Class 7 radioactive material is the smallest-volume hazard class most shippers ever encounter, and also one of the least understood. It sits at the intersection of two federal regulatory systems, uses a packaging certification scheme with no direct equivalent elsewhere, and is declined outright by many carriers and 3PLs. This guide covers the basics a shipper needs before booking a Class 7 shipment — package categories, the transport index and criticality safety index, labeling, and who actually regulates what.
Package types: excepted, Type A, Type IP, and Type B
Class 7 packaging is tiered to the quantity and hazard of the radioactive content, not to a packing group system like most other hazard classes use.
- Excepted packages — the lowest-activity shipments, such as certain instruments, articles, or empty packaging that previously contained radioactive material. These carry reduced marking and documentation requirements but are not exempt from all Class 7 rules.
- Type A packaging — designed for quantities up to defined activity limits (A1 for special form material, A2 for other forms). It must retain containment and shielding under the normal conditions of transport: temperature extremes, pressure changes, vibration, and minor impacts.
- Type IP packaging (IP-1, IP-2, IP-3) — used for low specific activity material and surface contaminated objects, where the radiological hazard per package is lower and the packaging standard is scaled accordingly.
- Type B packaging — required above Type A limits. It must be designed, tested, and certified to withstand hypothetical accident conditions — drop, puncture, fire, and water immersion — and requires a specific package design approval (a Certificate of Compliance) rather than a generic performance standard.
Design and testing detail should be confirmed against the current edition of 49 CFR Part 173 Subpart I and, where relevant, the package’s NRC or Agreement State certificate — approvals are specific to a make and model, not a general category.
Transport index and criticality safety index
Two numbers on a Class 7 label or shipping paper control how packages can be handled and stored together:
| Index | What it measures | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Transport Index (TI) | Maximum radiation dose rate at one meter from the package surface | Limits how many packages can be placed together in one vehicle or storage area, and dictates minimum separation from occupied spaces |
| Criticality Safety Index (CSI) | A value assigned to packages containing fissile material | Limits how many fissile packages can be grouped together to prevent an inadvertent criticality event |
Both indexes are additive across packages in a single conveyance or storage location, which is why carriers accepting Class 7 freight track TI and CSI totals per shipment rather than per package.
Category labels: I-White, II-Yellow, III-Yellow
Package labeling reflects both the surface dose rate and the TI:
- Category I-White — the lowest hazard category, with a TI of 0 and minimal surface dose rate
- Category II-Yellow — moderate surface dose rate and a TI generally at or below 1
- Category III-Yellow — the highest category for non-exclusive-use shipments, with a TI between 1 and 10 and a higher surface dose rate
The assigned category drives placarding, vehicle placement, and in some cases whether the shipment must move under exclusive use.
NRC vs. DOT: who regulates what
Class 7 shipments are governed by two separate federal agencies with distinct roles:
- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), or the relevant Agreement State, licenses possession and use of radioactive material and certifies Type B packaging designs under 10 CFR Part 71.
- The Department of Transportation (DOT) regulates how radioactive material moves in commerce — classification, packaging performance, marking, labeling, placarding, and shipping papers under 49 CFR.
A shipper needs to satisfy both frameworks: a valid NRC or Agreement State license (and, for Type B shipments, a package Certificate of Compliance) on the possession side, and full DOT hazmat compliance on the transportation side. Neither agency’s approval substitutes for the other’s.
Why most 3PLs and carriers decline Class 7
Class 7 freight is a small fraction of total hazmat volume, and the specialized packaging, licensing verification, radiation survey requirements, and liability exposure involved mean most general hazmat carriers and 3PLs simply do not build a program around it. A carrier accepting Class 7 freight typically needs trained personnel who can verify TI and CSI at pickup, radiation detection equipment, security plans for certain material types, and handlers briefed on segregation from occupied areas. Building that capability for occasional shipments rarely pencils out, which is why Class 7 capacity tends to be concentrated with a small number of specialized carriers rather than spread across the general freight market.
What a shipper should line up before booking
Before contacting a carrier or 3PL, a shipper should have on hand:
- Confirmation of the material’s activity, physical/chemical form, and whether it is fissile
- The applicable NRC or Agreement State license covering the shipment
- The package’s Certificate of Compliance, if Type B packaging is required
- Calculated TI (and CSI, if fissile) for the package as configured
- Confirmation the consignee is licensed and authorized to receive the material
- An emergency response plan and, where required, a transportation security plan
Working through this list with a hazmat consultation before a shipment is scheduled tends to surface gaps — an expired certificate, a consignee license that doesn’t cover the specific isotope, a missing TI calculation — while there’s still time to fix them, rather than at the dock.
A South Florida angle
Class 7 shipments moving through Miami-Dade and Broward typically involve medical isotopes tied to South Florida’s hospital and imaging network, industrial gauging sources, or research material moving through MIA cargo or the ports. Because so few regional carriers carry Class 7 authority, lining up capacity in advance through a nationwide hazmat carrier network matters more for this class than almost any other — a shipment needing to move on short notice with no pre-qualified carrier is unlikely to find one on the spot.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Type A and Type B radioactive packaging?
Type A packaging is designed and tested to survive the normal conditions of transport and is used up to defined activity limits. Type B packaging is required above those limits and must be certified to withstand hypothetical accident conditions such as drop, puncture, fire, and water immersion testing, under a specific NRC or Agreement State design approval.
Why do so few carriers accept Class 7 shipments?
Class 7 freight requires specialized packaging verification, radiation detection capability, license and certificate checks, and in some cases security planning. Because volume is small relative to other hazmat classes, most general hazmat carriers and 3PLs do not maintain the staff and equipment needed to handle it, leaving capacity concentrated with a small number of specialized carriers.
Does the DOT or the NRC regulate radioactive material shipments?
Both. The NRC (or the relevant Agreement State) licenses possession and use of radioactive material and certifies Type B package designs. The DOT regulates the transportation side — classification, packaging performance, marking, labeling, placarding, and shipping papers. A shipment must satisfy both agencies’ requirements.
Class 7 requirements change with regulatory updates. Always verify current requirements against 49 CFR Part 173 Subpart I, applicable NRC or Agreement State regulations, and the current IATA DGR or IMDG Code edition for your mode of transport. For help evaluating a specific shipment, reach out to our team.
