IP & NEMA Rating Decoder
Answer the questions to get an indicative rating.
Method based on IEC 60529 (Ed. 2.2) / ANSI/NEMA EN 10250-2024 · reviewed June 2026 · method rev 1.0
How to read an IP code
An IP code from IEC 60529 has a fixed shape: the letters IP, then two characters. The first rates protection against solid objects and dust, on a scale of 0 to 6. The second rates protection against water, on a scale of 0 to 9. So IP67 reads as "6, dust-tight" and "7, survives temporary immersion to 1 m".
Where a characteristic was not tested or not stated, it is written as X - not zero. IP6X claims a dust rating but makes no water claim; IPX4 claims splash protection but makes no solids claim. Two optional letters can follow: an additional letter (A to D) for how well people are kept away from live parts, and a supplementary letter (H, M, S or W) for special test conditions.
One trap catches people often: the water scale is only cumulative up to 6. A jet rating (5 or 6) does include the lower water tests, but an immersion rating (7 or 8) does not automatically include jets, because immersion and jets are different tests. That is why you see dual codes such as IP66/IP68 - they have passed both.
IP and NEMA: a one-way street
NEMA Type ratings answer the same basic question as IP codes, but the two systems are not interchangeable. A NEMA type can be expressed as an IP rating, because NEMA testing meets or exceeds the matching IP test. The reverse is not valid. NEMA also checks for corrosion resistance, external ice formation, oil and coolant, and gasket aging - none of which the IP system covers - so an IP-rated enclosure has simply never been measured against those conditions.
In practice this means you can read "NEMA 4X is at least IP66", but you cannot read "this IP66 box is NEMA 4X". For projects that span both markets, the clean solution is a dual-listed enclosure that carries both ratings. The cross-reference in the tool above, and the table below, follow NEMA's own direction: NEMA to IP only.
What NEMA checks that an IP rating does not:
- Corrosion resistance (salt spray and chemical exposure)
- External ice formation, and operability while ice-laden
- Oil and non-corrosive coolant ingress
- Gasket aging and long-term material durability
- Mechanical and structural construction requirements
Common ratings in practice
Where the everyday codes tend to show up. A guide to intent, not a substitute for checking the test conditions.
| Code | Typical use |
|---|---|
| IP20 | Indoor electronics and control gear - finger-safe, no water rating. |
| IP44 | Outdoor sockets and fittings under cover - splash-protected from any direction. |
| IP54 | General outdoor enclosures and luminaires - dust-protected and splash-proof. |
| IP55 | Outdoor enclosures facing rain and low-pressure jets. |
| IP65 | Outdoor lighting and light washdown gear - dust-tight, resists water jets. |
| IP66 | Marine and heavy-industrial enclosures - powerful jets and driving rain. |
| IP67 | Phones, outdoor cameras and connectors - temporary immersion to 1 m. |
| IP68 | Submersible sensors and equipment - continuous immersion below 1 m. |
| IP69K | Food, pharma and vehicle washdown - high-pressure, high-temperature steam. |
IP first digit - solids and dust
| Digit | Protects against | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | No protection | No protection against contact or solid objects. |
| 1 | Objects ≥50 mm | Protects against a large surface such as the back of a hand. No protection against deliberate contact. |
| 2 | Objects ≥12.5 mm | Keeps out fingers and similar-sized objects. |
| 3 | Objects ≥2.5 mm | Keeps out tools and thick wires. |
| 4 | Objects ≥1 mm | Keeps out most wires, screws and small fasteners. |
| 5 | Dust-protected | Dust is not fully excluded, but cannot enter in a quantity that interferes with operation or safety. |
| 6 | Dust-tight | No ingress of dust at all under the test vacuum. |
IP second digit - water
| Digit | Protects against | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | No protection | No protection against water. |
| 1 | Dripping water | Vertically dripping water has no harmful effect. |
| 2 | Dripping, 15° tilt | Dripping water has no harmful effect when the enclosure is tilted up to 15°. |
| 3 | Spraying water | Water sprayed up to 60° from vertical has no harmful effect. |
| 4 | Splashing water | Water splashed from any direction has no harmful effect. |
| 5 | Water jets | Jets from a 6.3 mm nozzle, any direction, have no harmful effect. |
| 6 | Powerful water jets | Jets from a 12.5 mm nozzle, any direction, have no harmful effect. |
| 7 | Immersion to 1 m | Withstands temporary immersion up to 1 m depth for 30 minutes. |
| 8 | Continuous immersion | Withstands continuous immersion beyond 1 m, under conditions agreed with the manufacturer. |
| 9 | High-pressure hot jets | Withstands close-range, high-pressure, high-temperature jets (the IP69K test). |
NEMA enclosure types and their IP equivalent
Approximate IP equivalents published by NEMA. Each NEMA type meets the IP code shown; the equivalence does not run the other way.
