Below you’ll find the latest wiring color code according to European standards (EN 60445 Section 6 and IEC 60227-1 Section 4.1.2), American standards (UL 62 and CSA C22.2 No. 49) and Japanese standards (JIS C 3306):
| Conductors | European/international* | North American** | Japanese*** |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Conductors | 2 Conductors | 2 Conductors | |
| Line | Brown  | Black  | Black |
| Neutral | Blue  | White  | White |
| 3 Conductors | 3 Conductors | 3 Conductors | |
| Line | Brown | Black | Black |
| Neutral | Blue | White | White |
| Ground | Green/Yellow  | Green  | Green |
| 4 Conductors | 4 Conductors | 4 Conductors | |
| Line | Brown | Black | Black |
| Line | Black | Red  | Red |
| Line/Neutral | Gray  | White | White |
| Ground | Green/Yellow | Green | Green |
| 5 Conductors | 5 Conductors | 5 Conductors | |
| Line | Brown | Black | |
| Line | Black | Orange  | |
| Line | Grey | Red | |
| Neutral | Blue | White | |
| Ground | Green/Yellow | Green |
**UL 62 and CSA C22.2 No. 49
***JIS C 3306
Color codes listed on this chart are typical for what is seen in flexible, single core or fixed cables used in AC systems. Other colors may be used for certain conductors according to the application.
The old wiring color code from 2007, IEC 60446 was merged with IEC 60445 (2017), “Basic and safety principles for man-machine interface, marking and identification – Identification of equipment terminals, conductor terminations and conductors”. IEC 60446 is no longer used.
The latest wiring color found in IEC 60445 standard applies to the identification and marking of terminals of electrical equipment such as resistors, fuses, relays, contactors, transformers, rotating machines and, wherever applicable, to combinations of such equipment (e.g. assemblies), and also applies to the identification of terminations of certain designated conductors. It also provides general rules for the use of certain colors or alphanumeric notations to identify conductors to avoid ambiguity and ensure safe operation. These conductor colors or alphanumeric notations are intended to be applied in cables or cores, busbars, electrical equipment and installations.