To fill out the Multimodal Dangerous Goods Form, you enter the shipper and consignee details at the top, list each hazardous item in the cargo section using the IMDG-required sequence of UN number, proper shipping name, hazard class, subsidiary hazards, and packing group, add the emergency response telephone number, and sign both the shipper’s declaration and the container packing certificate before sending the form to your ocean carrier. The form’s content follows Section 5.4 of the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code and satisfies the shipping paper requirements of SOLAS Chapter VII and MARPOL Annex III.1International Maritime Organization. Multimodal Dangerous Goods Form The IMO layout itself is recommendatory; carriers may use their own templates as long as every IMDG-required field is captured, so the version you receive from a freight forwarder or booking portal will look close to the IMO original but not identical.2International Maritime Organization. The International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code
What to Gather Before You Open the Form
Every hazardous item on the shipment needs four identifiers, and they must appear on the form in a fixed order with nothing inserted between them.3eCFR. 49 CFR 172.202 – Description of Hazardous Materials on Shipping Papers
- UN number. A four-digit identifier preceded by “UN” and assigned by the United Nations. Acetone, for example, is UN1090.
- Proper shipping name. The standardized name from Column 2 of the IMDG Code’s Dangerous Goods List, or from the 49 CFR 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table for a U.S. domestic leg. Trade names alone will not do.
- Hazard class or division. The number describing the primary danger (Class 3 for flammable liquids, Class 8 for corrosives, and so on). Any subsidiary hazards go in parentheses right after the primary class.
- Packing group. Roman numerals I, II, or III, with I the most dangerous. Some materials, including explosives and radioactive substances, have no packing group.
A correctly formatted line reads: “UN2744, Cyclobutyl chloroformate, 6.1, (8, 3), PG II.”
You also need the full names and addresses of the shipper (consignor) and consignee, the transport document number you’re using as an internal reference, and the carrier’s name and booking reference. On the packaging side, count the units and note the type (drums, boxes, cylinders, or other), and have both net and gross mass ready. For flammable liquids and certain other classes, you must include the flashpoint if it is 60°C (140°F) or below. If the material is a marine pollutant, plan to mark it as such on the line.
Filling In the Boxes
The IMO layout uses numbered boxes, and carrier portals follow the same numbering. Start at the top with the shipper’s and consignee’s contact details, the transport document number, and the carrier’s name and booking reference. Enter these exactly as they appear on the bill of lading. Mismatches between the two documents are one of the fastest ways to get a container held at the terminal gate.
Move to the cargo description in the middle of the form. Put each hazardous item on its own line in the required sequence: UN number, proper shipping name, hazard class, subsidiary hazards in parentheses, packing group. After that basic description, add the number and type of packages, net and gross mass, and any additional information the IMDG Code requires for that substance, such as “MARINE POLLUTANT” or the flashpoint for a flammable liquid.
Do not combine different UN numbers on a single line. Each substance gets its own entry, even when several are packed in the same outer container.
When the goods travel inside a freight container, record the container identification number on the form and note whether the shipper or a third-party packer loaded it. That answer determines who signs the container packing certificate.
The Two Signatures at the Bottom
The bottom of the form carries two separate declarations. Skipping or fumbling either one is a common reason shipments get rejected.
Shipper’s Declaration
The shipper certifies that the goods are correctly described, classified, packaged, marked, and labeled for transport. Under U.S. regulations you may use either the domestic DOT wording or the international IMDG version, which reads: “I hereby declare that the contents of this consignment are fully and accurately described above by the proper shipping name, and are classified, packaged, marked and labeled/placarded, and are in all respects in proper condition for transport according to applicable international and national governmental regulations.”4eCFR. 49 CFR 172.204 – Shipper’s Certification
The signature has to come from a principal, officer, partner, or employee of the shipping company, or from its authorized agent. A warehouse worker or independent trucker with no authority to certify the cargo’s contents cannot sign here.
Container Packing Certificate
When hazardous goods are packed into a freight container or vehicle, the person who loaded it signs a separate certificate confirming that the packing met IMDG Code standards: the container was clean and dry, incompatible goods were properly segregated, only undamaged packages were loaded, drums were stowed upright, and the container is correctly placarded.5United Kingdom Maritime and Coastguard Agency. MCA Guidance for Container Packing Certificates on Dangerous Goods Notes Most carrier forms fold this certificate into the same document as a combined declaration; sometimes it appears as a separate attachment. If the shipper loaded the container, the shipper signs. If a third-party warehouse packed it, that company’s representative signs.
Under SOLAS Chapter VII, Regulation 5, a container without a valid packing certificate will not be accepted for loading aboard the vessel.6Danish Maritime Authority. SOLAS Chapter VII – Carriage of Dangerous Goods
Emergency Response Telephone Number
U.S. regulations require every hazardous materials shipping paper to include a 24-hour emergency response telephone number. Someone who knows what is being shipped and has access to detailed emergency response information for that specific material must monitor the line at all times the cargo is in transit, including any storage stops.7eCFR. 49 CFR 172.604 – Emergency Response Telephone Number
Many shippers meet this requirement by contracting with CHEMTREC or a similar service. If you use one, put the organization’s name or your assigned contract number on the form next to the phone number. Place the number in a clearly labeled, prominent spot. Burying it inside the cargo description is not sufficient.
Getting the Form to the Carrier
A carrier cannot accept hazardous materials for vessel transport without a properly completed shipping paper and shipper’s certification.8eCFR. 49 CFR Part 176 – Carriage by Vessel In practice, most ocean carriers now require the form to be submitted electronically through their booking portal or an Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) system before the container arrives at the terminal. Advance submission lets port authorities screen the cargo, assign storage, and flag documentation problems before the container reaches the gate.
A physical copy that accompanies the shipment must stay with the cargo throughout the journey so that emergency responders anywhere on the route can identify what is inside the container. For ferry vessels, the vehicle operator is specifically required to hand the shipping papers and certification to the vessel’s representative before loading.
What Errors Cost
Under federal hazardous materials transportation law, a knowing violation carries a civil penalty of up to $102,348 per violation. If the violation causes death, serious injury, or substantial property destruction, the maximum rises to $238,809.9eCFR. 49 CFR 107.329 – Maximum Penalties Each day a continuing violation persists counts as a separate offense, so an uncorrected paperwork mistake repeated across shipments compounds fast.
The violations most likely to trigger enforcement are the ones the form is designed to prevent: the wrong UN number, an omitted subsidiary hazard class, a missing emergency response phone number, or a shipment moved without a signed certification. A port state control inspection can also refuse the cargo for loading, which stacks demurrage and detention charges on top of any regulatory penalty. Careful work on the form is far cheaper than fixing problems at the terminal gate.