| Type | Location | Protects against | Approx. IP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indoor | Incidental contact with enclosed parts and falling dirt. | IP10 |
| 2 | Indoor | Falling dirt, plus dripping and light splashing of liquids. | IP11 |
| 3 | Outdoor | Windblown dust, rain and sleet; undamaged by external ice. | IP54 |
| 3R | Outdoor | Rain and sleet; undamaged by ice. No windblown-dust test. | IP14 |
| 3S | Outdoor | Like Type 3, but external mechanisms stay operable when ice-laden. | IP54 |
| 3X (corrosion) | Outdoor | Type 3 with added corrosion resistance. | IP54 |
| 3RX (corrosion) | Outdoor | Type 3R with added corrosion resistance. | IP14 |
| 3SX (corrosion) | Outdoor | Type 3S with added corrosion resistance. | IP54 |
| 4 | Indoor/Outdoor | Windblown dust, rain, splashing and hose-directed water; undamaged by ice. | IP66 |
| 4X (corrosion) | Indoor/Outdoor | Type 4 with corrosion resistance (stainless, fiberglass, polycarbonate). | IP66 |
| 5 | Indoor | Settling airborne dust, falling dirt and dripping non-corrosive liquids. | IP52 |
| 6 | Indoor/Outdoor | Hose-directed water and occasional temporary submersion at limited depth. | IP67 |
| 6P (corrosion) | Indoor/Outdoor | Type 6 plus prolonged submersion at limited depth and corrosion resistance. | IP67 |
| 12 | Indoor | Circulating dust, falling dirt and dripping non-corrosive liquids. | IP52 |
| 12K | Indoor | Type 12 with knockouts. | IP52 |
| 13 | Indoor | Dust, and spraying of water, oil and non-corrosive coolant. | IP54 |
Where engineers use this
Reading a datasheet rating
Decoding an IP67 or IP69K mark on a sensor, connector or display into the exact solids and water tests it has actually passed.
Cross-standard procurement
Translating a North American NEMA Type into the IP rating a European supplier quotes, and knowing the cross-reference only runs one way.
Verifying a substitution
Checking whether an IP-rated part can stand in for a NEMA requirement before it goes on the BOM - it usually cannot without more testing.
Frequently asked questions
Does IP67 mean waterproof?
Is IP68 better than IP67?
What does the X mean in IPX4 or IP6X?
What is IP69K?
Is NEMA 4X the same as IP66?
Can I convert an IP rating into a NEMA type?
How this relates to other standards
| Standard / tool | Relationship | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| NEMA 250 | Cross-references | NEMA Type to IP is one-directional (NEMA 250 Annex A): a Type guarantees its IP equivalent, but an IP rating does not guarantee a Type. |
| IEC 60529 | Defined by | The IP code, its digit meanings and the test methods behind each level. |
Related tools and standards
Sources: IEC - IP ratings explained · IEC 60529 (the standard) · NEMA 250 vs IEC 60529 comparison · NEMA enclosure types (PDF). Verify against the current edition.