grounding where applicable.
- Confirm equipment nameplate voltage and circuit topology before choosing a device.
Identification is only one design step. Verify conductor ampacity, breaker/fuse requirements, receptacle environmental suitability, equipment instructions, and applicable electrical code separately.
Standard, Source, and Rights Scope
Dataset label: Common NEMA plug/receptacle identification subset verified against ANSI/NEMA WD 6-2021 scope and current manufacturer technical references; source status rechecked October 4, 2026.
ANSI currently identifies ANSI/NEMA WD 6-2021 as the most recent edition of the wiring-device dimensional specification for this scope. This page reorganizes a limited set of independently verified configuration facts for fast lookup and intentionally does not reproduce NEMA selection-chart artwork or compliance-critical dimensional drawings.
- ANSI/NEMA WD 6-2021 — Wiring Devices — Dimensional SpecificationsControlling standard scope for plugs, receptacles, and wall plates used in residential, commercial, and industrial installations; the online standard includes selection-chart navigation for the principal configuration categories.
- Eaton Wiring Devices Digital Buyer’s GuideIndependent manufacturer reference containing NEMA straight-blade and locking configuration information.
- Bryant Technical ResourcesIndependent manufacturer reference and NEMA configuration chart resource used for designation/rating cross-checks.
- Eaton TT-30R Technical DataManufacturer cross-check for the 30 A, 125 V, 2-pole, 3-wire grounding TT-30R recreational-vehicle configuration.
- Leviton NEMA 1-15R Technical DataManufacturer cross-check for the 15 A, 125 V, 2-pole, 2-wire non-grounding 1-15R configuration.
Dataset and Source-Check Details
- Controlling edition
- ANSI/NEMA WD 6-2021
- Displayed scope
- 23 common straight-blade, RV, and locking configuration families
- Units
- Nominal volts and amperes; poles and wires are counts
- Rights decision
- Limited transformed reference only; no full standard-table CSV or proprietary configuration artwork
- Publisher
- Turn2Engineering
- Maintenance trigger
- Recheck when ANSI or NEMA publishes a revision that supersedes WD 6-2021
NEMA Plug Chart FAQ
It identifies a 20 A, 125 V, 2-pole, 3-wire grounding receptacle in the NEMA 5-series; the matching plug is 5-20P.
P denotes a plug and R denotes a receptacle, so L14-30P and L14-30R are the mating device designations for the same configuration family.
The L prefix identifies a locking configuration; a 14-30 designation without L is a different straight-blade configuration.
No. Amperage alone is insufficient; the exact NEMA family, voltage/system, poles, wires, grounding arrangement, and plug/receptacle configuration must match.
No. This page identifies wiring-device configurations; conductor ampacity, overcurrent protection, voltage drop, installation method, and code compliance are separate checks.
NEMA TT-30 is rated 30 A at 125 V and is commonly used for recreational-vehicle service. It is not a 240 V 30 A configuration.
Both can be 50 A configurations, but they are electrically different. A 14-50 is a 125/250 V, 3-pole, 4-wire grounding family with neutral; a 6-50 is a 250 V, 2-pole, 3-wire grounding family without neutral. They are not interchangeable.
Use the Exact Configuration, Not Just the Amp Rating
Start with the equipment voltage and circuit arrangement, then match the exact NEMA family, ampere rating, grounding arrangement, and P/R device type. Use the table and decoder for identification, then complete conductor, protection, voltage-drop, environmental, and code checks separately.