Will a parcel carrier take a package with dry ice? Some will, but by air dry ice is Class 9 dangerous goods under UN 1845. For any package that flies, the framework is IATA Packing Instruction 954.
| Carrier | Published requirement |
|---|---|
| FedEx | At most 200 kg of dry ice per package; outside marked Dry ice or Carbon dioxide solid, UN 1845, net kg and both addresses; Class 9 label at least 100 x 100 mm |
| UPS | For international dry-ice shipments, a signed International Special Commodities (ISC) contract with UPS and compliance with IATA 954 |
The packaging must not be airtight. Dry ice builds pressure as it turns to gas, which is why FedEx rules out steel drums, jerricans and sealed plastic bags. Tight stretch wrap and full taping are well-meant mistakes that get a shipment refused.
With domestic carriers, acceptance, quantity limits and whether an intercity parcel travels by air or road vary from one company to the next. Get these in writing before booking and write the net dry-ice quantity on the waybill.
If the target temperature does not need to go below -18 °C, eutectic plates avoid these constraints: a plate needs no UN 1845 declaration, no Class 9 label and no vented packaging.
