Shipping alcohol involves specific regulations and best practices to make sure your deliveries arrive safely, and that you remain compliant with government restrictions. This article covers everything you need to know about shipping alcohol, from packaging guidelines and carrier requirements, to delivery processes and legal considerations.
This guide covers shipping alcohol, for more information about shipping other dangerous goods, see the dangerous goods article.
Preparing to ship alcohol
You must have prior approval to be able to ship alcohol, and when you book orders containing alcohol, they must be properly marked.
Labelling
Orders containing alcohol require special handling. This includes ensuring that drivers conduct ID checks where necessary, and adhere to additional measures or regulations set out by individual states and territories.
Packages containing alcohol must be labelled, either on the carton it's packaged in, or using stickers. The recommended labels are:
Alcohol
This side up
Contains glass
Fragile
It is also good practice to have "Contains alcohol" printed on your barcoded shipping label, in addition to the other labelling. For more information about packaging, see the packaging guidelines article.
Approval
You need to have pre-approval to ship alcohol through the carrier network to ensure the correct configuration is completed to identify alcohol shipments.
When you create an order in your Shippit account, it needs to be flagged as containing alcohol. This is done using an API flag to electronically notify carriers. This flag is enabled after you have received pre-approval from our Carrier operations team.
Get in touch with your account manager, or contact our friendly Support team, so we can work with you to make sure you meet carrier and legal requirements before we give you pre-approval.
Packaging alcohol
Because alcohol is both fragile and subject to specific regulations, proper packaging is essential for protecting your products and ensuring safe handling.
Here are some guidelines for internal and external packaging, to make sure your customers receive their orders safely:
Internal packaging:
Securely tape lids to prevent unscrewing
Wrap loose containers in plastic bags and seal tightly with waterproof tape
Use strong dividers to create individual compartments within the box
Fill any empty space with appropriate void fill material
Individually wrap each item with bubble wrap, protective film, or double-wall cardboard
Reinforce corners with triple-layer cardboard, plastic, or styrofoam protectors
Add a final layer of bubble wrap or protective film
External packaging:
Use sturdy corrugated boxes
Seal with strong, waterproof tape
Label the package clearly as "Fragile", "Liquids", and indicate "This side up"
⚠️ IMPORTANT: Glass products are not covered by Shippit transit protection, or by most carrier coverage. For more information, and to check your coverage, see the Transit protection article.
Delivering alcohol
Alcohol delivery has specific legal requirements, which can vary based on the service. These are some things that you need to be aware of when carriers deliver alcohol to your customers.
⚠️ IMPORTANT: Always check the specific terms of carriage for your carrier and service level.
Aramex Australia domestic terms of carriage
CouriersPlease domestic service information
For other carriers, find them in the know your carrier collection.
Deliveries of alcohol require age verification upon delivery. Drivers can request ID, or use visual cues to determine whether or not a recipient is over 18.
Carriers can request a signature from someone of legal drinking age.
If no one of legal age is available to receive the delivery, the package can be left in a safe place, if prior approval has been given, or the package can be taken to a collection point. However, policies regarding unattended alcohol deliveries vary. Some carriers allow it under specific conditions, while others might prohibit it altogether, especially for same-day or express deliveries.
Under responsible service of alcohol rules, deliveries are not made to people who are visibly intoxicated.
Deliveries might be restricted to specific hours of the day, such as avoiding late night or early morning deliveries.
In some cases, retailers are responsible for implementing procedures to verify customer age at some point during the purchase and delivery process.
The Retail Drinks Code
The Retail Drinks Code is a voluntary, industry-wide framework, authored and administered by Retail Drinks, for the purposes of governing online alcohol sales and deliveries in Australia.
Carriers who sign up to the Code agree to comply with specific areas of governance. If you choose to ship alcohol with a carrier that is signed up, you must agree that you understand and abide by the code. When you activate and use a carrier that is signed up to the Code through your Shippit account, you automatically agree to these terms.
You can read the full Code on the Retail Drinks website.