Llamacoid INCBreaker box labels that stay readable
Breaker box labels name each circuit in a panel so anyone can shut off the right one fast. The NEC asks for a legible and permanent directory that describes every circuit by its specific purpose. Engraved breaker tags and an engraved panel ID last longer than handwriting or label-maker tape, which smudge, fade and peel.
How do you label an electrical panel?
Map every circuit, name it by room and use, mark the spares, and fill in the directory in breaker order.
- Map the circuits. Turn one breaker off at a time and note what loses power. Do this with the panel cover on. If you are not sure it is safe, have an electrician do it.
- Name each circuit by room and use. Write KITCHEN COUNTER EAST or FURNACE, not "Plugs" or "Bob's room". The NEC does not allow names that depend on who is using the room.
- Mark the spares. A breaker with nothing on it is marked SPARE. An empty slot is a SPACE.
- Fill in the directory on the panel door, or on a card inside it, in the same order as the breakers. If you use abbreviations or symbols, explain them on the directory. The 2023 NEC asks for that in 408.4(A)(6).
- Tag what is not obvious. Add engraved tags for the main breaker, subpanel feeders and anything people look for in a hurry, such as WELL PUMP or EV CHARGER.
- Order the tags as one job. Load the list in the builder, check the true-size proof and order the whole panel at once.
What does the NEC require on a breaker panel directory?
NEC 408.4(A) says every circuit, and every change to a circuit, needs a legible and permanent description that is clear, evident and specific to its purpose. The description has to be detailed enough to tell each circuit apart, spares have to be marked, and names cannot depend on who is in the room. The directory sits on the face of the panel door, inside it, or next to it.
On commercial and multifamily work, 408.4(B) also asks each panel fed by a feeder to say where its power comes from, and the 2023 NEC adds the physical location of that source. One- and two-family dwellings are exempt from 408.4(B). See electrical panel labels for fed-from and panel ID tags.
Are breaker panel labels required?
Yes. Every panelboard needs a circuit directory under NEC 408.4(A), in homes and commercial buildings alike. Individual breaker tags are not required by the NEC, but many specs and owners ask for them, and they help when the directory card goes missing.
Can a breaker directory be handwritten?
The 2023 NEC asks for a legible and permanent description of each circuit. It does not ban a neat handwritten directory, but pencil or a marker that smudges is hard to call permanent, and some inspectors will say so. The not-handwritten rule in NEC 110.21(B) is for field-applied caution, warning and danger labels. That is why many contractors engrave the panel ID and the tags people look for most.
Engraved or printed breaker labels?
Printed sticker sheets are cheap and fine inside a dry closet. Engraved breaker tags have the text cut into the tag, so they do not fade, smear or lift at the edges. Use engraved tags in garages, utility rooms, commercial distribution boards and anywhere the panel door gets opened often.
Breaker tag sizes and text height
| Where it goes | Common size | Text | Mounting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single breaker in a distribution board | 1/2 x 2 in | One line, about 1/4 in | Adhesive |
| Breaker or small panel ID | 1 x 3 in | Two lines at about 3/16 in, or one at 3/8 in | Adhesive |
| Panel ID on the door | 1 x 3 in to 2 x 4 in | Name on top in the largest text | Adhesive or screws |
Text below 1/8 inch is hard to read at arm's length in a dim room. If a name does not fit, shorten it the way it appears on the drawings rather than shrinking the type. The builder shows the text height on every line.
Load the directory as a spreadsheet and each line becomes its own tag on one proof.
What color should breaker labels be?
White on black is the usual choice for normal power. Use white on red for emergency and fire alarm circuits, and a distinct color such as black on yellow for standby. On a project, the spec's color schedule wins.
Fire alarm (FACP) breaker labels (NEC 760.121(B))
The breaker that feeds a fire alarm control panel needs red identification and has to be identified as "FIRE ALARM CIRCUIT." Its location must also be permanently identified at the fire alarm control unit. For power-limited fire alarm equipment the rule is NEC 760.121(B), the same section number in the 2020, 2023 and 2026 editions. Non-power-limited systems have a matching rule in 760.41(B). Confirm the edition your AHJ enforces.
The same rule sets how the circuit is run. It supplies no other loads and is not on a GFCI or AFCI. The disconnect is accessible only to qualified people, and it may be secured in the on position (760.121(B) for power-limited systems, 760.41(A) for non-power-limited systems).
