How to Ship Aerosols by Road, Courier and Air
An aerosol travels as dangerous goods under UN 1950, ADR class 2, even if it is an air freshener. By road, the practical route for small batches is limited quantities: inner packagings of up to 1 litre, packages of up to 30 kg and a diamond mark on the box. Spain's postal service refuses them, and IATA rules govern air transport.
What Is UN 1950 and Which Aerosols Does It Cover?
UN 1950 is the UN number that the ADR 2025, as published in Spain's official gazette (BOE), assigns to every aerosol. Within that number, the classification code separates aerosols by hazard, and it sets the label and the quantity each packaging may hold.
| Aerosol | Code | Label | Limited quantity per packaging |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flammable | 5F | 2.1 | 1 litre |
| Asphyxiant | 5A | 2.2 | 1 litre |
| Corrosive | 5C | 2.2 | 1 litre |
| Toxic | 5T | 2.2 | 120 ml |
ADR special provision 190 adds two rules. The aerosol must have a cap or other protection against accidental discharge, and those of 50 ml or less containing only non-toxic ingredients fall outside the agreement. The excepted quantities column reads E0 for all of them: an aerosol cannot use that exemption.
What Are ADR Limited Quantities?
They are the regime in ADR chapter 3.4 for dangerous goods in small packagings: a shipment that meets it is freed from almost all the rest of the agreement. For a flammable aerosol the limit is 1 litre per packaging, so the 50 to 750 ml cans we make fall within it.
- Packaging
- up to 1 litre (120 ml if toxic)
- Boxed package
- up to 30 kg gross
- Shrink-wrapped tray
- up to 20 kg gross
- Package mark
- diamond, 100 × 100 mm
- Truck mark
- over 8 t, on trucks above 12 t
- Notice to the carrier
- total gross mass, in writing
The diamond has black top and bottom points and a white centre, and it may shrink to 50 × 50 mm on a small box. Before loading, the consignor tells the carrier the total gross mass of the shipment in a traceable form. With that, no transport document, orange plates or ADR-certified driver are needed.
Can You Send Aerosols by Courier?
Not through Correos. Its list of dangerous goods it does not accept includes compressed gases and names aerosols explicitly.
With a private courier, yes, when its contract accepts dangerous goods in limited quantities and the package is prepared under chapter 3.4: protected actuators, a sturdy box of up to 30 kg, a visible diamond and the gross mass notified. The ADR makes no distinction between a box of samples and a pallet, because a flammable aerosol is UN 1950 in both cases.
💡 Manufacturer's tip: ask your courier to confirm in writing that it accepts ADR limited quantity packages before the first shipment, and keep that confirmation with the gross mass you notify on every dispatch.
Can You Take Aerosols on a Plane?
As a passenger, only toiletry or medicinal ones, such as hairsprays, perfumes or deodorants, and non-flammable aerosols for sporting or home use, always with the valve capped. The IATA passenger table sets the amounts:
The total net quantity of non-radioactive medicinal or toiletry articles and non-flammable, non-toxic (Division 2.2) aerosols must not exceed 2 kg or 2 L and the net quantity of each single article must not exceed 0.5 kg or 0.5 L.
As air cargo, a flammable aerosol is Division 2.1 dangerous goods and travels under the ICAO Technical Instructions and the IATA regulations, which set its packaging and documentation. For limited quantities by air the diamond carries a "Y" in the centre, and the ADR also accepts that box by road.
When Full ADR Applies
Above limited quantities, the ADR offers a load-based exemption. Flammable aerosols are in transport category 2: up to 333 kg per vehicle, counting the mass of the aerosols without packaging, travel without orange plates or an ADR-certified driver. Asphyxiant aerosols, in category 3, reach 1,000 kg.
In return, the shipment carries a transport document and the vehicle a dry powder extinguisher of at least 2 kg. Beyond that limit full ADR applies, with a placarded vehicle, a certified driver and instructions in writing on board.
When we manufacture your aerosol, it leaves Lleida grouped and palletised to your logistics specifications, ex works or with logistics coordinated to destination. Our shipping cases are printed to state that the product travels as a limited quantity (LQ), so it does not need the full ADR regime. Formats, propellants and lead times are on our aerosol contract manufacturing page.
