Two rattle cans, quoted for real on 2026-07-27. The air tiers never appeared, exactly as the rules require.
Ground rates for two cans, quoted 2026-07-27
We asked the SMKlog calculator to price two 12 oz cans of spray paint from Newark, NJ (07102) to Atlanta, GA (30303). It sized the packed box at 8 × 6 × 6 in, 2 lb, applied the ground-only rule automatically, and produced these all-in figures.
| Carrier | Service | Price | Quoted transit |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPS | Ground | $11.11 | 3-4 business days |
| USPS | Ground Advantage | $11.12 | 6-7 business days |
| FedEx | Ground | $21.96 | 3-4 business days |
A penny separated the two cheapest rows on quote day, with UPS also promising roughly half the transit time. Rates drift week to week, so treat this as a snapshot of the lane rather than a menu.
The rule, straight from Pub 52
Per pe.usps.com Pub 52 §342.22, checked 2026-07-27: aerosol paint products defined as flammable compressed gases are acceptable in the domestic mail via surface transportation only, if they qualify as a Limited Quantity ground material. Section 342.3 adds the container math, with a 33.8 fluid ounce ceiling for metal receptacles per mailpiece.
Pack it like it's pressurized
Because it is. Keep cans in their retail caps, cushion them so they can't knock together, and use a snug box; a rattling can in a roomy box is how dents and leaks start. The DOT Limited Quantity marking belongs on the outer package for ground hazmat of this kind, so leave the markings your label flow produces intact.
How SMKlog handles it
Aerosols sit on the regulated list of our shipping restrictions page. Declare them plainly at quote time and the calculator does the sorting: ground services appear, air services don't, and international checkout stays closed. Writing craft supplies on a box of rattle cans is the one move that can genuinely get a shipper in trouble, so don't.
Spray paint questions
Why is spray paint ground-only?
The propellant is a flammable compressed gas, and pressurized flammables and aircraft do not mix. Per pe.usps.com Pub 52 section 342.22, checked 2026-07-27, aerosol paint is acceptable in domestic mail via surface transportation only, as a Limited Quantity ground shipment.
How much spray paint fits in one shipment?
Pub 52 section 342.3 caps mailable flammable compressed gases at 33.8 fluid ounces in a metal primary receptacle per mailpiece, or 4 fluid ounces in a nonmetal one. A standard 12 oz rattle can sits comfortably under the metal cap; a case of them does not go in one box.
What did two cans cost to ship?
On 2026-07-27, UPS Ground quoted $11.11 and USPS Ground Advantage $11.12 for an 8 x 6 x 6 in, 2 lb box from Newark to Atlanta, everything included. FedEx Ground came back at $21.96 on the same run.
Can spray paint go overseas or by air freight?
Not through us. Air is off the table for flammable aerosols, and although SMKlog now sells international labels online to Canada, the UK, Germany and Australia, hazardous goods like aerosols are shut out of those lanes. Domestic ground is the lane this product lives in.