The Shipper’s Declaration for Dangerous Goods (DGD): Class 7 Guide

Why the DGD Matters

The DGD is the single most important document in an air shipment of radioactive material. It is the shipper's legal certification that the consignment has been properly classified, packaged, marked, and labeled in accordance with the regulations. Airlines use it to verify acceptance, load planners use it for separation and aircraft assignment, and emergency responders rely on it if something goes wrong in transit.

I have seen a facility lose an entire day because of a single missing entry on a DGD. They had a time-sensitive Ir-192 shipment going out for an industrial radiography job, and the airline's acceptance check flagged that the package dimensions were missing from Sequence 3 — it was a YELLOW-II package, so dimensions are mandatory. By the time the shipper corrected the form and drove back to the cargo terminal, the flight had departed. The source arrived a day late, and the customer had to reschedule the inspection. One missing field, one missed flight.

A DGD error doesn't just delay your shipment — it can trigger a DGOR filing with the airline's dangerous goods department, and repeated errors can get a shipper flagged or banned from an airline's acceptance list.

Who Needs to Know This

This applies to anyone who:

• Prepares radioactive material for air transport
• Completes or signs the DGD form for Class 7 shipments
• Works with freight forwarders or consolidators handling RAM air shipments
• Trains personnel on air shipping documentation requirements

When a DGD Is — and Isn't — Required

The rule is straightforward per IATA DGR §10.8.0.1.1.1:

• DGD required: Every air shipment of radioactive material — Type A, Type B, LSA, SCO, fissile packages
• DGD not required: Excepted packages (UN2908–UN2911). For these, the required information goes on the Air Waybill instead (IATA DGR §10.8.8.3)

The most common mistake I see with excepted packages is the opposite of what you'd expect — shippers skip the Air Waybill entries entirely because they hear “no DGD required” and assume that means no documentation at all. The UN number, proper shipping name, and other required details still need to appear on the Air Waybill. If those entries are missing, the airline can refuse the shipment even though the package itself is perfectly compliant.

Completing the DGD: Field by Field

The IATA DGR provides two specimen forms (IATA DGR §10.8.4): one for computerized completion and one for manual completion. Both are acceptable. Here's what goes in each section, with Class 7–specific guidance.

Shipper and Consignee Information

Enter the full name and address of both the shipper and consignee. Include the consignee's telephone number — IATA recommends this to help with prompt release at the destination airport (IATA DGR §10.8.3.2). The names on the DGD do not need to match the Air Waybill exactly.

Aircraft Limitation

You must indicate whether the shipment is packed to comply with:

• “Passenger and Cargo Aircraft” — the shipment meets the more restrictive passenger aircraft limits
• “Cargo Aircraft Only” — the shipment exceeds passenger limits but meets cargo-only limits

On pre-printed forms, delete the option that does not apply. On computer-generated forms, print only the applicable option (IATA DGR §10.8.3.5.1).

Shipment Type

Delete “Non-Radioactive” on pre-printed forms so only “Radioactive” remains. On computerized forms, simply print “Radioactive” (IATA DGR §10.8.3.8.1).

The “Nature and Quantity” Box — The Hard Part

This is where most DGD errors happen. The information must be entered in four sequences, each clearly separated (IATA DGR §10.8.3.9). On computerized forms, use double slashes (//) between sequences or put each on its own line (IATA DGR §10.8.3.10).

Sequence 1: Identification

This sequence identifies what you're shipping. Enter, in this exact order:

1. UN number — preceded by “UN” (e.g., “UN 2915”)
2. Proper shipping name — from the List of Dangerous Goods
3. Class number — “7”
4. Subsidiary hazard(s) — in brackets, if applicable (e.g., UF₆ is “7 (6.1, 8)”)
5. Packing group — only for materials with a subsidiary hazard

Nothing else may be inserted between these items. Example:

Or for uranium hexafluoride with subsidiary hazards:

Sequence 2: Quantity and Packing

This describes the radioactive contents and how they're packed:

1. Radionuclide name or symbol — e.g., “Co-60” or “Ir-192”. For mixtures, list the most restrictive nuclides or provide a general description
2. Physical and chemical form — e.g., “solid, metal oxide” or “liquid, solution”. Write “Special Form” if applicable (not needed for UN3332/UN3333)
3. Number of packages, type, and maximum activity — activity must be in becquerels (Bq, kBq, MBq, GBq, TBq). Curie values may follow in parentheses. For fissile material, mass of fissile nuclides in grams or kilograms may replace activity

If using an overpack, add “Overpack Used” after the package entries. For multiple overpacks with different contents, list each separately with its identification mark (IATA DGR §10.8.3.9.2).

