USPS Shipping Restrictions: The Full List of Restricted and Prohibited Items

At some point, you’ll probably end up looking at an item and asking yourself, “Can I ship this?” It’s a fair question, and we’ve all been there. Sometimes the answer is no! Therefore, it’s always good to be aware of the number of shipping restrictions when shipping with USPS. On top of restricting certain items, the Postal Service also prohibits a number of goods. For example, shipping alcohol is completely prohibited. No matter what you’re shipping, we’ve compiled this full list of items so you can see them all in one place.

Table of Contents

• Shipping Restrictions vs. Prohibited Items: What’s the Difference?
• Prohibited Items
• Restricted Items

Shipping Restrictions vs Prohibited Items: What’s the Difference?

First thing’s first: it’s important to know the difference between prohibited items and restricted items. You are unable to ship prohibited items under any circumstances. However, you are able to ship restricted items…but you’ll need to follow a list of stringent guidelines.

Prohibited Items

These are items you can’t ship with USPS—no exceptions! You’ll notice that all prohibited domestic items are also prohibited to be shipped internationally. However, some items (like aerosols and dry ice) are only prohibited internationally and not domestically.

Prohibited Domestic Items

• Air bags
• Alcoholic Beverages
• Ammunition
• Explosives
• Gasoline
• Marijuana (medical or otherwise)

Prohibited International Items

• Aerosols
• Air Bags
• Alcoholic Beverages (or items containing any trace of alcohol whatsoever)
• Ammunition
• Cigarettes
• Dry Ice
• Explosives
• Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
• Gasoline
• Hand Sanitizers
• Marijuana (medical or otherwise)
• Mouthwash
• Nail Polish Perfumes (containing alcohol)
• Poison

Restricted Items

This is a list of items that you can ship under certain circumstances. Each item category has particular guidelines, regulations, and packaging requirements that you’ll need to abide by in order to ship. If you want to learn more, here’s a more comprehensive breakdown of USPS’ restricted items categories.

Restricted Domestic Items

• Aerosols
• Cigarettes and Tobacco
• Cremated Remains
• Dry Ice
• Firearms
• Glues
• Lithium-Ion Batteries
• Live Animals
  • Some animals such as birds have a wide set of restrictions for shipping with USPS
• Matches
• Nail Polish
• Paint
• Perfumes
• Perishable Items
• Poisons
• Prescription Medicine or Drugs

Restricted International Items

• Cigars
• Lithium-Ion Batteries
• Medical Devices
  • Learn about the international restrictions for shipping medical devices
• Medicine or Drugs