To ship fruit to another state, first make sure the fruit isn’t covered by a USDA or state quarantine, then pack it cold and dry in an insulated box and send it by an overnight or 2-day service such as USPS Priority Mail Express or UPS Next Day Air. Most store-bought fruit can travel legally by USPS or UPS. Home-grown citrus from a quarantined area, fresh fruit leaving Hawaii or Puerto Rico, and other regulated produce cannot travel without inspection or a permit.
This guide covers the legal check, carrier choice, packing temperatures and timing for an interstate fruit shipment. If you’re mailing a single gift box or a few pieces of fruit, our guide on how to mail fruit covers the basics, and the broader how to ship produce guide covers vegetables and larger produce shipments.
Is It Legal to Ship Fruit to Another State?
Yes, in most cases. USPS Publication 52 says plants and plant products are mailable within the United States, but they become nonmailable when federal agricultural statutes make a shipment unlawful. In practice, the restrictions come from USDA quarantines published at 7 CFR 301 (domestic) and 7 CFR 318 (Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), and enforced by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
Under Publication 52, fruit from a quarantined area can leave it only after inspection and with a permit or certificate. Knowingly mailing prohibited plant material can bring fines under federal law. UPS applies the same laws, because its tariff bars any shipment prohibited by law.
| Situation | What the rule means | Who to check with |
|---|---|---|
| Home-grown citrus from a citrus greening quarantine area | APHIS says: don’t mail or transport home-grown citrus fruit or plants out of a quarantined area | APHIS citrus quarantine map, your state department of agriculture |
| Fruit from a fruit fly quarantine zone | Host fruit, including tomatoes, can’t leave the zone without meeting the quarantine’s conditions | APHIS fruit fly quarantine maps, your state plant regulatory official |
| Fresh fruit from Hawaii, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands to the mainland | Restricted under 7 CFR 318; many fruits need USDA inspection or treatment first | USDA APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine |
| Fruit shipped into California | County agricultural inspectors check produce at U.S. Mail and parcel carrier facilities | California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) |
| Commercially packed fruit with no quarantine in the origin area | Generally mailable if packed to arrive before it spoils | USPS Publication 52, UPS tariff |
Which states have citrus quarantines?
APHIS reports citrus greening throughout Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and in parts of Alabama, Arizona, California, Louisiana, South Carolina and Texas. Quarantine boundaries change, so check the APHIS interactive citrus quarantine map for your ZIP Code before you ship oranges, grapefruit, lemons or tangerines from these states.
Which Carrier Is Best for Shipping Fruit Out of State?
USPS and UPS both accept fruit, but neither runs a refrigerated parcel network. The UPS tariff says perishables travel at the shipper’s risk, and that UPS isn’t liable for damage from heat, cold or spoilage, even when a guaranteed package is late. USPS says the same: perishables are mailed at your own risk and must be packed to arrive before they spoil. Speed is your main protection.
| Service | Delivery commitment | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| USPS Priority Mail Express | 1 to 3 days by 6 PM, money-back guarantee | Soft fruit like berries, cherries and peaches |
| USPS Priority Mail | 2 to 3 days, not guaranteed | Citrus, apples and pears to nearby states |
| USPS Ground Advantage | 2 to 5 days | Hardy fruit over short distances in cool weather only |
| UPS Next Day Air | Next business day | Delicate or high-value fruit gifts going coast to coast |
| UPS 2nd Day Air | Second business day | Citrus, apples and avocados with cold packs |
| UPS Ground | 1 to 5 business days, depending on distance | Hardy fruit to neighboring states |
All of these USPS services carry packages up to 70 lbs. For several pallets of produce rather than a gift box, a refrigerated truck is the better fit. Our guide to refrigerated shipping costs explains how reefer freight is priced.
What Temperature Does Fruit Need During Shipping?
The right temperature depends on the fruit, and colder isn’t always better. USDA Agriculture Handbook 66, the federal reference for produce storage, separates fruit that should be kept near freezing from fruit that suffers chilling injury in the cold.
| Fruit | USDA recommended storage | Packing approach |
|---|---|---|
| Strawberries | 32°F, 90 to 95% humidity; up to 7 days | Gel packs, overnight service |
| Blueberries | 31 to 32°F, above 90% humidity | Gel packs, overnight or 2-day |
| Table grapes | 30 to 32°F, 90 to 95% humidity; not chilling sensitive | Gel packs, 2-day |
| Peaches and nectarines | Cooled to near 32°F before packing | Gel packs, cell trays, overnight |
| Unripe avocados | 41 to 54°F, 85 to 95% humidity | Insulation, cold pack only in hot weather |
| Green bananas | 56 to 58°F; chilling sensitive | Insulation only, no ice |
| Mature-green tomatoes | 55 to 70°F; chilled below 55°F they ripen poorly | Insulation only, no ice |
Citrus is among the hardiest fruit to ship, and it usually needs only insulation in mild weather. Chilling-sensitive fruit should never touch an ice pack: wrap the pack in paper and keep a layer of insulation between it and the fruit. Each fruit has its own guide, including how to ship strawberries, how to ship tomatoes and how to ship bananas.
How Do You Pack Fruit to Ship to Another State?
