What Items Can't Be Sent Through UK Courier Services?

Common restricted categories

Hazardous materials, explosives, illegal goods and many lithium battery configurations are restricted or prohibited. Rules also tighten for air legs on international jobs. Get a courier quote or see Same-Day Delivery London.

This is a general guide — always confirm with your courier for the specific item and route. When in doubt, ask before packing.

The lists exist for good reasons — safety of drivers and aircraft, legality and the practical limits of insurance. An item can be perfectly legal to own yet still restricted in transit, which is where most honest senders get caught out.

Categories also overlap: an item might be acceptable on a UK road service but prohibited on any route involving a flight, which changes the answer for international or Northern Ireland shipments depending on how the courier routes them.

• Flammable liquids and gases
• Illegal substances and weapons
• Certain batteries and dangerous goods
• Poorly packaged perishables without agreement

Declare accurately

Misdeclaring contents can void insurance and breach the law. Describe goods honestly when you request a quote.

Honest declaration also protects the people handling your parcel. A leaking, undeclared chemical or a short-circuiting battery endangers drivers and other customers’ goods — the declaration rules are the mechanism that keeps shared networks safe.

If your item is restricted rather than prohibited, the answer is often process rather than refusal: specific packaging, quantity limits or a dedicated service. Ask the question and you will usually get a workable route, if one exists.

Grey areas that surprise senders

Perfume and aerosols, nail products, power banks, e-cigarette refills and some paints all trip people up — everyday items that happen to sit inside dangerous-goods definitions. Food and alcohol have their own rules too, especially internationally.

The pattern to remember: anything pressurised, flammable, battery-powered or perishable deserves a question before booking. Thirty seconds of asking beats a refused collection and a wasted morning.

What happens if you get it wrong

Undeclared prohibited goods can be confiscated, returned at your cost, or destroyed — and if they cause harm or delay, liability can extend well beyond the courier bill. Insurance will not help; undeclared breaches void it.

The safe habit is simple: describe unusual items honestly at booking, keep manufacturer documentation for batteries and chemicals, and treat “I am sure it will be fine” as a red flag rather than a plan.

Not sure if we can carry it?

Message or call AGS Traders with a clear description of the item. We will confirm whether we can move it under our UK courier terms.

If an item is outside our terms, we will tell you straight and, where we can, point you toward the right kind of specialist. Licensed carriers exist for many restricted categories — the mistake is pretending the item is something it is not.

For businesses shipping regulated goods regularly, talk to us about your product list once rather than checking parcel by parcel. A standing answer saves everyone time and keeps your dispatch routine compliant.

Frequently asked questions