Reference / Wire Colors
Quick reference · Grade G
Wire Colors
Conductor identification colors by country and system, separating code requirements from common convention.
Conductor colors 7 schemes
| Region / system | Phases | Neutral | Protective (ground) | Status | Pointer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States — 208Y/120 V (convention) | Black, Red, Blue | White or gray | Green, green with yellow stripes, or bare | Neutral and grounding colors are required; phase colors are industry convention, not a code requirement. | NEC 200.6, 250.119, 210.5(C), 215.12(C) |
| United States — 480Y/277 V (convention) | Brown, Orange, Yellow | Gray (commonly), or white | Green, green with yellow stripes, or bare | Phase colors are convention. Where more than one system is present, the identification method must be posted. | NEC 200.6, 210.5(C), 215.12(C) |
| United States — 4-wire delta high leg | High leg identified orange | White or gray | Green, green-yellow, or bare | The higher-voltage-to-ground conductor must be marked orange or otherwise identified. | NEC 110.15, 230.56 |
| Canada | Red, Black, Blue | White or gray | Green or green-yellow | Phase sequence colors for three-phase AC. | CSA C22.1 (CEC) Rule 4-038 |
| IEC / European Union / UK (since 2004–2006) | L1 Brown, L2 Black, L3 Grey | Blue | Green-and-yellow | Harmonized colors. | IEC 60445 |
| United Kingdom (before 2004) | Red, Yellow, Blue | Black | Green-and-yellow | Found in existing installations; a warning notice is expected where old and new colors meet. | BS 7671 (current edition) |
| South Korea (KEC, since 2021) | L1 Brown, L2 Black, L3 Grey | Blue | Green-and-yellow | Aligned with IEC. Older installations may use other colors. | KEC 121.2 |
Own summary. Code clauses are pointers only. © RokBench.