Who Can Ship with Southwest Airlines Cargo
Whether you’re an individual or a large business, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) mandates Southwest Airlines may accept cargo weighing 16 ounces or greater from Known Shippers or TSA approved Indirect Air Carriers (IAC) only.
Known Shippers
A Known Shipper is an individual or business that has an established reputation in the shipping community and is offering their own goods for transportation. To become a Known Shipper, you must complete one of the two applications below and provide us with additional supporting documentation upon request.
Once we approve your application, we will contact you to arrange an inspection of your residence or place of business. There will be a minimum, non-refundable fee of $50 for this inspection. (This fee is mileage-based and may be higher.) Once your account is established, we will provide a Shipper ID number to you. You will bring this number with you when shipping with Southwest Airlines Cargo.
- Application for a billable Southwest Airlines Cargo account (in pdf format)
- Application for a Shipper I.D. (non-billable) Southwest Airlines Cargo account (in pdf format)
Note: Please allow a minimum of seven days to become a Known Shipper.
For more information, please visit Shipping Help.
Indirect Air Carriers (IAC)
If you are a Courier or Freight Forwarding company, you may be known as an Indirect Air Carrier, (IAC). If you are already a TSA approved IAC, then you will need to provide a copy of your Indirect Air Carrier certification letter along with your account application.
For details on how to become a TSA approved company, please contact:
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Transportation Security Administration
IAC - Office of Compliance
Mail Stop: TSA-27
601 S. 12th Street
Arlington, VA 22202
North Central (571) 227-3555
South Central (571) 227-2625
North Eastern (571) 227-1510
South Eastern (571) 227-1334
Western Pacific (571) 227-2230
Fax (571) 227-1947
Unknown Shippers
Southwest Airlines does not accept shipments weighing 16 ounces or greater from an Unknown Shipper. However, we will accept a small package, provided it is one piece weighing less than 16 ounces. Government-issued photo identification is also required.
