USPS Rolls Out New HAZMAT Fees & Shipping Box Fines
- 5 hours ago
- 1 min read
USPS Rolls Out New HAZMAT
Fees & Shipping Box Fines
A.J. Pike
USVI - The United States Postal Service (USPS) has implemented a $50 Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) no-compliance fine/fee for any package containing hazardous materials that is improperly labeled or undeclared. This policy, which takes effect July 12, 2026, under a new compliance law, applies across all USPS competitive services to enhance transportation safety.
Specifically, a $50 fee is applied to any package that contains hazardous materials but is not correctly declared or marked with the proper shipping name and ID numbers.
Also, a new $7.50 HAZMAT handling fee is charged when hazardous materials are correctly declared and sent via Priority Mail or Priority Mail Express. Many everyday items are legally classified as hazardous, such as lithium batteries, electronics, perfumes and colognes, hand sanitizer, nail polish, nail polish remover, essential oils, inks, stains and varnishes, hairspray, and mouthwash containing alcohol.
This $7.50 fee can also be applied if you reuse old shipping boxes that still have the unremoved hazardous material warning labels.
“If you reuse shipping boxes, make sure all old hazardous material labels are ‘completely removed’ or covered before shipping,” a postal employee stated. “No more scribbling it out!”
Exactly what label must be attached to a package depends on the hazardous materials it has inside. Virgin Islanders can find some examples of acceptable labels for hazardous materials on the USPS official website: