# 49 CFR 171.15 — Federal incident notification deadlines by regulation

For 49 CFR 171.15, governing statute is Hazardous Materials Transportation Act; triggering event is the general public is evacuated for one hour or more as a direct result of a hazardous material during transportation; notification deadline is as soon as practical but no later than 12 hours after the occurrence; notification recipient is National Response Center (NRC) on 800-424-8802 (toll free) or 202-267-2675 (toll call); required method is telephone to the National Response Center (NRC), recorded from its source on 2026-08-12.

- **Regulation:** 49 CFR 171.15
- **Governing statute:** Hazardous Materials Transportation Act _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Triggering event:** the general public is evacuated for one hour or more as a direct result of a hazardous material during transportation
- **Notification deadline:** as soon as practical but no later than 12 hours after the occurrence
- **Notification recipient:** National Response Center (NRC) on 800-424-8802 (toll free) or 202-267-2675 (toll call)
- **Required method:** telephone to the National Response Center (NRC)
- **Follow-up requirement:** written Hazardous Materials Incident Report on DOT Form F 5800.1 within 30 days per 49 CFR 171.16

## What the source says

> (iii) The general public is evacuated for one hour or more

## Sources disagree

More than one authority states this, and they do not state the same
thing. Both are reproduced with the source each came from.

### Triggering event

law.cornell.edu says triggering event is **the general public is evacuated for one hour or more as a direct result of a hazardous material during transportation**, as of 2026-08-12.

> (iii) The general public is evacuated for one hour or more

Source: https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/171.15

law.cornell.edu says triggering event is **a major transportation artery or facility is closed or shut down for one hour or more as a direct result of a hazardous material during transportation**, as of 2026-08-12.

> (iv) A major transportation artery or facility is closed or shut down for one hour or more

Source: https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/171.15

law.cornell.edu says triggering event is **the operational flight pattern or routine of an aircraft is altered as a direct result of a hazardous material during transportation**, as of 2026-08-12.

> (v) The operational flight pattern or routine of an aircraft is altered

Source: https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/171.15

law.cornell.edu says triggering event is **a situation exists of such a nature (e.g., a continuing danger to life exists at the scene of the incident) that, in the judgment of the person in possession of the hazardous material, it should be reported to the NRC**, as of 2026-08-12.

> (5) A situation exists of such a nature ( e.g. , a continuing danger to life exists at the scene of the incident) that, in the judgment of the person in possession of the hazardous material , it should be reported to the NRC

Source: https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/171.15


## Source

- https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/171.15

Last verified: 2026-08-12. Review by: 2027-02-08.
Part of [Federal incident notification deadlines by regulation](https://referencesource.org/incident-notification-deadlines/).