Certification

Each person who offers a hazardous material for transportation must certify that the material is offered in accordance with the HMR by signing a certification statement on the shipping paper. The certification must be legibly signed by a principal, officer, partner, or employee of the shipper. The HMR provides four different certification statements, depending on the shipment destination and mode of transportation. They are:

• Domestic certification
• International certification
• Air transportation certification
• Certification for radioactive material

Examples of these certification statements can be found in §172.204. The shipper must enter the selected certification on the shipping paper and sign it, either manually or by other mechanical means.

Shipping certification is required for all hazardous waste shipments and if a hazardous material is reshipped or transferred from one carrier to another. Shipping paper certification is not required for the following:

• Hazardous material offered for transportation by motor vehicle and transported in a cargo tank supplied by the carrier or transported by the shipper as a private carrier
• The return of an empty tank car that previously contained a hazardous material and which has not been cleaned or purged

To learn more about DOT HAZMAT Awareness visit our DOT HAZMAT General Awareness Online Training web page.