Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR)

What the DGR Is

The IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) is the manual airlines, freight forwarders, and shippers use worldwide to determine whether an article or substance can be carried by air, and if so, how it must be classified, packaged, marked, labeled, and documented. IATA presents it as the industry's standard reference for shipping dangerous goods by air.

Relationship to ICAO Technical Instructions

The DGR is based on the ICAO Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air, the instrument states actually apply as regulation. IATA republishes and interprets those requirements in a more usable, illustrated manual and layers in individual states' and airlines' stricter variations, so the DGR cannot be less restrictive than the underlying ICAO or national rules.

Update Cycle

ICAO revises its Technical Instructions on a two-year cycle. IATA updates the DGR annually, using the intervening year to fold in operator variations, new state restrictions, and addenda so the industry works from current guidance even between ICAO revision cycles.

What It Covers

Who Must Comply

Compliance is mandatory for any shipper, freight forwarder, ground handler, or airline moving dangerous goods by air, and DGR training with recurrent certification is a standard condition of employment for cargo and ramp staff who handle or accept such shipments. Misclassification or improper packaging is a leading cause of dangerous goods incidents in air cargo, which is part of why the manual is revised and retrained against every year.