The Shipper's Declaration for Dangerous Goods: How It Works
What the form actually requires, who's allowed to sign it, and what happens when a shipment gets declared incorrectly.
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Signed copies typically required
24 months
Max. recurrent training interval
1
Signature — no delegation without DGR training
0
Shortcuts UAL takes on DG declarations
What the declaration actually certifies
The Shipper's Declaration for Dangerous Goods certifies that a shipment has been correctly classified, packed, marked, labelled, and is in proper condition for transport under the IATA DGR / ICAO Technical Instructions. It isn't required for every DG shipment — small-quantity thresholds under many Packing Instructions substitute an AWB dangerous goods statement instead, as covered on our dry ice and lithium battery pages — but where it is required, it's a legal certification, not routine paperwork.
Who can sign it: the shipper, or someone acting on the shipper's behalf — a consolidator, freight forwarder, or cargo agent — but only if they've completed IATA-recognized dangerous goods training, renewed at a minimum every 24 months. That training requirement applies to the signer specifically, not just to whoever physically packs the shipment.
UAL's role today: UAL is IATA DGR certified. Shipper's Declarations are signed off by our own DGR-trained personnel, not routed to an outside partner.
What the Shipper's Declaration must show
Where a declaration is required, these are the elements it certifies.
UN number, proper shipping name, class/division
The specific hazard classification the shipment falls under — the same UN number referenced on the AWB and packaging.
Quantity and Packing Instruction number
How much dangerous goods is in the shipment and which PI governs its packaging and handling.
Emergency contact number
A 24-hour contact who can advise on the shipment's contents in the event of an incident.
Airports of departure and destination
The specific routing the declaration applies to.
Signed certification statement
Signed and dated by the shipper or an authorized, DGR-trained agent acting on the shipper's behalf.
UAL's DGR Certification
UAL is IATA DGR certified
Shipper's Declarations and other DGR-regulated filings are handled directly by our own IATA DGR-trained personnel — not routed to an outside partner.
See what UAL handles today on our dangerous goods commodity page →Internal status, current as of July 2026.
Worked example
When a shipment is declared incorrectly
Take the electronics scenario from our lithium battery shipping guide — a shipper files spare power banks and batteries-installed laptops under the same Packing Instruction because both "contain lithium batteries."
The carrier's acceptance staff catch the mismatch — the laptops' batteries-installed scenario needs PI967, not the PI965 filed for the spares — and refuse the shipment at acceptance rather than load it incorrectly declared. At minimum, that means the mislabelled portion misses its flight while the declaration is corrected and the shipment is re-tendered.
The consequences don't stop at the missed flight. Carriers can refuse future business from a shipper with a pattern of misdeclaration — a commercial consequence that often outlasts any single delayed shipment. Regulatory bodies also retain enforcement authority over knowing or deliberate misdeclaration, though the specific penalty regime and figures vary by jurisdiction; we haven't verified the exact penalty schedule under Canada's Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act against a primary source in this pass, so treat any specific dollar figure as pending verification rather than something we're citing here.
What UAL handles for you
We verify the correct Packing Instruction and declaration requirement against the shipment's actual chemistry and packing scenario before it's tendered — not a generic DG checklist applied blindly. UAL is IATA DGR certified, so Shipper's Declarations are signed off directly by our own trained personnel.
Frequently asked questions
The shipper, or someone acting on the shipper's behalf — a consolidator, freight forwarder, or cargo agent — but only if they've completed IATA-recognized dangerous goods training, renewed at least every 24 months.
Related
Dangerous Goods in Air Freight
Read more →
Dry Ice Shipping Rules
Read more →
Lithium Battery Air Shipping Rules
Read more →
Shipper's Declaration content requirements and signer/training provisions: IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (Section 1.5 training provisions; DGD content requirements), corroborated via IATA's public training and documentation materials, July 2026. Specific misdeclaration penalty amounts vary by jurisdiction and were not verified against Canada's Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act penalty schedule in this pass — pending verification. Last verified: July 2026.
Dangerous Goods & Compliance
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