Sequence 3: Package Category and Transport Index

This provides the information that determines labeling and Transport Index requirements:

1. Category — “I-White”, “II-Yellow”, or “III-Yellow”
2. TI — for Yellow-II and Yellow-III only, rounded up to one decimal place (e.g., 1.04 becomes 1.1)
3. Dimensions — for Yellow-II and Yellow-III only, in the order length × width × height. May use “L”, “W” (or “D”), “H” labels
4. Fissile information — if applicable: the specific exemption paragraph, mass of fissile nuclides, and the CSI

The most common mistake I see in Sequence 3 is missing dimensions. Shippers remember the category and TI because those are on the label, but dimensions feel like a packing detail — not something that belongs on a regulatory form. For YELLOW-II and YELLOW-III packages, the airline needs dimensions to plan separation distances on the aircraft. Leave them off and your DGD gets kicked back.

Sequence 4: Authorizations and Special Statements

This final sequence captures any competent authority certificates and special conditions:

• Certificate identification marks — for Special Form, Type B, fissile, or special arrangement approvals. Copies must accompany the shipment
• “Exclusive Use Shipment” — if the consignment requires exclusive use
• Total activity as a multiple of A2 — required for LSA-II, LSA-III, SCO-I, and SCO-II
• Table 10.3.B reference — if using default A1/A2 values for unlisted radionuclides

The Certification Statement

The DGD must include two certification statements (IATA DGR §10.8.3.12):

The second statement is specific to air transport — it's not required on ground shipping papers.

In my experience, the signature requirement trips up larger organizations more than small ones. At a small facility, the same person who prepares the package signs the DGD. At a hospital or university with multiple authorized shippers, I have seen situations where the person who prepared the shipment left for the day and no one else was willing to sign because they hadn't personally verified the contents. My recommendation is to keep a short list of trained, authorized signers and make sure at least two are available on any shipping day.

Signature, Copies, and Record Retention

Signature Requirements

The DGD must be signed and dated by the shipper (IATA DGR §10.8.1.9.1). Key rules:

• Handwritten or facsimile signatures are acceptable
• Typewritten signatures are not accepted
• A person or organization employed by the shipper (including freight forwarders and IATA Cargo Agents) may sign, provided they are trained as required by IATA DGR §1.5
• For EDP/EDI submissions, electronic signatures or the signatory's name in capitals is acceptable

Number of Copies

Two signed copies must be presented to the airline with the shipment (IATA DGR §10.8.1.4.1). One stays with the accepting operator; the other travels with the shipment. One copy (including the signature) may be a carbon copy.

Record Retention

The shipper must retain a copy of the DGD for a minimum of three months (IATA DGR §10.8.0.1.2.1). Electronic copies are acceptable as long as they can be reproduced in printed form.

Three months is the IATA minimum, but my recommendation is to keep DGD copies for at least three years. If a regulatory audit or incident investigation happens months later, you want those records available. I recommend scanning every signed DGD to PDF the same day it ships and storing them in a folder organized by date. Paper copies get lost, coffee-stained, or thrown out during office cleanups. A scanned PDF costs nothing and lasts forever.

Excepted Packages: What Goes on the Air Waybill Instead

For excepted packages (UN2908–UN2911), no DGD is required. Instead, the following must appear in the “Nature and Quantity of Goods” box of the Air Waybill (IATA DGR §10.8.8.3.3):

• Name and address of shipper and consignee
• UN number preceded by “UN”
• Proper shipping name
• Competent authority certificate identification marks (if applicable)
• Number of packages (unless they are the only packages in the consignment)

I worked with a medical device company that routinely shipped Tc-99m calibration check sources by air as excepted packages. The Air Waybill entry was straightforward: “UN 2910, Radioactive material, excepted package-limited quantity of material, 3 packages.” That was it — no DGD, no red-hatched form, no certification statement. The simplicity surprised them at first because they were used to the full DGD process for their Type A shipments. Keep in mind, though, the packages still needed the proper excepted package markings and the activity still had to be within the Table 4 limits.

Competent Authority Certificates

For certain package types, competent authority approval certificates must accompany the shipment and be referenced on the DGD (IATA DGR §10.8.7). The key documentation requirements by package type:

• Type A: DGD always required. Special Form certificate only if material is special form. Fissile certificate if applicable
• Type B: DGD always required, plus the Type B package design approval certificate. A shipment approval certificate is also needed for B(M) packages above 3,000 A1 or A2 (or 1,000 TBq, whichever is less)
• Fissile: Fissile package design approval certificate required unless exempted under IATA DGR §10.3.7.2. A shipment approval is needed when the sum of CSI values exceeds 50

Common DGD Mistakes That Get Shipments Rejected

The most common DGD documentation mistake I see is not about any single field — it's about the sequence order in the Nature and Quantity box. Shippers know all the required information, but they enter it in the wrong order or mix items from different sequences together. The airline's acceptance checklist follows the four-sequence format exactly, and if the information isn't in the right order, the acceptance agent will flag it even if every value is correct. Here are the specific errors I see most often:

