If you manage a multi-unit property, you’ve probably fielded a question or two from residents about what they can and can’t send or receive through the mail. Between online shopping, subscription boxes, and the occasional odd shipment, it’s worth knowing where USPS draws the line.
This guide covers the basics of USPS shipping restrictions so you can keep your residents informed and your mail room running smoothly. For a companion overview of what can and can’t be placed in a mailbox, we’ve covered that separately.
Items That Are Always Prohibited
Some things can never be mailed through USPS, no exceptions. These are banned outright because of the safety risks they pose to postal workers, mail carriers, and other packages in transit.
The list includes explosives and fireworks, loaded ammunition, gasoline and other highly flammable fuels, liquid mercury, and air bags. These items create serious hazards during transport, especially on mail trucks and aircraft.
Two that come up more often than you’d expect: marijuana is prohibited regardless of your state’s laws (it’s still a federal offense to mail it), and strike-anywhere matches are completely banned. Safety matches can be shipped via ground, but the strike-anywhere variety cannot.
Counterfeit goods, lottery materials, and obscene materials are also nonmailable under federal law.
Items That Can Be Shipped With Restrictions
Many common household and personal items are mailable, but they come with specific packaging, labeling, or transportation requirements. These are the ones most likely to show up in your residents’ incoming and outgoing packages.
Lithium batteries are one of the most common restricted items. Standalone lithium batteries (the kind not installed in a device) can only travel via ground transportation and must carry a “Surface Mail Only” label. Batteries installed in new devices like laptops or phones can go by air, but used or damaged electronics with lithium batteries are ground-only and need additional labeling.
Perfume, nail polish, and other flammable liquids can be shipped domestically via ground as “consumer commodities” in limited quantities. They require specific packaging — a leakproof inner container, absorbent cushioning, and a rigid outer box. They cannot go by air.
Hand sanitizer and alcohol wipes follow similar rules. Products with 70% ethyl alcohol or less are limited to 16 oz per container and 96 oz total per package, surface transportation only.
Prescription medications can only be mailed by DEA-registered entities like licensed pharmacies and medical practitioners. An individual resident cannot mail prescription drugs to a family member, even domestically. The outer packaging must be plain with no indication of what’s inside.
Firearms have strict rules. Rifles and shotguns can be mailed if unloaded, with no external markings identifying the contents, and shipped to a licensed Federal Firearms License holder. Handguns are currently prohibited for individual mailers — only licensed manufacturers and dealers can ship them to each other.
Tobacco and vape products have been banned for direct-to-consumer USPS shipments since 2021 under the PACT Act. This includes e-cigarettes and hemp or CBD vape products. Business-to-business shipments between licensed entities are still allowed with full compliance requirements.
Perishable Items: Mailable but at Your Own Risk
Food, baked goods, meat, and other perishables can all be shipped through USPS. However, the sender assumes full responsibility if items spoil, melt, or go bad in transit. USPS does not offer temperature-controlled shipping.
The practical guidance here is straightforward: use insulated packaging with coolant, ship via Priority Mail or Priority Mail Express for speed, and mark the package clearly as “PERISHABLE.” Dry ice is allowed as a coolant (up to 5 lbs per package for air transport) but requires specific labeling including the UN1845 marking and net weight in kilograms.
For properties with parcel lockers, it’s worth noting that perishable packages sitting in a locker on a hot day are the sender’s problem, not yours. But if residents are regularly receiving perishable shipments, it may be worth a reminder about timely pickup.
What About Live Animals?
This one surprises most people: USPS is actually one of the few carriers that accepts live animals. But the list is limited and the rules are strict.
Day-old poultry (chickens, ducks, turkeys, and others under 24 hours old) can be shipped in their original hatchery packaging and must arrive within 72 hours of hatching. Honeybees are mailable for beekeeping purposes. Small cold-blooded animals like frogs, lizards, goldfish, and nonpoisonous insects are accepted with proper packaging.
Mammals, venomous animals, and snakes are prohibited. All live animals must be packaged so they can survive transit without food or attention, and the packaging must prevent sanitary issues.
If you manage a property with restrictions on pets or animals, this is a good one to be aware of. A resident ordering live feeder insects or fish online is perfectly legal from a USPS standpoint.
Common Misconceptions Worth Clearing Up
A few items that cause confusion for residents:
“I can mail marijuana because it’s legal in my state.” No. USPS is a federal agency, and marijuana remains a Schedule I controlled substance under federal law. Mailing it is a federal offense regardless of state legalization.
“You can’t mail knives.” Actually, you can. Kitchen knives, pocket knives, hunting knives, and even swords are all mailable with proper packaging — the blade must be sheathed, wrapped in cushioning, and secured inside a sturdy box. Switchblades and automatic knives are the exception; those are prohibited under the Federal Switchblade Act.
“You can’t mail perfume or cologne.” You can, as long as it goes via ground transportation in limited quantities with the right packaging. Many residents ship fragrances without issues.
“Cremated remains can’t be mailed.” USPS is actually the only carrier that ships cremated remains. As of March 2025, they must be sent in the official USPS Cremated Remains Box via Priority Mail Express. Free kits are available from the USPS Postal Store.
Why This Matters for Your Property
As a property manager, you’re not responsible for policing what residents send and receive. But understanding USPS restrictions helps in a few practical ways.
If a package leaks, emits fumes, or causes a problem in your mail room or parcel locker area, knowing what’s mailable and what isn’t helps you respond appropriately. It’s also useful context if you’re dealing with mail theft or vandalism at your community mailboxes, since restricted items add a layer of complexity to those situations. You’ll know whether it’s a packaging failure on a legitimate shipment or something that shouldn’t have been mailed in the first place.
It also helps when residents ask questions. Being able to point them toward the right information builds trust and saves everyone time. If you’re looking for a broader overview of USPS regulations for apartment mailboxes, that’s worth reviewing alongside this guide.
For the full details, residents can visit USPS Publication 52, which covers every category of hazardous, restricted, and perishable mail.
Keep Your Mail System Ready for Whatever Arrives
Whether your residents are receiving electronics with lithium batteries, subscription meal kits, or the occasional box of live crickets, a modern mail system handles it all. Locking mailboxes and cluster box units with integrated parcel lockers give your residents secure, convenient access to their packages, no matter what’s inside.
If your property’s mail setup is struggling to keep up with today’s package volume, National Mailboxes can help. Contact us at 800-676-5161 or request a free quote to discuss your project.
