How to read a pallet stamp
That little wheat logo and cluster of codes on a pallet stringer isn't decoration — it's a passport. Learn to read every symbol so you know exactly what you're handling, shipping or upcycling.
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What the stamp actually certifies
The stamp is an IPPC / ISPM-15 mark. IPPC is the International Plant Protection Convention; ISPM-15 is its standard governing solid-wood packaging — pallets, crates, dunnage — that crosses international borders. The entire purpose is pest control: preventing insects and fungi from hitching a ride between countries in untreated wood. It says nothing about how sturdy the pallet is, only how it was treated to be pest-free.
Because it's about international trade, only pallets that have moved across borders are required to carry the mark. A pallet that has only ever moved goods within the US may have no stamp at all and still be clean, untreated lumber. For the domestic-shipping rules and when you actually need a treated pallet, see heat treatment & ISPM-15.
Every symbol on the stamp
A compliant ISPM-15 stamp has four parts. Reading them in order tells you the whole story:
| Symbol / code | What it means | What to do with it |
|---|---|---|
| Wheat / grain logo (IPPC) | Certifies the wood meets the ISPM-15 standard for international trade. | Its presence confirms the pallet was treated and inspected. No logo = never regulated for export. |
| Country code (e.g. US, CA, CN) | The country where the wood was treated, in ISO two-letter form. | Tells you origin. Pair with the treatment code to judge safety. |
| Producer / facility number | A unique ID for the certified treatment facility. | Traceability — lets authorities trace a pallet back to who treated it. |
| HT — Heat Treated | Wood heated to a 56 °C core for 30+ minutes to kill pests. No chemicals. | Safe to use and upcycle. The mark you want. |
| KD-HT — Kiln-Dried & Heat Treated | Kiln-dried for lower moisture, and also heat-treated to ISPM-15. | Safe, chemical-free, and less prone to warping/mold. |
| DB — Debarked | Bark removed, as ISPM-15 requires. Often shown alongside HT. | Neutral/positive — just a processing note, not a safety flag. |
| MB — Methyl Bromide | Fumigated with a toxic chemical, now banned/phased out in most countries. | Avoid for furniture, food-contact, indoor use or burning. |
The “heat-treated pallets are unsafe” myth
A stubborn internet myth says you should avoid HTpallets. It has it backwards. The “HT” stamp means heat-treated — the wood was baked, not doused. There are no chemicals in the treatment itself, which makes HT pallets some of the best candidates for reclaimed-wood projects.
The two things that actually make a pallet unsafe:
- An MB stamp.Methyl bromide is a chemical fumigant. Even though it's largely phased out, older and some imported pallets still carry it. Don't burn them and don't bring them indoors.
- Contamination.Regardless of stamp, a pallet that hauled chemicals, oil, raw food, or unknown cargo can be contaminated. Stained, greasy, moldy or foul-smelling pallets aren't worth the risk for anything you'll touch, eat off of, or keep inside.
Rule of thumb for upcycling: HT + clean = go. MB or contaminated = no.
A safety note for DIY & upcycling
Turning pallet wood into furniture, planters or décor is a great second life — it's the idea behind our own upcycled wood goods. A few habits keep it safe:
- Start with an HT / KD-HT pallet, or clean unstamped domestic wood.
- Skip anything marked MB, or with unknown cargo history.
- Reject pallets with spills, oily patches, mold, or a chemical smell.
- Never burn a pallet unless you're certain it's HT and uncontaminated — never MB.
- Sand and seal finished pieces, especially anything for indoor or food-adjacent use.
Prefer to skip the guesswork? We can supply known heat-treated stock for your project or export needs — see heat treatment & ISPM-15 or just ask for HT pallets in a quote.
The full treatment-code table
Answer first: the code that decides safety is the treatment abbreviation. Here is the full set you'll actually encounter on a stringer, sorted from “green light” to “stop.”
| Code | Full name | Chemical? | Upcycle verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| HT | Heat Treated | No — baked to 56 °C core | Go — the mark you want |
| KD-HT | Kiln-Dried & Heat Treated | No — dried and heat-treated | Go — also resists warping/mold |
| DB | Debarked | No — a processing note | Neutral — usually paired with HT |
| (no code) | Untreated domestic wood | No treatment applied | Go if clean and uncontaminated |
| MB | Methyl Bromide | Yes — toxic fumigant | Stop — never indoors, food-contact or burning |
HT + clean = go Memorize that one rule and you can clear ninety percent of pallets at a glance.
Reading the country code
The two-letter country code sits inside the stamp alongside the wheat logo. It's the ISO code for where the wood was treated and certified— not necessarily where the pallet traveled. Here are the ones you'll see most on Southern Arizona docks.
| Code | Country |
|---|---|
| US | United States |
| CA | Canada |
| MX | Mexico |
| CN | China |
| DE | Germany |
The code tells you origin, not quality. A pallet from any country can be perfectly safe if it's HT and clean — and unsafe if it's MB or contaminated. Always read origin and treatment together, then check the wood itself.
Five more pallet-stamp myths, cleared up
Beyond the big HT myth, these are the misconceptions we hear most:
- “No stamp means it's dangerous.” False — only export pallets are required to be stamped. A clean domestic pallet may carry no mark at all.
- “Any stamp means it's chemically treated.” False — most stamps say HT, which is heat, not chemicals. Only MB is a chemical treatment.
- “The blue/red painted ones are just colorful.”False — those are usually rental-pool pallets owned by another company and shouldn't be taken or repurposed.
- “Heat-treated wood is dried out and brittle.” False — HT kills pests; KD-HT additionally lowers moisture. Neither weakens sound structural lumber.
- “A stamp guarantees the pallet is strong.” False — the stamp is about pest treatment, not structure. Grade and condition, not the stamp, tell you strength — see grades explained.
Pallet stamp meaning — FAQ
Reading a pallet stamp FAQ
Is it safe to use heat-treated (HT) pallets for furniture and DIY?
Yes. Heat treatment is exactly what it sounds like — the wood was baked to a core temperature that kills pests. No chemicals are involved. A pallet stamped HT is one of the best candidates for upcycling. The stamp you actually want to avoid is MB.
What does MB mean on a pallet, and why avoid it?
MB stands for methyl bromide, a chemical fumigant once used to treat wood for pests. It's now banned or phased out in most of the world under the Montreal Protocol, but older or imported pallets may still carry the MB stamp. Because it's a toxic chemical treatment, don't burn MB pallets and don't use them for furniture, food-contact or indoor projects.
Does a pallet without any stamp mean it's unsafe?
Not necessarily. Only pallets used in international shipping are required to carry an IPPC/ISPM-15 mark, so a purely domestic pallet may have no stamp at all and still be perfectly clean untreated wood. The real questions for safety are: is it MB-treated, and has it been contaminated with spills, chemicals or unknown cargo? A no-stamp domestic pallet often passes both.
What's the difference between HT and KD-HT?
HT means heat-treated to the ISPM-15 pest standard (core temperature held long enough to kill pests). KD-HT means the pallet was kiln-dried and also meets heat treatment — kiln drying additionally reduces moisture, which limits warping and mold. Both are chemical-free and fine to use and upcycle.
Where is the stamp located on a pallet?
Usually branded or stenciled onto the outer stringers or blocks, on at least two opposite sides so it's visible however the pallet sits. If you can't find any mark, the pallet likely never entered regulated international trade.
Codes, origin & safety — FAQ
Stamp codes & safety FAQ
What do the country codes on a pallet stamp mean?
The two-letter code is the ISO country code for where the wood was treated and certified — US for the United States, CA for Canada, CN for China, MX for Mexico, DE for Germany, and so on. It tells you origin, not quality; pair it with the treatment code (HT vs. MB) to judge whether the pallet is safe for your use.
Does the producer number tell me anything useful?
It's a unique ID for the certified treatment facility, there for traceability — it lets authorities trace a pallet back to who treated it. For everyday buying and upcycling it isn't something you need to decode; the treatment code (HT, KD-HT, MB) is the part that matters for safety.
Can a pallet have more than one treatment code?
Yes. You'll commonly see combinations like HT with DB (heat-treated and debarked) or KD-HT (kiln-dried and heat-treated). Those are all chemical-free and fine to use and upcycle. The only code that changes the answer is MB — if you see methyl bromide, treat the pallet as unsafe for indoor, furniture, food-contact or burning use.
Are colored or painted pallets safe to reuse?
Painted pallets are often part of a rental pool (like the well-known blue or red programs) and belong to that company, so they shouldn't be taken or repurposed. Beyond ownership, an unknown paint is a coating you can't verify — for upcycling, stick to clean, uncoated HT or unstamped domestic wood you can actually inspect.
The stamp is worn off — how can I tell if a pallet is treated?
If you can't read a stamp, you can't confirm the treatment, so judge it by history and condition instead: a domestic pallet that never crossed a border may have no stamp and still be clean untreated wood. For anything you'll bring indoors or make food-adjacent, when in doubt leave it out — or ask us for known heat-treated stock so there's no guessing.
Need pallets you can trust?
Whether it's certified heat-treated stock for export or clean wood for a build, tell us the spec and we'll match it — stamp and all.