Not every store can ship everywhere. Whether you're limited by carrier coverage, regulatory requirements, or business decisions, there are times when you need to restrict shipping to specific regions.
Shopify's built-in shipping settings offer some country-level controls, but what if you need to block specific states, cities, or even ZIP codes? That's where regional shipping restrictions come in.
Why Restrict Shipping to Certain Regions?
Merchants block regional deliveries for many legitimate reasons:
Regulatory Compliance
Certain products can't be shipped to specific states due to local laws. This is common with:
- Alcohol and cannabis products
- Certain supplements and health products
- Specific knife types or self-defense products
- Fireworks and pyrotechnics
Carrier Limitations
Your shipping partners may not service all areas. This is especially common in:
- Alaska and Hawaii (limited ground shipping)
- US territories (Puerto Rico, Guam, etc.)
- Remote or rural areas
Business Operations
Sometimes restrictions are operational decisions:
- Local delivery radius limits
- Markets where you lack sales tax compliance
- Regions with high fraud or chargeback rates
- Competitive or strategic market focus
Product Limitations
Certain products may have geographic restrictions:
- Perishable goods with limited shipping range
- Heavy items that are cost-prohibitive to ship far
- Temperature-sensitive products
Shopify's Built-in Options
Shopify provides some native tools for shipping restrictions:
Shipping Zones
You can create shipping zones that only include countries or regions you serve. However, this only removes shipping options—customers in excluded areas will see "no shipping available" at checkout, which can be confusing.
Market Settings
Shopify's Markets feature lets you control which countries your store sells to. But again, this works at the country level and doesn't offer sub-national (state, city, ZIP) controls.
The Limitation: Shopify's native tools work at the country level but don't give you fine-grained control over states, cities, or postal codes within a country.
Using Checkout Validation for Regional Restrictions
For sub-national shipping restrictions, checkout validation apps are the best solution. These apps check the customer's address at checkout and block orders that don't meet your criteria.
What You Can Block
With apps like No PO Box Pro, you can restrict shipping by:
- State or Province — Block entire states (e.g., no shipping to Hawaii)
- City — Block specific cities by name
- ZIP/Postal Code — Block individual postal codes or ranges
- Address Patterns — Block addresses containing certain keywords
How It Works
- Customer enters their shipping address at checkout
- The app validates the address against your restriction rules
- If the address is restricted, a clear error message appears
- The customer can enter a different address or contact support
This all happens before payment processing, so no orders slip through to restricted areas.
Setting Up Regional Restrictions
Step 1: Identify Your Restricted Areas
Before implementing restrictions, clearly define where you can't ship:
- Make a list of all restricted states, cities, or ZIP codes
- Document why each restriction exists
- Check if restrictions apply to all products or only some
Step 2: Choose Your Method
Decide how to implement restrictions:
- Shipping zones — For country-level restrictions
- Checkout validation app — For state, city, or ZIP restrictions
- Product-level restrictions — When only some products are affected
Step 3: Configure Clear Error Messages
When customers hit a restriction, they need to understand why:
- "We're unable to ship to Alaska and Hawaii"
- "This product cannot be shipped to your state due to local regulations"
- "Delivery is not available in your area"
Step 4: Communicate Proactively
Don't wait until checkout to tell customers about restrictions:
- Add shipping restriction info to your FAQ
- Note restrictions on affected product pages
- Include shipping info in your footer or help section
Need Regional Shipping Restrictions?
No PO Box Pro lets you block specific states, cities, and postal codes at checkout.
Get Started →Best Practices
Be Transparent
Customers appreciate knowing about shipping limitations before they invest time shopping. Clear communication prevents frustration and abandoned carts.
Offer Alternatives When Possible
If you can't ship to a customer's primary address, can they use a forwarding service? Pick up in store? Ship to a friend in a serviced area? Give options when possible.
Review Restrictions Periodically
Regulations change. Carrier coverage expands. Business priorities shift. Review your shipping restrictions quarterly to make sure they still make sense.
Test Your Setup
After implementing restrictions, test with addresses in restricted areas to confirm they're blocked correctly with clear messaging.
Conclusion
Regional shipping restrictions are a necessary part of running many e-commerce businesses. Whether you're dealing with regulatory requirements, carrier limitations, or strategic decisions, the key is implementing restrictions cleanly and communicating them clearly.
Shopify's native tools handle country-level restrictions, but for state, city, or ZIP code blocking, checkout validation apps are the most reliable solution. They catch restricted addresses before orders are placed, saving you the hassle of cancellations and refunds.