Ethanol (ethyl alcohol) is a type of alcohol fuel. It's possible to use alcohol in internal-combustion engines in its pure form, where it can be mixed with gasoline and used in unmodified gasoline engines. Today, ethanol in low-level blends of up to 10 percent (E10) is sold in every state. In fact, estimates are that 50 percent of the gas sold is E10. However, since there is such a wide variance in labeling requirements, consumers often aren't aware of how much ethanol is in their fuel.
There are a number of states that require manufacturers and filling stations to always label their pumps when there is any percentage of alcohol in the gasoline. These states require labeling regardless of the percentage of alcohol:
Alaska - AK
California - CA
Florida - FL
Maine - ME
Pennsylvania - PA
Wisconsin - WI
Wyoming - WV Labels "gasohol"
A great number of states require labeling when the alcohol in the gasoline is over a certain percentage. Here are the states that sometimes require labeling, and the percentage that triggers the requirement:
Alabama - AL (1 % or higher)
Arizona - AZ (1 % or higher)
Arkansas - AR (1.5 % or higher)
Colorado - CO (2 % or higher)
Connecticut - CT (1 % or higher)
Delaware - DE (1.5 % or higher)
Georgia - GA (1.5 % or higher)
Hawaii - HI (1 % or higher)
Idaho - ID (1 % or higher)
Illinois - IL (1 % or higher)
Iowa - IA (1 % or higher)
Louisiana - LA (1 % or higher)
Massachusetts - MA (1 % or higher)
Mississippi - MS (1 % or higher)
Montana - MT (1.5 % or higher)
Nebraska - NE (1 % or higher)
New Mexico - NM (1 % or higher)
New York - NY (1 % or higher)
North Dakota - ND (1 % or higher)
Oklahoma - OK (1 % or higher)
Oregon - OR (1.5 % or higher)
Rhode Island - RI (1 % or higher)
South Carolina - SC (1.5 % or higher)
South Dakota - SD (2 % or higher)
Tennessee - TN (1.5 % or higher)
Texas - TX (1 % or higher)
Utah - UT (1 % or higher)
Vermont - VT (1.5 % or higher)
Virginia - VA (1 % or higher)
Washington - WA (Up to 10%)
West Virginia - WV (1.5 % or higher)
The following states, plus the District of Columbia, currently do not require any special labeling of the gasoline pumps when ethanol is present in any amount:
Indiana - IN
Kansas - KS
Kentucky - KY
Maryland - MD
Michigan - MI
Minnesota - MN
Missouri - MO
Nevada - NV
New Hampshire - NH
New Jersey - NJ
North Carolina - NC
Ohio - OH
