AbstractThe paper describes application of the theory of the critical distance on multiaxially loaded notched components, including both high mean loads and non-proportional loading. The notches range from very sharp ones with notch radius 0.11 mm to a very mild case of the shoulder-fillet. The applicability was checked only for the fatigue limit or fatigue endurance values and no attempts on finite life solution were made. Five different methods, both of integral and critical plane types, were checked with the critical distance solution, with the best results obtained for the Papuga PCr method solution. The definition of the critical distance by the check of the first principal stress for the simple push-pull fatigue limit is concluded to provide acceptable results.