How to Fill Out and Attach the DD Form 1574-1 Serviceable Label

DD Form 1574-1, the Serviceable Label–Materiel, is the yellow adhesive-backed label the Department of Defense uses to mark equipment and components that have been inspected and are ready for issue. You attach it directly to a serviceable item and to its shipping container after completing every applicable data block, signing or stamping as the inspector, and confirming the item’s supply condition code. The rules that govern it come from MIL-STD-129R and, for time-change and maintenance annotations, Technical Order 00-20-3.

When the Label Applies

Use DD Form 1574-1 only on materiel classified under Supply Condition Codes A, B, or C:

  • Code A — Serviceable, issuable without qualification. New, used, repaired, or reconditioned items that work as intended, including stock with more than six months of shelf life remaining.
  • Code B — Serviceable, issuable with qualification. Items restricted to certain units, activities, or geographic areas because of limited usefulness or three to six months of remaining shelf life.
  • Code C — Serviceable, priority issue. Items with fewer than three months of shelf life that must move ahead of Code A and B stock.

The label is not for every serviceable item on the shelf. MIL-STD-129R limits it to materiel that “presents a problem in storage and transfer” — stock where confusion about condition status could cause downstream trouble. Routine, clearly identifiable items don’t need one.1Defense Logistics Agency. MIL-STD-129R Military Marking for Shipment and Storage

Getting Blank Labels

The form is controlled by the Department of the Army. The Washington Headquarters Services Executive Services Directorate lists it but doesn’t offer a direct download; to request blanks, email the Army’s forms management branch at usarmy.pentagon.hqda-apd.mbx.forms-management-branch@army.mil.2Washington Headquarters Services. DD 1574-1 Serviceable Label – Materiel Units with the right printing capability may also produce their own computer-generated adhesive-backed labels, provided the color, design, and paperboard strength match MIL-STD-129R specifications.

Filling In the Fields

The blocks on DD Form 1574-1 follow Technical Order 00-20-3, Table 3-2. Use legible permanent ink and complete every block that applies to the item in front of you.

  • NSN, part number, and item description. Enter the full 13-digit National Stock Number (a 4-digit Federal Supply Classification code followed by a 9-digit National Item Identification Number), the manufacturer’s part number, and a plain-language description.
  • Serial or lot number. Required only for items tracked that way. Copy the serial number exactly as it appears on the data plate, including any letters or special characters.
  • Quantity and unit of issue. How many items the label covers and the standard unit (each, dozen, set).
  • Condition code. A, B, or C.
  • Inspection activity. The organization that performed the inspection or maintenance.
  • Inspector’s name or stamp, and date. Print the name or apply an authorized stamp and enter the inspection date. This is the accountability record.
  • Contractor purchase order number. Only when the item is under warranty and a contract number is available.
  • Next inspection due or overage date, if applicable.
  • Remarks. Special annotations, described below.

When a package holds serialized items, MIL-STD-129R requires all unique item identifiers and serial numbers to appear on the label. If more than five serialized items are packed together, attach a separate serial number list keyed to the NSN rather than trying to fit them all in the label fields.1Defense Logistics Agency. MIL-STD-129R Military Marking for Shipment and Storage

What Goes in the Remarks Block

For time-change items, the remarks entries depend on the item’s history:3Tinker Air Force Base. Technical Order 00-20-3

  • New production assets, never used, overhauled, or repaired: annotate “TSN = 0.0” (time since new) and “TSO = 0.0” (time since overhaul), plus a description of the equipment the item fits.
  • Repaired assets that were checked, tested, or minor-repaired but not overhauled: record actual TSN and TSO. For engine components tracked by mechanical computer systems, both values are mandatory.
  • Overhauled assets: enter current TSN and reset TSO to reflect the completed overhaul, plus the equipment description.

When items return from maintenance to the logistics readiness squadron, note whether applicable Time Compliance Technical Orders have been completed, using “TCTO (number) complied with” or “TCTO (number) not complied with.” For COMSEC assets, substitute “Modification (MOD) (number) complied with” or the equivalent. Classified components need an additional stamp showing the classification level and the applicable handling instruction.

Attaching the Label

MIL-STD-129R calls for one label on the item and a second on the identification side of its shipping container. Attach it securely where handlers can read it without moving the item.1Defense Logistics Agency. MIL-STD-129R Military Marking for Shipment and Storage

When multiple items or unit packs share one shipping container, each item or unit pack gets its own label. A single label on the outside of the container isn’t enough. The one exception: DoD-originated shipments that are overpacked purely for handling convenience don’t need redundant labeling on the overpack. Otherwise, if you can open a container and find an unlabeled item inside, the labeling is incomplete.

After labels are on, update the local property book and inventory management system to reflect the current condition code. Include labels in periodic warehouse inspections. If a label is fading, peeling, or gone, replace it and annotate the replacement in your records.

How It Fits With Other Condition Tags

DD Form 1574-1 covers only serviceable materiel. Items in other condition states use different colored forms under MIL-STD-129R: green DD Forms 1577-2 and 1577-3 for unserviceable-reparable, red DD Forms 1577 and 1577-1 for unserviceable-condemned, and brown DD Forms 1575 and 1575-1 for suspended stock. Don’t use a 1574-1 on any of those. The tag equivalent for serviceable materiel is DD Form 1574, which carries the same data fields and the same authority as the label but hangs from a wire or string.

Accountability for a False Label

Signing a DD Form 1574-1 for materiel that does not meet condition code standards falls under UCMJ Article 107, false official statements. The statute reaches anyone subject to military jurisdiction who “signs any false record, return, regulation, order, or other official document, knowing it to be false” with intent to deceive. Maximum punishment includes a dishonorable discharge.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 10 USC 907 Art 107 – False Official Statements, False Swearing

Negligent mislabeling — the wrong condition code through carelessness rather than intent — can still draw administrative action, corrective training, or nonjudicial punishment depending on the item and the circumstances. The inspector’s name or stamp on every label is what makes that accountability chain work. If equipment fails in the field, the first thing investigators check is who signed the label and what inspection records back the determination.