You can't send hazardous materials (explosives, flammable liquids, poisons), illegal drugs, firearms, live animals (with few exceptions like bees), perishable foods, human remains, large amounts of cash, or counterfeit items through the mail, as these pose safety risks, are illegal, or can't be handled properly by postal services. Rules vary by carrier (USPS, FedEx, UPS) and destination, so always check specific regulations for hazardous materials, alcohol, and perishables.
You can't send these items in the U.S. mail:
You generally can't send dangerous goods (explosives, flammable items, aerosols, dry ice), illegal drugs, counterfeit items, certain live animals/plants, fresh food (meat, dairy, fruit, veg), pornography, and large amounts of currency or gift cards to Australia, due to strict biosecurity and customs regulations. Firearms, replicas, and their ammunition are also banned.
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List of Prohibited Items
Dangerous goods (UPS Guide for Transporting Hazardous Materials) Firearms and weapons (including inert and replica explosive weapons) Furs. Gold or other precious metals.
Flammable, explosive, corrosive and toxic items
Fireworks. Flammable liquids, such as paint, varnish, solvents, petrol. Bleaches, peroxide, acid. Phosphorus.
Yes, you can mail liquids through carriers like USPS, UPS, and FedEx, as long as containers are tightly sealed and properly packed. With that said, carriers won't accept every type of liquid. Liquids that are flammable or dangerous, such as nail polish, gasoline, or alcohol, may be restricted or prohibited.
Biological substances, Category B and exempt human or animal specimens. Dangerous goods (UPS Guide for Transporting Dangerous Goods) Firearms and weapons (including inert and replica explosive weapons) Furs.
Food, including Potentially Hazardous Food
Customers must ensure food is packed with sufficient insulation and temperature control devices to take account of what might happen if there are delivery delays, and consider whether any delay could affect the quality and safety of the product being sent.
"Australia Post does not have, for example, sniffer dogs, X-ray machines or explosive trace detectors. "Australia Post lacks legal authority to open mail."
USPS (United States Postal Service)
USPS allows you to ship empty lighters via regular mail. Lighters with fuel can only be shipped via ground transportation using Parcel Select Ground. You'll need to label the package “Surface Only” and “Consumer Commodity – ORM-D” if applicable.
When entering the United States, what items must I declare?
You can't mail weapons (including replicas), illegal drugs, fresh foods, plants, soil, certain animal products (ivory, some furs), counterfeit goods, or hazardous materials (explosives, aerosols, large batteries, strong chemicals) to Australia; biosecurity (pests/diseases) and security risks are key concerns, so declare everything, especially food, alcohol, tobacco, or items with cultural/security implications. Always check the Australia Post and Australian Border Force (ABF) official sites for detailed, up-to-date lists before sending.
Envelopes are for sending flat, flexible things, like letters, cards, checks, forms, and other paper goods. For just 1 $0.78 First-Class Mail® Forever® stamp, you can send 1 oz (about 4 sheets of regular, 8-1/2" x 11" paper in a rectangular envelope) to anywhere in the U.S.!
Examples of restricted items include firearms, certain fruits and vegetables, animal products, animal by products, and some animals.
Articles of exceptional value (e.g., works of art, antiques, precious stones, gold and silver) Dangerous goods/Hazardous materials (following IATA regulations for Express and Expedited, and following ADR regulations for Standard) Firearms. Furs. Ivory and ivory products.
Any person sending such an item does so at their own risk:
Glass Items Of Any Type - Including Glassware, Crystal, Bulbs, Screens, Fiberglass, Fish Tanks, Mirrors, Spectacles, Windows, Perspex. Packaging - Including The Box, Media Packaging, Suitcases Used As Packaging.
Liquids & Semi-liquids *. Philately Items. Drugs and Narcotics (Illegal). Firearms, parts thereof and ammunition.
If cosmetics aren't hazardous, you can mail them just as you would any other item, though you'll want to be careful to package them securely and provide any necessary temperature control measures.
This includes flammable liquids like gasoline, propane, perfumes, and essential oils. You can also ship alcohol via UPS if you obtain the proper licenses and sign shipping agreements. This only covers domestic shipments; many countries will not allow small-batch shipments of alcohol or flammable substances.
You are allowed to bring a quart-sized bag of liquids, aerosols, gels, creams and pastes through the checkpoint. These are limited to 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less per item. This is also known as the 3-1-1 liquids rule.
The "45-minute rule" refers to a productivity technique of working intensely for 45 minutes, followed by a 10-15 minute break, leveraging the brain's natural focus cycles (ultradian rhythms) to prevent burnout and boost efficiency, though it can also refer to airline check-in deadlines or corporate onboarding targets. The work/rest pattern helps maintain concentration, while the airport rule requires check-in 45 mins pre-flight for domestic flights.
Prohibited goods are those goods for which importation and exportation have been completely banned for reasons linked to health, environment, protection of endangered species of flora and fauna, security, legislation etc. These items shall be liable to forfeiture by customs and the person may be liable to a penalty.