Pack fruit so it stays cold, dry and still. Publication 52 says fresh fruit is mailable only when presented in a dry condition, so a leaking or wet box can be refused.
- Pre-cool the fruit. Refrigerate cold-tolerant fruit before packing, because a box can hold cold but can’t create it. Fruit packed warm warms the whole box.
- Dry it and sort it. Remove bruised or split pieces, which spoil first and spread mold, and pat the fruit dry.
- Separate each piece. Use molded cell trays, paper wraps or clamshells so fruit can’t knock together. Fill gaps so nothing shifts.
- Use an insulated container. Put a foam cooler or insulated liner inside a sturdy corrugated outer box. Our guide to cold shipping boxes compares the main options.
- Add the right refrigerant. Frozen gel packs suit most fresh fruit. Dry ice can freeze fresh fruit, so save it for frozen fruit.
- Seal and label. Tape every seam, put the label on the largest flat side, and include a return address. USPS requires one on perishable mail.
What are the dry ice rules for fruit shipments?
USPS allows up to 5 lbs of dry ice per package by air. The box must vent carbon dioxide gas, carry a Class 9 hazard label, and be marked “Dry Ice, UN1845” with the net weight of the dry ice and the name of the contents. Packages going by ground only can hold more if they’re marked “Surface Only.” UPS accepts dry ice used as a refrigerant on UPS Ground and UPS Air services without a hazardous materials agreement, as long as you follow federal marking rules. Dry ice can’t go to international destinations by USPS.
Don’t count on “Fragile” or “This Side Up” markings. The UPS tariff says UPS gives no special handling for them, so the packing itself has to protect the fruit.
When Should You Ship Fruit to Another State?
Ship Monday through Wednesday, so a 1- or 2-day package can’t sit in a warehouse over the weekend. Avoid shipping the day before a federal holiday, and drop the package off before the location’s last collection time.
Tell the recipient the box is coming and send them the tracking number. Fruit left on a hot porch can spoil in a few hours. In summer heat, add an extra cold pack or upgrade to overnight service. In freezing weather, insulation protects chilling-sensitive fruit like bananas and tomatoes from the cold.
How Much Does It Cost to Ship Fruit to Another State?
The price depends on the box’s weight and dimensions, the distance (zone) and the service. Faster services cost more, and an insulated box with cold packs adds weight and size, which pushes the price up. Use the smallest insulated box that fits the fruit, its cushioning and its cold packs.
To see what your box will cost, compare live UPS and USPS rates for your package in the ParcelPath rate calculator. ParcelPath is free to use, with no subscription or per-label fee, and offers up to 89% off USPS and up to 85% off UPS retail rates. USPS pickups are free, and you can print labels without a printer through USPS Label Broker at the Post Office or UPS Mobile Barcode at The UPS Store. For other ways to send packages, see our roundup of the best shipping services and solutions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I ship fruit to another state through USPS?
Yes. USPS accepts fresh fruit shipped to another state when it is dry, packed to arrive before it spoils, and not restricted by a USDA quarantine. Priority Mail Express, which delivers in 1 to 3 days with a money-back guarantee, is the safest USPS choice for soft fruit. Perishables are always mailed at the sender’s risk, so pack them carefully.
Can I mail oranges from Florida to another state?
Store-bought, commercially packed oranges usually can be shipped. Home-grown citrus is different: APHIS reports citrus greening throughout Florida and tells residents not to mail or transport home-grown citrus fruit or plants out of a quarantined area. Check the APHIS citrus quarantine map before you ship any fruit picked from a backyard tree.
Can you ship fruit from Hawaii to the mainland?
Only some fruit, and usually only after inspection. USDA regulations at 7 CFR 318 restrict moving fresh fruit from Hawaii to the continental United States to keep fruit flies and other pests out. Before mailing fruit from Hawaii, contact USDA APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine to find out whether your fruit needs inspection or treatment first.
How long can fruit be in transit when shipping to another state?
Plan for no more than 1 to 2 days for soft fruit like strawberries, cherries and peaches, and up to 3 days for hardy fruit like citrus and apples. USDA data shows even well-cooled strawberries last only about 7 days at 32°F. Every day in a warm parcel network shortens that window.
Sources
- USPS Publication 52, 561: Plants and Plant Products, General
- USPS Publication 52, 562: Quarantines
- USPS Publication 52, 53: Fresh Foods and Other Perishables
- USPS Publication 52, Packaging Instruction 9A: Dry Ice
- USPS: Shipping Restrictions
- USPS Domestic Mail Manual 602: Addressing (return address, 1.5.3)
- USPS: Priority Mail Express
- USPS: Priority Mail
- USPS: Ground Advantage
- UPS Tariff/Terms and Conditions of Service, United States (3.10 Dry Ice, 3.14 Perishable Commodities, 8 Packaging and Labeling)
- USDA APHIS: Citrus Greening
- USDA APHIS: Fruit Flies
- USDA Agriculture Handbook 66: The Commercial Storage of Fruits, Vegetables, and Florist and Nursery Stocks
- California Department of Food and Agriculture: Interior Exclusion (cdfa.ca.gov/plant/pe/interiorexclusion/)
Part of our How to Ship Produce guide. Related: How to Mail Fruit, How to Ship Frozen Food, How to Ship Seafood.
