LVD Voltage Thresholds

Start with the product's declared voltage ratings and classify each value as AC or DC, input or output, and normal operating mode or range. The Directive states the legal bands; the Commission guide explains that either rated input, rated output, or both can establish scope. A voltage appearing only inside the equipment is not the Article 1 trigger, although it can still matter to the Annex I hazard assessment.

For equipment with multiple declared input or output ratings, identify the highest applicable rating rather than selecting a convenient lower mode. The guide treats the product as within LVD scope when that highest rating falls within the relevant band and outside the voltage scope when the equipment exceeds 1000 V AC or 1500 V DC. Keep tolerances, universal-input ranges, selectable modes, and variant assumptions visible so a reviewer can reproduce the result.

A battery-operated product whose own rated input and output remain below 50 V AC and 75 V DC is outside the LVD voltage range on that fact pattern. That conclusion belongs to the battery product, not automatically to every supplied item. Assess each charger, adapter, dock, or detachable supply against its own declared ratings and Annex II facts. For equipment with an integrated power supply, assess the finished equipment using its declared input and output ratings.

This distinction matters for a kit, bundle, or system. A low-voltage notebook, sensor, handheld terminal, or accessory may be outside LVD by its own rating while a mains charger is within the range; equipment with an integrated power supply whose rating falls within an LVD band is itself in scope. Give each separately placed product its own identity, scope result, declaration route, and evidence link; for an integral supply, explain how its evidence supports the finished equipment.

A product can meet the voltage test and still be outside the Directive if Annex II excludes its equipment category or the relevant phenomenon. Voltage alone never completes the LVD scope decision. The Commission guide treats Annex II as exhaustive, so a trade label or resemblance to an excluded product is not enough.

Important exclusions include electrical equipment for explosive atmospheres, radiology and medical purposes, lift electrical parts, electricity meters, domestic plugs and socket outlets, electric fence controllers, radio-electrical interference, qualifying transport equipment, and qualifying custom-built professional evaluation kits. For an evaluation kit, the guide requires all elements: specific custom build, professional destination, sole R&D use, and use at an R&D facility; ordinary or regularly supplied kits remain in scope.

Voltage does not settle every product-regime boundary. Radio equipment within RED scope is not directly subject to LVD, but RED Article 3(1)(a) requires protection of health and safety with the LVD safety objectives applied without the LVD voltage limit. Separate EMC from electrical-product safety: the LVD guide treats electromagnetic aspects related to safety, including functional safety, as LVD safety matters, while the EMC Directive governs electromagnetic compatibility.

Machinery requires a separate classification. The LVD guide explains that machinery with an electrical supply must meet the LVD safety objectives, but machinery law governs conformity assessment and placing on the market for those electrical hazards. It also identifies hand-held and transportable electrically driven tools such as power tools and lawnmowers as machinery rather than LVD products. Certain electrical and electronic product categories are instead excluded from machinery law insofar as they are covered by LVD, so the product definition and stated intended use remain decisive.

As of 26 July 2026, Directive 2006/42/EC remains the main machinery instrument. Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 applies generally from 20 January 2027 and changes some category wording, so repeat the boundary assessment for products placed on the market under that regime.