NEC Table 430.250 is the table electricians, engineers, and inspectors use to find the Full-Load Current (FLC) of a three-phase AC motor by horsepower and voltage. That FLC value — not the number stamped on the motor’s nameplate — is what NEC 430.6(A)(1) requires you to use when sizing branch-circuit conductors, overcurrent protection, and disconnecting means.
The table itself hasn’t changed in the 2026 NEC. What follows is the full chart, how to apply it correctly (including a voltage detail that trips up a lot of readers), worked examples for both single-motor and multi-motor circuits, and answers to the questions electricians actually search for on this topic.
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What Is NEC Table 430.250?
Table 430.250 lists standardized full-load current values for three-phase, alternating-current motors “running at usual speeds and with normal torque characteristics.” It covers motors from 1/2 HP up to 500 HP, across seven nameplate voltages: 115V, 200V, 208V, 230V, 460V, 575V, and 2300V.
It exists because a motor’s actual nameplate current (FLA) varies by manufacturer, efficiency, and power factor. If conductors and breakers were sized off the nameplate, a facility could end up with circuits sized differently every time a motor gets replaced. Table 430.250 solves that by giving every motor of a given horsepower and voltage the same standardized current value to design around, regardless of brand.
There are three exceptions worth knowing up front. Motors built for low speeds (under 1,200 RPM), high-torque applications, or multispeed operation don’t use the table — for those, you use the actual nameplate FLA instead. And separate motor overload protection (the heaters or electronic trip inside the starter, per NEC 430.6(A)(2)) is always based on nameplate current, not the table value, since overload protection is about that specific motor’s actual draw rather than a generic standard.
📘 Table Purpose and Scope
NEC Table 430.250 provides standardized FLC values for motors running at usual speeds and with normal torque characteristics.
- Voltage Ranges: The listed currents are for rated motor voltages but are also permitted for use within the system voltage ranges of 110 to 120 volts and 220 to 240 volts.
- Application: The FLC found in this table must be used to determine the size of conductors and the rating of overcurrent protection devices, as mandated by NEC 430.6(A)(1), regardless of the actual measured current on the motor nameplate.
📊 NEC Table 430.250: Full-Load Currents (Three-Phase)
| Horsepower | 115 Volts | 200 Volts | 208 Volts | 230 Volts | 460 Volts | 575 Volts | 2300 Volts |
| 1/2 | 4.4 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 0.9 | – |
| 3/4 | 6.4 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 1.6 | 1.3 | – |
| 1 | 8.4 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 4.2 | 2.1 | 1.7 | – |
| 1-1/2 | 12 | 6.9 | 6.6 | 6.0 | 3.0 | 2.1 | – |
| 2 | 13.6 | 7.8 | 7.5 | 6.8 | 3.4 | 2.7 | – |
| 3 | – | 11 | 10.6 | 9.6 | 4.8 | 3.9 | – |
| 5 | – | 17.5 | 16.7 | 15.2 | 7.6 | 6.1 | – |
| 7-1/2 | – | 25.3 | 24.2 | 22 | 11 | 9 | – |
| 10 | – | 32.2 | 30.8 | 28 | 14 | 11 | – |
| 15 | – | 48.3 | 46.2 | 42 | 21 | 17 | – |
| 20 | – | 62.1 | 59.4 | 54 | 27 | 22 | – |
| 25 | – | 78.2 | 74.8 | 68 | 34 | 27 | – |
| 30 | – | 92 | 88 | 80 | 40 | 32 | – |
| 40 | – | 120 | 114 | 104 | 52 | 41 | – |
| 50 | – | 150 | 143 | 130 | 65 | 52 | – |
| 60 | – | 177 | 169 | 154 | 77 | 62 | 16 |
| 75 | – | 221 | 211 | 192 | 96 | 77 | 20 |
| 100 | – | 285 | 273 | 248 | 124 | 99 | 26 |
| 125 | – | 359 | 343 | 312 | 156 | 125 | 31 |
| 150 | – | 414 | 396 | 360 | 180 | 144 | 37 |
| 200 | – | 552 | 528 | 480 | 240 | 192 | 49 |
| 250 | – | – | – | 602 | 302 | 242 | 60 |
| 300 | – | – | – | 723 | 361 | 289 | 72 |
| 350 | – | – | – | 834 | 414 | 336 | 83 |
| 400 | – | – | – | – | 477 | 382 | 96 |
| 450 | – | – | – | – | 512 | 410 | 103 |
| 500 | – | – | – | – | 579 | 463 | 116 |
💡 Application of FLC for Conductor Sizing
The FLC value found in Table 430.250 is used to determine the minimum size of the conductors supplying the motor.
Continuous Duty Motors (NEC 430.22(A)):
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For a single motor used in a continuous duty application, the conductors must have an ampacity of not less than 125% of the motor’s FLC rating:
Minimum Conductor Ampacity = FLC (Table 430.250) x 1.25
This 125% increase accounts for the heat generated by continuous operation.
Example:
For a 10 HP motor operating at 460 Volts:
- Find FLC from Table 430.250: 14 Amperes.
- Calculate Minimum Ampacity: 14 A x 1.25 = 17.5 Amperes.
- You would then select a conductor size from NEC Table 310.16 that has an ampacity of at least 17.5 Amperes.
Note on Nameplate vs. Table:
Per NEC 430.6(A)(1), the FLC determined from this table must be used for sizing conductors and calculating the overcurrent protection rating, even if the FLC listed on the motor’s nameplate is different.
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