LetterAgent
Mail physical letters by just asking your AI assistant.
Home > Guides > Shipping ammunition
A plain note first: LetterAgent shipping labels are Canada Post Xpresspost labels for ordinary parcels, and ammunition is outside that scope, so this is not something a LetterAgent label can cover. The general rules below still answer the question honestly.
This is general information, not legal advice.
In the US, small-arms ammunition (rifle, pistol, and shotgun rounds) can be shipped by UPS and FedEx, ground service only, under their dangerous-goods rules for limited quantities. It must go in packaging designed so the rounds cannot shift or strike each other, marked with the limited-quantity diamond label, and it cannot fly. That means no air services, no express air options, no matter how urgent the shipment. Adult signature on delivery is typically required, and the shipper usually has to be an adult meeting the carrier's account or pickup requirements.
USPS is the hard line people cross by mistake: USPS does not accept ammunition at all, in any service, in any packaging. Dropping ammo in a Priority Mail box is not a gray area. It is prohibited, and postal inspectors treat it seriously.
| Carrier / service | Ammunition allowed? | Key constraint |
|---|---|---|
| UPS Ground | Yes, small-arms ammo | Limited-quantity marking; adult signature; shipper rules apply |
| FedEx Ground | Yes, small-arms ammo | Same limited-quantity rules; no air |
| USPS (any service) | No | Federally prohibited in the mail |
| Canada Post (any service) | No | Prohibited; carriers treat it as dangerous goods |
| Primers, powder, loaded beyond small arms | No, or hazmat-only | Separate explosives rules; ordinary parcel networks refuse them |
This is where people get tripped up. Small-arms primers and smokeless powder are classed as explosives, not as ordinary ammunition, and they fall under stricter hazmat rules. UPS and FedEx handle them only through their formal dangerous-goods programs with proper packaging, labeling, and paperwork, which is a different process from dropping off a box of factory rounds. Black powder and blasting agents are further restricted still. If you are shipping reloading components rather than finished cartridges, you are in hazmat territory, and you should be talking to the carrier's dangerous-goods desk, not a drop-off counter.
Within the US, state laws stack on top of carrier rules. Several states restrict who can receive ammunition by mail or require it to go through a licensed dealer. The carrier's permission does not override the destination state's law, and sellers who ship ammo for a living maintain compliance lists for exactly this reason. Internationally, the answer is effectively no for private individuals: exporting ammunition triggers export-control rules, and importing it triggers the receiving country's firearms regime. Crossing the US-Canada border with ammunition in the mail is not something any ordinary parcel service will do.
Very little. Canada Post prohibits ammunition in all its services, including Xpresspost. Canadian law also controls ammunition possession and transfer through the firearms licensing system, so the mail question is almost secondary: even before carrier rules, you need to be on the right side of federal firearms law to possess and move ammunition at all. Private couriers in Canada treat ammunition as dangerous goods with their own acceptance programs, which are aimed at commercial shippers with established accounts, not one-off parcels. For most people in Canada, the practical answer is: buy it locally, in person.
Ready to ship it? Get a shipping label with LetterAgent: describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and get your label.
LetterAgent is a working name. Prices include print, postage, and our service fee. US prices in USD, Canadian prices in CAD (Canadian prices exclude applicable sales tax, added at checkout). Currently in private testing.
Need help? Ask your assistant: it can check a job's status any time. If it ever can't handle something: hello@getletteragent.com