Shipping Perfume, Nail Polish, and Batteries by USPS, the Rules

A small shop selling candles, cosmetics, or gadgets can end up shipping hazardous materials without thinking of them that way. Perfume is a flammable liquid. Nail polish often is too. Phones and power banks contain lithium batteries. None of this means you cannot sell these items online, but it does change which USPS services you can use, how you label the box, and what happens if you get it wrong. The rules put the responsibility squarely on the sender.

1. The responsibility is yours

USPS Publication 52, the Postal Service's guide to hazardous, restricted, and perishable mail, is blunt: full responsibility rests with the mailer to comply with all Postal Service and other laws and regulations when mailing hazardous material.

Three points from that section matter for an online shop:

• You must identify whether a shipment contains hazardous materials when generating the label, including labels made through USPS online tools and APIs.
• You are responsible for knowing the item's flashpoint, toxicity, corrosiveness, or other hazardous properties before deciding whether it can be mailed.
• Anyone who mails a nonmailable or improperly packaged hazardous material may face legal penalties, including fines or imprisonment.

USPS's consumer-facing page adds that if you knowingly mail materials that are dangerous to life, health, or property, you face a civil penalty of at least $250 and up to $100,000 per violation, plus cleanup costs and damages, and possibly criminal penalties.

2. Three categories to know

USPS sorts items into:

• Prohibited: completely forbidden in the U.S. mail. USPS lists air bags, ammunition, explosives, gasoline, liquid mercury, and marijuana.
• Restricted: allowed if you follow specific rules.
• Hazardous materials (HAZMAT): substances that could injure people or cause damage if not handled properly. Some HAZMAT is prohibited, some is restricted, and some can only travel by ground.

3. Common shop products and their rules

3.1. Perfume

USPS says perfume containing alcohol may not be shipped internationally or mailed domestically by air. It may be shipped within the United States by ground transportation, so a fragrance shop needs a shipping service that moves by ground.

3.2. Nail polish

If your nail polish is flammable, USPS says you are responsible for knowing its flashpoint and toxicity. Flammable nail polish may be mailed domestically if it qualifies as a consumer commodity, and some nail polishes can only go by ground.

3.3. Hand sanitizer

USPS says most hand sanitizers, including wipes, contain alcohol, are flammable, and are handled as HAZMAT. They are limited to surface transportation within the U.S., must use Parcel Select (for businesses) or USPS Ground Advantage, and cannot be sent internationally, including to military APO/FPO/DPO addresses.

3.4. Lithium batteries and electronics

USPS includes lithium batteries in HAZMAT because they store a lot of energy and can be a fire risk. Small consumer-type primary lithium cells, like those for cameras and flashlights, are mailable domestically under certain conditions.

For used gadgets, the rule is stricter. If you mail pre-owned, damaged, or defective electronic devices containing or packed with lithium batteries, USPS says they must go by ground transportation and are prohibited on aircraft. The outer package must be marked "Restricted Electronic Device" and "Surface Transportation Only." This matters for any shop reselling used phones, tablets, or laptops.

3.5. Paint and glue

Flammable or combustible paint is generally accepted if it qualifies as a consumer commodity material or ORM-D (surface only) and stays within quantity and packaging limits. USPS notes that latex or similar water-based paint that is not flammable or combustible is not regulated as a hazardous material. For glues, USPS again puts the burden on you to know the flashpoint and toxicity; flammable glues may be mailed as consumer commodities, some by ground only.

4. Fees and penalties in dollars

USPS charges an extra handling fee for HAZMAT packages (amounts as listed on the USPS page checked October 14, 2026; prices change):

For commercial shipments, USPS charges a $50 noncompliance fee for packages that are improperly declared, improperly labeled, or otherwise fail HAZMAT requirements.

As an illustration, take a fragrance shop shipping 40 orders a month. If even five of them go out without the HAZMAT declaration and are caught, the noncompliance fees alone are $250 that month. Since many of these products must go by ground anyway, choosing Ground Advantage also avoids the $7.50 Priority Mail handling fee.

5. Presenting the packages

USPS says you must separate HAZMAT packages from all other packages and present them in a container marked "HAZMAT." If you are unsure about labeling, you can take the package to a Post Office to check it is labeled correctly.

6. A pre-listing checklist

1. Before listing a product, check with the manufacturer whether it is flammable and what its flashpoint is.
2. Look up the item on the USPS restrictions page and in Publication 52.
3. Pick a shipping service that matches: ground-only items cannot go by air services.
4. Declare HAZMAT when you create the label, every time.
5. Mark packages as required, such as "Restricted Electronic Device" and "Surface Transportation Only" for used electronics with lithium batteries.
6. Put a note in each product listing about ground-only shipping so delivery estimates are honest.

7. Key takeaways

• USPS Publication 52 puts full responsibility for HAZMAT compliance on the mailer.
• Perfume containing alcohol can ship within the U.S. by ground only, and not internationally.
• Used, damaged, or defective electronics with lithium batteries must go by ground with specific package markings.
• HAZMAT handling fees are $0 for Ground Advantage and $7.50 for Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express.
• Improperly declared commercial HAZMAT shipments face a $50 noncompliance fee; knowing violations can bring civil penalties of $250 to $100,000.