What is a Dangerous Goods Declaration?

A dangerous goods declaration is a form confirming that any dangerous goods being shipped has been packed, labeled, declared, and signed by all consignors according with the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulation (DGR). The IATA Dangerous Goods Shipper’s Declaration (DGD) can be found physically and electronically.

When Do I Need To Fill Out A Dangerous Goods Declaration?

A DGD form should be properly filled out before shipping the items by air. The purpose of completing the Dangerous Goods Declaration (DGD) is to ensure that the shipper is providing crucial information to the aircraft operator or carrier in a format that is consistent across the transportation industry. Filling out a Dangerous Goods Declaration is a standardized process that is part of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR).

One of the most common instances of when you’ll need to fill out this form is when you’re shipping lithium batteries or shipping electronic items that include lithium batteries on a plane. This is because the rise in altitude can cause these items to burst into flames. They need to be handled differently and separated from any other flammable objects.

When shipping hazmat items with USPS, you’ll also need to ensure warning labels are put on the box and you’ll need to sort your packages yourself before submitting them to the carrier.

How Do I Create a Dangerous Goods Declaration?

To create a Dangerous Goods Declaration, many forms can be found online or directly through the International Air Transport Association (IATA) website. Or, you can download different formats of the DGD directly below:

• Open format (non – fillable) (PDF)
• Column format (non – fillable)(PDF)
• Open format (fillable) (PDF)
• Column format (fillable) (PDF)

What information is Required in a DGD Form?

The information that is required at the top half of a DGD form are:

1. Shipper: Full name and address of the shipper
2. Air Waybill Number: The number of the air waybill (AWB) that the declaration form will be attached to. It can be left blank and completed by the shipper’s agent or airline.
3. Page of Pages: The page number and the total number of pages; “Page 1 of 1.”
4. Shipper’s Reference Number: An optional field where a shipper can enter an internal organization reference number
5. Transport Details: Any aircraft limitations
6. Airport of Departure: Full name of the airport or city of departure, no numbers. It can be left blank and completed by the agent or airline.
7. Airport of Destination: Full name of the airport or city of destination, no numbers. It can be left blank and completed by the agent or airline.
8. Shipment Type: Non-radioactive / Radioactive. It must strike out the box that does NOT apply.

Additional information that needs to be included when filling out a DGD form are the nature and quantity of the dangerous goods. The shipper must be able to identify the article or substance being shipped, the total number of packages of the same type and product and the type of packaging, packing instructions, authorizations, any relevant handling information, and lastly, a signature and date.