• Mixing radioactive with other hazard classes on the same DGD — automatic rejection
• Activity in wrong units — becquerels are required; curies may only supplement in parentheses
• Missing or incorrect aircraft limitation — failing to delete the inapplicable option
• Typewritten signature — not accepted; must be handwritten, facsimile, or electronic
• Missing dimensions on Yellow-II or Yellow-III packages
• TI not rounded up — a TI of 1.04 must be declared as 1.1, not 1.0
• Altered without countersignature — any amendment must be signed with the same signature used to sign the original
• Missing “Overpack Used” when packages are in an overpack

Here's the reality: when an airline rejects a DGD, the consequences cascade fast. The shipment doesn't fly. If it's a time-sensitive isotope like Tc-99m or I-131, the material may decay past its useful window before you can correct the form and rebook. The airline files a DGOR, which goes into their system and potentially to the civil aviation authority. Accumulate enough DGORs and the airline may refuse to accept your shipments entirely — not just for that isotope, but for all dangerous goods. I have seen facilities lose their preferred carrier relationship over repeated documentation errors that had nothing to do with safety. The packages were fine; the paperwork wasn't.

How RadShip.com Helps

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• RAMcalc — Classifies your shipment and determines the correct UN number, proper shipping name, and package category so you know exactly what to enter on the DGD
• Generates Bills of Lading and Dangerous Goods Declarations automatically from your classification results
• Determines passenger vs. cargo aircraft eligibility based on your package type and classification

In my experience, the DGD is where most air shipping violations happen — not because shippers don't know the rules, but because the form is unforgiving. One wrong sequence, one missing field, one unit error, and the shipment gets rejected. A tool that auto-generates the DGD from your classification data eliminates the entire category of transcription errors. You classify the shipment once, and every value that appears on the DGD is pulled from that classification — no re-entering numbers, no guessing at sequence order, no forgetting dimensions.

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Common Questions

Do excepted packages need a Shipper's Declaration for Dangerous Goods?

No. Excepted packages (UN2908–UN2911) are specifically exempted from the DGD requirement. The required information — UN number, proper shipping name, and number of packages — goes in the “Nature and Quantity of Goods” box on the Air Waybill instead (IATA DGR §10.8.8.3).

Can radioactive material share a DGD with other dangerous goods?

No. Radioactive material must be declared on its own separate DGD (IATA DGR §10.8.3.8.2). The only exception is dry ice when used as a refrigerant for the radioactive contents, or when other dangerous goods are contained within the same article.

What language must the DGD be in?

English is mandatory (IATA DGR §10.8.1.2). You may include a translation in another language alongside the English text, but the English version must always be present.

How many copies of the DGD are required?

Two signed copies must be presented to the operator with the shipment (IATA DGR §10.8.1.4.1). The airline retains one; the other travels with the shipment. One copy may be a carbon copy, including the signature.

How long must I keep a copy of the DGD?

At least three months (IATA DGR §10.8.0.1.2.1). Electronic copies are acceptable as long as they can be reproduced in print. That said, I always recommend keeping them for at least three years — incident investigations and regulatory audits can surface long after a shipment is delivered.

Summary: Your DGD Checklist

Before presenting your DGD to the airline, verify:

• ☐ Shipper and consignee names and addresses are complete
• ☐ Aircraft limitation is correctly marked (Passenger and Cargo or Cargo Only)
• ☐ “Radioactive” is selected as the shipment type
• ☐ Nature and Quantity box follows the four-sequence format exactly
• ☐ UN number, proper shipping name, and Class 7 are in Sequence 1
• ☐ Radionuclide, physical/chemical form, and activity (in Bq) are in Sequence 2
• ☐ Package category, TI (if Yellow), and dimensions (if Yellow) are in Sequence 3
• ☐ Competent authority certificate marks listed in Sequence 4 (if applicable)
• ☐ No other hazard classes on the same form (unless dry ice as refrigerant)
• ☐ Both certification statements are present
• ☐ Form is signed (handwritten or facsimile — not typewritten) and dated
• ☐ Two signed copies prepared for the airline
• ☐ Shipper's copy filed for three-month retention
• ☐ Competent authority certificates attached (if applicable)

Regulatory References

IATA (Air Transport):

• IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations §10.8 — Documentation requirements for Class 7 radioactive material
• IATA DGR §10.8.3 — Detailed instructions for completing the DGD form
• IATA DGR §10.8.7 — Competent authority certificate requirements
• IATA DGR §10.8.8 — Air Waybill requirements (including excepted package entries)
• IATA DGR §8.1.1 — DGD form specifications
• IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations — Official publication page

DOT Requirements (Ground Transport Comparison):

• 49 CFR 172.200–204 — Shipping paper requirements for domestic ground transport
• 49 CFR 172.203(d) — Additional Class 7–specific shipping paper entries

Related RadShip Guides:

• Shipping Radioactive Material by Air: IATA Overview
• IATA vs DOT: What Changes When You Ship by Air
• Passenger vs Cargo Aircraft: IATA Rules
• Shipping Paper Requirements (Ground)
• Excepted Packages Guide