Hazardous and Dangerous Items

Examples of permitted listings

If listing a permitted but hazardous item, sellers must ensure they are shipping the item in compliance with Department of Transportation requirements and applicable laws.

• Batteries that do not contain mercury
• Rechargeable batteries
• Portable fuel containers certified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Examples of prohibited listings

• Products containing Bisphenol A (BPA)
• Items containing Carbon Tetrachloride, such as:
  • Fire extinguishers
  • Refrigerants
  • Cleaning agents
• Any chemical substance or compound that is intended for commercial, industrial, or professional use only and is not available for general consumer purchase
• Explosives, such as:
  • Black powder
  • Caps for toy guns
  • Explosive fuses
  • Exploding rifle targets
  • Fireworks, such as:
    • Firecrackers
    • Firework kits
    • Aerial bombs
    • Bottle rockets
    • Party poppers
    • Roman candles
    • Smoke bombs
    • Snap caps
    • Sparklers
  • Flares, such as projectile and road flares
  • Flash paper
  • Gasoline
• Sky lanterns or floating lanterns
• Bacteria cultures or other products containing E coli or Escherichia coli
• Hydrofluoric acid
• Inflatable Neck Floats for children
• Information on how to make explosive devices, such as bombs
• Kite strings that are intended for kite fighting
• Military-style gas masks and their filters
• Nitric acid
• Products containing red phosphorous
• Products containing thermite
• Products containing tritium that do not comply with the regulations of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission
• Products that do not comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act
• Used oil, such as cooking oil or motor oil
• Water walking balls
• Products contaminated by radiation
• Liquid mercury and products containing mercury, such as:
  • Automotive switches, relays, and diostats
  • Batteries, with the exception of alkaline-manganese button cell batteries containing up to 25 mg of mercury
  • Manometers, sphygmomanometers, and other medical devices containing mercury
  • Mercury-added consumer novelty products such as toys, games, cards, jewelry, apparel, and footwear
  • Thermometers
  • Thermostats
  • Wheel weights
• Products containing cyanide
• Individual magnets or magnet sets that are small enough to fit inside a cylinder that is 1.25 inches (31.7 mm) in diameter and 2.25 inches (57.1 mm) long (For example: “small parts cylinder” or “choking tube”) and have a flux index greater than 50 kg²mm² (50 kg2mm2) are prohibited from sale. Specifically, this includes individual magnets and magnet sets that are marketed or commonly used as a manipulative or construction items for entertainment, such as puzzle working, sculpture building, mental stimulation, or stress relief. Additionally, the following magnet set brands are specifically prohibited for sale:
  • Buckyballs
  • Buck balls
  • Buckybars
  • Bucky Bigs
  • Buckycubes
  • CyberCube
  • Dynocube
  • Hurry Harris balls
  • Magnicube (also called 'Mag Cube')
  • Neocubes
  • Neocubix
  • Nanodots
  • Neo spheres
  • Puzzle Spheres (ONLY if they are magnets or magnetic)
  • Zen magnets set
• Vehicle airbags and airbag covers
• Toy crossbows that have the capability of shooting small, sharp projectiles (e.g., toothpicks, pins)

See also

• Postal Service Publication 52, which provides details on transportation requirements for some hazardous substances
• Office of Hazardous Materials Safety
• EPA-Mercury in Your Environment, which provides information about laws regulating products that contain mercury
• EPA-Mercury in Batteries, which provides information about laws regulating batteries that contain mercury
• Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which provides information about tritium
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• EPA Safe Drinking Water Act

Last updated 03/20/2020