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Limited quantity is a regulatory middle ground: small amounts of everyday dangerous goods, like nail polish, perfume, or spray cans, shipped under relaxed rules instead of full hazmat procedures. It does not mean the item stops being dangerous. It means the tiny quantity inside each inner package earns simpler marking, packaging, and paperwork.
This is general information, not legal advice.
| Concept | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Limited quantity (LQ) | Small inner packages of certain dangerous goods, in strong outer packaging, with reduced marking and paperwork |
| The square-on-point mark | A diamond-shaped mark on the package showing it is a limited quantity shipment; with a "Y" inside it, the package is also cleared for air transport |
| Excepted quantity | An even smaller tier with its own mark; think tiny vials, not retail products |
| Old US ORM-D mark | Phased out; limited quantity marking replaced it for US ground shipments |
More than you would guess. Aerosol deodorants and shaving cream, nail polish and remover, perfumes and colognes, small paint cans, some cleaning products, and butane lighters all qualify in small retail sizes. These are consumer commodities: products made to be sold to households, in the small packages households buy. The dangerous-goods rules were never written to ban deodorant from the mail; the limited quantity provisions are the regulators' way of saying the risk scales with the amount.
The key phrase is "in small retail sizes." A one-litre can of paint might qualify; a 20-litre pail of the same paint will not. The limits are set per inner packaging, and they differ by product and by mode of transport (ground, air, and sea each have their own tables). Air is always stricter, which is why the diamond mark gets a "Y" variant for air-eligible packages.
The square-on-point diamond is the whole communication system for a limited quantity package. To the carrier and anyone handling it, it says: this package contains dangerous goods, but in quantities small enough that the full hazmat regime does not apply. No shipping papers are needed for most LQ ground shipments, no hazmat-trained driver is required, and the package moves through normal parcel networks. The mark replaces paragraphs of documentation with a symbol, which is the point: it keeps small-risk shipments moving without the bureaucracy of a tanker truck.
That simplicity is also the trap. Some shippers see the relaxed rules and conclude the item is not really regulated. It is. The packaging still has to be strong and the inner containers still have to survive a drop test standard. Marking a package as limited quantity when the contents exceed the limits, or when the product is not eligible at all, is a violation, not a shortcut.
Three things still apply. First, eligibility: not every dangerous good has a limited quantity provision. Some are banned from LQ entirely, and lithium batteries, for example, run on their own separate set of rules (see our guide on shipping lithium batteries). Second, carrier acceptance: carriers can be stricter than the regulations. A carrier may refuse aerosols in LQ packages even though the rules would allow them. Third, training: in some modes and jurisdictions, anyone preparing LQ shipments for air transport needs documented dangerous-goods training. The paperwork is lighter, not gone.
If you are shipping something that might be hazardous and you are not sure, the safe move is to ask the carrier before you pack. Describing the exact product and quantity to the carrier's dangerous-goods desk takes minutes and settles the question. Guessing wrong can mean a refused package at best and a fine at worst.
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.
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