The red identification must not damage the breaker or cover the manufacturer's markings. A laser-engraved acrylic lamacoid tag on the dead front beside the breaker keeps paint and stickers off the device. A red tag beside the breaker identifies it. NFPA 72 also requires an approved breaker locking device where a breaker is the disconnecting means.
NEC 760.30 also requires fire alarm circuits to be identified at terminal and junction locations, in a manner that helps prevent unintentional signals on fire alarm system circuits during testing and servicing of other systems. The code does not name a method, so ask your AHJ whether an engraved white on red FIRE ALARM tag on each junction box cover meets it.
What we usually engrave for a fire alarm circuit:
- Breaker tag. White on red, FIRE ALARM CIRCUIT plus the circuit number.
- FACP location plate. A plate at the fire alarm control panel naming the panel and circuit that feed it, for example FIRE ALARM CIRCUIT FED FROM LP-2A CKT 14. A tech can find the breaker without hunting. The code does not set this wording, so match your drawings.
- Directory line. The same wording on the panel directory, so the card and the tag match.
Send the panel schedule with the fire alarm circuit marked, and we will engrave the breaker tag and the FACP plate to match.
Emergency disconnect labels for homes (NEC 230.85)
Under the 2023 NEC, one- and two-family dwellings need an outdoor emergency disconnect, and it has to be marked. A service disconnect is marked EMERGENCY DISCONNECT, SERVICE DISCONNECT. A meter disconnect is marked EMERGENCY DISCONNECT, METER DISCONNECT, NOT SERVICE EQUIPMENT. Other listed switches or breakers on the supply side are marked EMERGENCY DISCONNECT, NOT SERVICE EQUIPMENT. The marking goes on the outside front of the enclosure, white text on red, with letters at least 1/2 inch high. If a solar, battery or generator disconnect is not next to it, a plaque or directory there shows where those are. The 2026 NEC moves these rules into 230.70, so check which edition your AHJ uses.
Common questions
What should I write on a breaker label?
The room and the use, specific enough to tell it from every other circuit: KITCHEN COUNTER EAST, BATH 2 GFCI, FURNACE. Mark unused breakers SPARE.
Where does the breaker directory go?
On the face of the panel door, on the inside of the door, or right next to the panel, per NEC 408.4(A).
What size are breaker tags?
Most are 1/2 x 2 inches for a single breaker and 1 x 3 inches for a panel ID or a breaker with two lines.
Do you make printed breaker sticker sheets?
No. We make laser engraved tags. For a full panel, load the directory in the builder and each line becomes its own tag on one proof.
Can you make labels from my panel schedule?
Yes. Load an Excel or CSV file in the builder and map the columns, or email it to sales@llamacoids.ca.
How do you label a fire alarm breaker?
Give it red identification, identify it as "FIRE ALARM CIRCUIT," and permanently identify its location at the fire alarm control panel. For power-limited systems the rule is NEC 760.121(B) in the 2020, 2023 and 2026 editions. Non-power-limited systems follow 760.41(B). Confirm the edition your AHJ enforces.
Where do you mark the fire alarm breaker location?
At the fire alarm control unit. A permanent plate at the panel that names the feeding panel and circuit number lets a tech find the breaker fast.
Can a fire alarm breaker be locked on?
Yes. The NEC lets you secure the fire alarm branch-circuit disconnect in the on position. For power-limited systems that permission is in 760.121(B), the same section number in the 2020, 2023 and 2026 editions. For non-power-limited systems it is in 760.41(A), the power source rule, while the red marking rule sits in 760.41(B). In both cases the disconnect is accessible only to qualified people. The NEC only permits this, but NFPA 72 requires an approved breaker locking device where a circuit breaker is the disconnecting means. Confirm the editions your AHJ enforces.
Do fire alarm junction boxes need to be labeled?
They need to be identified. NEC 760.30 requires fire alarm circuits to be identified at terminal and junction locations, in a manner that helps prevent unintentional signals during testing and servicing of other systems. The code does not set the method. Red raceways and fittings are sometimes used, but the NEC does not require that color. Confirm what your AHJ accepts.
Related
Code references are to NEC 2023 (NFPA 70) unless another edition is named, reviewed on 2026-11-02. Many US jurisdictions still enforce the 2017 or 2020 NEC. Your inspector (the AHJ) has the final say.