To ship dangerous goods through FedEx, you complete a Shipper’s Declaration for Dangerous Goods, sign the certification, and hand it to a scheduled pickup at your location. The specific FedEx hazardous materials certification form depends on the service: FedEx Ground shipments use form OP-900LL or OP-900LG under 49 CFR, while FedEx Express air shipments use the IATA Shipper’s Declaration for Dangerous Goods. Either way, the shipper who signs takes on full legal responsibility for classifying, describing, and packaging the material correctly.1eCFR. 49 CFR 173.22 – Shipper’s Responsibility
Which FedEx Form You Use
FedEx Ground shipments of hazardous materials travel under Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The paperwork is FedEx form OP-900LL or OP-900LG, attached to the top of the outer package next to the address label.2FedEx. Hazardous Materials: How to Ship FedEx Express shipments moving by air follow the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations and use the IATA Shipper’s Declaration for Dangerous Goods. The two forms carry the same core information but use different certification wording and different physical formatting requirements.
FedEx Ship Manager Software can generate the IATA declaration and check your entries against built-in IATA tables before printing, which catches common errors before the package leaves your facility.3Federal Express Corporation. FedEx Ship Manager Software Help Guide
Before You Can Sign the Form
Two things have to be in place before your signature on the certification means anything. First, FedEx must have approved your account for hazmat shipping. For Ground, contact your FedEx account executive to be set up as an approved hazardous materials shipper.2FedEx. Hazardous Materials: How to Ship Hazmat is not accepted at FedEx Office Print and Ship Centers, at FedEx Drop Boxes, or at any unstaffed location. Every hazmat shipment, including limited-quantity materials and dry ice, must go through a scheduled pickup. FedEx Ground hazmat packages cannot exceed 70 pounds or 8 gallons.
Second, the person completing the form must be trained. Under 49 CFR 172.704, a hazmat employee’s training must cover general awareness, function-specific procedures, safety, security awareness, and, where a security plan applies, in-depth security training. Air shippers also need modal-specific training for air transport. Training has to be refreshed at least once every three years, and the employer must keep records showing the employee’s name, the most recent training date, the training materials used, the trainer’s name and address, and a certification that the employee was trained and tested.4Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. Hazardous Materials Training Requirements The employer stays responsible for compliance even when a third party delivers the training.
Filling In the Shipping Description
The shipping description is the technical heart of the form. Under 49 CFR 172.202, the following data elements appear in this order:5eCFR. 49 CFR 172.202 – Description of Hazardous Material on Shipping Papers
- UN or ID number: the four-digit identification code assigned to the material, such as UN1203 for gasoline.
- Proper shipping name: the standardized name from the DOT Hazardous Materials Table in 49 CFR 172.101. Not a trade name and not an abbreviation.
- Hazard class or division: the numerical classification, for example Class 3 for flammable liquids or Class 8 for corrosives. Any subsidiary hazard classes go in parentheses after the primary class.
- Packing group: Roman numerals I, II, or III, with I being the most severe. Explosives and radioactive materials do not have a packing group.
- Total quantity: the amount of hazardous material with a unit of measurement, such as “200 kg” or “50 L.” Air shipments require net quantity per package in metric units.
The form also needs the full name and address of both the shipper and the consignee.
Emergency Response Telephone Number
Every hazmat shipping paper must carry an emergency response telephone number, and the rules are stricter than most first-time shippers expect. The number must be monitored at all times while the material is in transit, including during any storage along the way. Whoever answers must either know the specific material and have comprehensive emergency response information, or have immediate access to someone who does. An answering machine, an answering service, or a beeper that requires a callback does not satisfy the rule.6eCFR. 49 CFR 172.604 – Emergency Response Telephone Number
If you use a third-party emergency response information provider rather than staffing the line yourself, that provider must have current information about your specific material before the package ships, and the shipping paper must identify the provider near the phone number by name, contract number, or other unique identifier.6eCFR. 49 CFR 172.604 – Emergency Response Telephone Number
Certification and Signature
The certification at the bottom of the form is the legal attestation that everything above it is correct. For DOT ground shipments, the required wording is: “This is to certify that the above-named materials are properly classified, described, packaged, marked and labeled, and are in proper condition for transportation according to the applicable regulations of the Department of Transportation.”7eCFR. 49 CFR 172.204 – Shipper’s Certification
Air shipments under IATA rules use different wording and add a separate declaration: “I declare that all of the applicable air transport requirements have been met.” The IATA form on FedEx Express shipments preprints this language. You sign and date the certification, and that signature is what any enforcement action later relies on.
Physical Document Requirements
The IATA Shipper’s Declaration used for air shipments has to be printed with a red-striped, or hatched, border along the vertical edges. FedEx will reject a black-and-white printout. The form must have red edges, black text, and a white background.8Federal Select Agent Program. Guidance for Completing the Shipper’s Declaration for Dangerous Goods FedEx Ship Manager Software prints the declaration in the correct format when a color printer is connected.
For air transport, prepare the shipping paper in duplicate. The IATA form itself instructs that two completed and signed copies be handed to the operator,9International Air Transport Association. Shipper’s Declaration for Dangerous Goods which matches the federal requirement under 49 CFR 175.30 that shipping papers for aircraft transport be prepared in duplicate.10eCFR. 49 CFR 175.30 – Inspecting Shipments Every copy needs to be clear and legible. Faded or blurry text can trigger delays or enforcement action during DOT audits.
Keep a copy of the shipping paper at your principal place of business. Retention is two years from the date the initial carrier accepts the shipment for standard hazardous materials, and three years for hazardous waste.11eCFR. 49 CFR 172.201 – Preparation and Retention of Shipping Papers
Handing the Form to FedEx
For FedEx Ground, attach the completed OP-900LL or OP-900LG to the top of the outer package next to the address label, with both the “To” and “From” addresses visible.2FedEx. Hazardous Materials: How to Ship A clear resealable plastic pouch protects the form from weather while keeping it readable. If you are shipping under a DOT special permit, a copy of that permit paperwork also has to be given to the FedEx facility accepting the shipment. FedEx may request a copy of the material’s Safety Data Sheet at any time.
For FedEx Express air shipments, hand both signed copies of the IATA Shipper’s Declaration to the FedEx driver during the scheduled pickup. The driver will check for the signature, the red-striped border, and basic accuracy before accepting the package.
What a Wrong Form Costs
Errors on the declaration are not minor paperwork problems. Civil penalties for knowingly violating hazardous materials transportation regulations can reach $102,348 per violation per day. Where a violation results in death, serious illness, severe injury, or substantial property damage, the ceiling rises to $238,809 per day.12Lion Technology. DOT, EPA, and OSHA Cancel Penalty Increases There is no statutory minimum for general hazmat violations, but training-related violations carry a minimum of $617.13Federal Register. Revisions to Civil Penalty Amounts, 2025 Failing to provide required employee training carries its own penalty of up to $102,348 per day.
Criminal liability runs on a separate track. Willfully or recklessly violating hazmat transportation law can bring fines under Title 18 and up to five years in prison. If the violation involves a release of hazardous material that causes death or bodily injury, the maximum prison term doubles to ten years.14Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 49 USC 5124 – Criminal Penalty