Tax & ComplianceShipping hazardous materials (and what happened to ORM-D)
Perfume, nail polish, batteries and aerosols can ship — with the right service and markings.
Updated 1 min read
Many everyday products are classified as hazardous materials (hazmat) for shipping: perfume, nail polish, aerosols, lithium batteries, paint, and some cleaning products. Many of these can still be mailed, but only with the right service and markings.
You may still see ORM-D printed on old boxes. That marking was phased out years ago and replaced by the Limited Quantity marking (a black-and-white diamond). Packages marked ORM-D today may be rejected.
- Many hazmat items are restricted to ground transportation — for example USPS Ground Advantage rather than Priority Mail, or UPS or FedEx Ground rather than air. Most hazmat can't travel internationally on standard services at all.
- Lithium batteries have their own rules depending on whether they're installed in a device, packed with it, or shipped alone.
- In Octoship, check Contains hazardous materials when creating the label so only eligible services appear.
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