Ingress Protection (IP) per IEC 60529

The IP Code ("International Protection Rating"), consists of 4 or 5 characters: the letters "IP" followed by two digits and sometimes an optional letter.
The IP Code is defined in international standard IEC 60529, to classify the degrees of protection provided against the intrusion of solid objects (including body parts like hands and fingers), dust, accidental contact, and water in electrical enclosures.

The digits following the "IP" indicate conformity with the conditions summarized in the tables below.

The first digit following the "IP" (1-6), indicates the level of protection that the enclosure provides against ingress of solid foreign objects.

The second digit following the "IP" (1-8), indicates the level of protection that the enclosure provides against ingress of liquids.


*A detailed explanation of the ratings is given in IEC 60529

First Digit: Solids

The first digit following the "IP", indicates the level of protection that the enclosure provides against access by solid items to hazardous parts (e.g., electrical conductors, moving parts) and the ingress of solid foreign objects.

First Digit: Solids
LevelObject size protected againstEffective against
0Not protectedNo protection against contact and ingress of objects
1>50mmProtection against contact with large object, possible contact with small objects (e.g. fingers).
2>12.5mmProtection against contact with small objetcs (e.g. fingers or similar objects).
3>2.5mmProtection against contact with smaller objetcs (e.g. Tools, thick wires, etc.).
4>1mmProtection against contact with very small objetcs (e.g. wires, screws, etc.).
5Dust ProtectedIngress of dust is not entirely prevented, but it must not enter in sufficient quantity to interfere with the satisfactory operation of the equipment; complete protection against contact.
6Dust TightNo ingress of dust; complete protection against contact.


Second Digit: Liquids

The second digit following the "IP", indicates the level of protection that the enclosure provides against harmful ingress of water driven with various levels of force and direction.

Second Digit: Liquids
LevelObject size protected againstEffective against
0Not protected–
1Dripping waterDripping water (vertically falling drops) shall have no harmfull effect.
2Dripping water when tilted up to 15°Vertically dripping water shall have no harmful effect when the enclosure is tilted at an angle up to 15° from its normal position.
3Spraying waterWater falling as a spray at any angle up to 60° from the vertical shall have no harmful effect.
4Splashing waterWater splashing against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effect.
5Water jetsWater projected by a nozzle (6.3mm) against enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects.
6Powerful water jetsWater projected in powerful jets (12.5mm nozzle) against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects.
7Immersion up to 1mIngress of water in harmful quantity shall not be possible when the enclosure is immersed in water under defined conditions of pressure and time (up to 1 m of submersion).
8Immersion beyond 1mThe equipment is suitable for continuous immersion in water under conditions which shall be specified by the manufacturer. Normally, this will mean that the equipment is hermetically sealed. However, with certain types of equipment, it can mean that water can enter but only in such a manner that it produces no harmful effects.


IP Rating Reference Chart

The table below provides example of the four character IP rating. Supplementary letters are available as needed (see the full IEC 60529 Text for details)

IP Rating Reference Chart
IP NumberFirst Digit - SOLIDSSecond Digit - LIQUIDS
IP00Not protected from solids.Not protected from liquids.
IP01Not protected from solids.Protected from condensation.
IP02Not protected from solids.Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical.
IP03Not protected from solids.Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical.
IP04Not protected from solids.Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP05Not protected from solids.Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction.
IP06Not protected from solids.Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction.
IP07Not protected from solids.Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth.
IP08Not protected from solids.Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure.
IP10Protected from objects greater than 50 millimeters (e.g. hands).Not protected from liquids.
IP11Protected from objects greater than 50 millimeters (e.g. hands).Protected from condensation.
IP12Protected from objects greater than 50 millimeters (e.g. hands).Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical.
IP13Protected from objects greater than 50 millimeters (e.g. hands).Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical.
IP14Protected from objects greater than 50 millimeters (e.g. hands).Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP15Protected from objects greater than 50 millimeters (e.g. hands).Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction.
IP16Protected from objects greater than 50 millimeters (e.g. hands).Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction.
IP17Protected from objects greater than 50 millimeters (e.g. hands).Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth.
IP18Protected from objects greater than 50 millimeters (e.g. hands).Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure.
IP20Protected from objects greater than 12 millimeters (e.g. fingers).Not protected from liquids.
IP21Protected from objects greater than 12 millimeters (e.g. fingers).Protected from condensation.
IP22Protected from objects greater than 12 millimeters (e.g. fingers).Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical.
IP23Protected from objects greater than 12 millimeters (e.g. fingers).Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical.
IP24Protected from objects greater than 12 millimeters (e.g. fingers).Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP25Protected from objects greater than 12 millimeters (e.g. fingers).Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction.
IP26Protected from objects greater than 12 millimeters (e.g. fingers).Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction.
IP27Protected from objects greater than 12 millimeters (e.g. fingers).Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth.
IP28Protected from objects greater than 12 millimeters (e.g. fingers).Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure.
IP30Protected from objects greater than 2.5 millimeters (e.g. tools).Not protected from liquids.
IP31Protected from objects greater than 2.5 millimeters (e.g. tools).Protected from condensation.
IP32Protected from objects greater than 2.5 millimeters (e.g. tools).Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical.
IP33Protected from objects greater than 2.5 millimeters (e.g. tools).Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical.
IP34Protected from objects greater than 2.5 millimeters (e.g. tools).Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP35Protected from objects greater than 2.5 millimeters (e.g. tools).Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction.
IP36Protected from objects greater than 2.5 millimeters (e.g. tools).Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction.
IP37Protected from objects greater than 2.5 millimeters (e.g. tools).Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth.
IP38Protected from objects greater than 2.5 millimeters (e.g. tools).Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure.
IP40Protected from objects greater than 1 millimeters (e.g. tools, wires).Not protected from liquids.
IP41Protected from objects greater than 1 millimeters (e.g. tools, wires).Protected from condensation.
IP42Protected from objects greater than 1 millimeters (e.g. tools, wires).Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical.
IP43Protected from objects greater than 1 millimeters (e.g. tools, wires).Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical.
IP44Protected from objects greater than 1 millimeters (e.g. tools, wires).Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP45Protected from objects greater than 1 millimeters (e.g. tools, wires).Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction.
IP46Protected from objects greater than 1 millimeters (e.g. tools, wires).Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction.
IP47Protected from objects greater than 1 millimeters (e.g. tools, wires).Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth.
IP48Protected from objects greater than 1 millimeters (e.g. tools, wires).Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure.
IP50Protected from limited dust ingress.Not protected from liquids.
IP51Protected from limited dust ingress.Protected from condensation.
IP52Protected from limited dust ingress.Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical.
IP53Protected from limited dust ingress.Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical.
IP54Protected from limited dust ingress.Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP55Protected from limited dust ingress.Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction.
IP56Protected from limited dust ingress.Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction.
IP57Protected from limited dust ingress.Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth.
IP58Protected from limited dust ingress.Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure.
IP60Protected from total dust ingress.Not protected from liquids.
IP61Protected from total dust ingress.Protected from condensation.
IP62Protected from total dust ingress.Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical.
IP63Protected from total dust ingress.Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical.
IP64Protected from total dust ingress.Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP65Protected from total dust ingress.Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction.
IP66Protected from total dust ingress.Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction.
IP67Protected from total dust ingress.Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth.
IP68Protected from total dust ingress.Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure.