FAQEU

EU Low Voltage Directive FAQ AC and DC thresholds

Directive 2014/35/EU applies to electrical equipment designed for use with a voltage rating between 50 and 1000 V AC or between 75 and 1500 V DC, unless an Annex II exclusion applies.

The rating check is about the equipment's stated input or output voltage, not every voltage that may appear inside the product.

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Author
Sorena AI
Published
May 9, 2026
Updated
May 9, 2026
Questions
5

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Primary sources
3

Cited legal and guidance references.

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Sorena AI
Published May 9, 2026
Updated May 9, 2026
Overview

The Low Voltage Directive threshold is 50-1000 V for alternating current and 75-1500 V for direct current. The Commission's LVD guide explains that those ratings refer to the equipment's electrical input or output voltage. Internal voltages do not by themselves decide Article 1 scope.

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Question 1

Which AC and DC voltage thresholds bring equipment into the Low Voltage Directive?

Article 1 of Directive 2014/35/EU applies to electrical equipment designed for use with a voltage rating of 50-1000 V AC or 75-1500 V DC. Equipment outside those design ratings is not brought into LVD scope by the voltage bands alone.

The LVD guide clarifies that voltage rating means the rated electrical input or rated electrical output, or both. It is not a test of transient, generated, or otherwise internal voltages that may appear inside the equipment during operation.

  • A 230 V AC mains-powered product normally sits inside the AC band unless an Annex II exclusion or another product law changes the analysis.
  • A product with a low-voltage function but an integrated 230 V AC power supply should be assessed against the LVD for that supply rating.
  • A battery-only product below 75 V DC is outside the LVD voltage band, but its accompanying charger or integrated power supply can still be in scope if rated within the AC or DC limits.
  • Equipment designed for more than 1000 V AC or more than 1500 V DC is outside the LVD voltage range; other EU or national safety rules may still apply.
Citations
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Check the LVD threshold against the actual ratings

Use the rated input, rated output, Annex II exclusion status, and product configuration to decide whether Directive 2014/35/EU applies.

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Question 2

How should input, output, and supply ratings be read?

Use the product's stated electrical ratings, not a generic product category label. The guide says equipment is designed for use within the LVD range when it has a rated input voltage, a rated output voltage, or both inside the range.

For products with more than one rating, assess the rated inputs and outputs that define the product as placed on the EU market. A low-voltage device, a mains adapter, and a charger bundled with it may need separate scope conclusions if they are separate electrical equipment.

  • Input rating: check the supply expected from the grid, a charger, a vehicle, a battery pack, or another source.
  • Output rating: check whether the equipment supplies another device or circuit inside the LVD AC or DC bands.
  • Integrated power supply: if the product includes the supply unit and the supply is within the LVD band, assess the finished equipment on that basis.
  • Accompanying charger: even when the battery-operated device is below the DC threshold, the charger can be LVD equipment if its own rating is within the bands.
Citations
Question 3

What exclusions can override the voltage threshold?

Being inside 50-1000 V AC or 75-1500 V DC is not the end of the scope check. Article 1 excludes the equipment and phenomena listed in Annex II, and the LVD guide describes that Annex II list as exhaustive for explicit LVD exclusions.

The Annex II exclusions cover specific product types or situations, not every product with electrical hazards. If no Annex II exclusion applies, continue with LVD safety objectives, conformity assessment, technical documentation, EU declaration of conformity, and CE marking where the product is otherwise in scope.

  • Excluded by Annex II: electrical equipment for explosive atmospheres; radiology and medical purposes; electrical parts for lifts; electricity meters; domestic plugs and socket outlets; electric fence controllers; and radio-electrical interference.
  • Also excluded: specialised electrical equipment for ships, aircraft, or railways when it complies with safety provisions from international bodies in which Member States participate.
  • Also excluded: custom-built evaluation kits destined for professionals and used solely at research and development facilities.
  • Domestic plug and socket exclusions are narrow. The LVD guide says special plugs and socket outlets, such as appliance couplers or industrial-purpose products, are not excluded on that ground.
Citations
Question 4

Common edge cases for AC and DC threshold decisions

Most mistakes come from treating the product family as the answer instead of reading the rated electrical boundaries of the exact equipment. The same commercial bundle can contain one item outside the LVD voltage band and another item inside it.

The threshold conclusion should name the exact equipment assessed, its rated inputs and outputs, whether Annex II applies, and whether another EU product regime such as RED, machinery, ATEX, medical-device, lift, or marine-equipment law is doing the main work.

  • USB or other extra-low-voltage device: usually outside the LVD voltage band when assessed alone, but check any supplied charger, dock, or integrated mains power unit separately.
  • Travel adapter: a simple adapter may fall outside LVD scope under the guide's examples, while adapters with switching contacts, USB charging, overvoltage protection, LEDs, or similar active features can fall within LVD scope.
  • Machinery with an electrical supply: the LVD safety objectives may be relevant to electrical hazards, but the machinery regime can govern the conformity route and declaration instead of a standalone LVD declaration.
  • Radio equipment: radio equipment is generally handled under the Radio Equipment Directive for its safety requirements, while wired telecom terminal equipment inside the LVD voltage bands may still fall under the LVD.
Citations
Question 5

What evidence should support the threshold answer?

The threshold file should be short but product-specific. It should let a reviewer see why the equipment is inside the LVD band, outside the band, or excluded despite being inside the band.

For in-scope equipment, keep the threshold memo with the technical documentation required by Annex III, including the product description, drawings or schemes where relevant, applicable requirements, standards or other technical specifications used, design calculations or examinations, and test reports.

  • Record the rated AC input, rated DC input, rated AC output, and rated DC output as stated on the product, label, instructions, data sheet, or power-supply specification.
  • Identify whether the assessed item is the finished product, a component, an integrated power supply, a separate charger, an adapter, or a bundle containing multiple electrical items.
  • State any Annex II exclusion relied on and why the exact wording fits the equipment.
  • If the product is in scope, connect the threshold answer to the LVD technical file, EU declaration of conformity, CE marking assessment, and harmonised standards or other safety solution used.
Citations
Primary sources

References and citations

European Commission - LVD guidelines
ec.europa.eu
Referenced sections
  • The guide supports keeping the threshold answer tied to rated input/output data and the exact equipment configuration.
"rated input voltage or a rated output voltage"
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