The 9 battery shipments, compared
What's allowed, the key limit, what to do, and where it's restricted — by configuration and condition. Confirm against the carrier's official battery pages before you ship.
| Battery / shipment | Allowed? | What's allowed / the limit | What to do | Key limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery installed in equipmentphone, laptop, camera — UN3481/3091USPS_pub52USPS_intl | Widest path | AllowedInstalled in the device it operates, lithium batteries are mailable domestically by USPS via air or surface when Publication 52 requirements are met — and this is the only configuration USPS accepts internationally. LimitQuantity, lithium-content, and watt-hour limits still apply, and the device must be protected from turning on in transit. |
Ship the battery inside its device whenever you can; cushion the device and prevent accidental activation. | Most permissive configuration |
| Battery packed with equipmentspare in the same box — UN3481/3091USPS_pub52USPS_intl | Domestic: air or ground | AllowedA battery packed in the same parcel as the device it powers is mailable domestically by air or surface under the same Publication 52 instruction as installed batteries. LimitIt does not qualify for USPS international mail — that path is installed-in-equipment only — and terminals must be individually protected. |
Protect terminals (original packaging, caps, or tape), immobilize the battery, and keep it domestic or switch to installed for international. | Domestic only for USPS |
| Loose lithium-ion batteryshipped alone — UN3480USPS_restrictUPS_airPHMSA_lb | USPS: surface only | AllowedShipped by itself, a lithium-ion battery moves by USPS surface/ground transportation only, with the required lithium battery mark on the package — never by air mail. LimitAt UPS, batteries packed alone go by air only as fully regulated dangerous-goods shipments under contract — there is no casual air path for loose batteries. |
Use ground service, apply the required mark, protect terminals, and use rigid packaging — no envelopes or soft packs. | Ground / surface only |
| Loose lithium-metal batterynon-rechargeable — UN3090USPS_restrictFedEx_batteriesPHMSA_lb | Strictest loose category | AllowedLoose lithium-metal (non-rechargeable) cells and batteries follow the same surface-only USPS path with marks, plus lithium-content ceilings (about 1 g per cell, 2 g per battery for excepted shipments). LimitAir transport of lithium-metal batteries shipped alone is the most restricted lane — fully regulated, cargo-aircraft territory at the carriers. |
Check the lithium content before anything else; over the excepted limits, this is a regulated dangerous-goods shipment, not a regular parcel. | Content limits ~1 g cell / 2 g battery |
| Used / damaged / defective devicepre-owned electronics with batteriesUSPS_restrict | USPS: ground only + markings | AllowedUSPS accepts pre-owned, damaged, or defective electronic devices containing or packed with lithium batteries by ground only — air is prohibited — and the outer box must be marked "Restricted Electronic Device" and "Surface Transportation Only." LimitThis is the device path; a loose battery that is itself damaged or defective falls into the DDR category below, which is far more restricted. |
Use ground service, apply both required markings exactly, and never represent a used device as new to get an air rate. | Air prohibited |
| Damaged, defective, or recalled batteryDDR — the hardest categoryFedEx_batteriesUPS_batteriesPHMSA_lb | Refused or permit-only | AllowedDDR lithium batteries are the highest-risk category — more prone to thermal runaway — and the carriers diverge sharply: FedEx Express will not accept recalled or defective batteries at all, standalone or in equipment, while UPS handles them only under a DOT special permit with pre-approval and a specialized service agreement. LimitA manufacturer recall notice is not a shipping authorization; recall and recycling programs supply their own compliant packaging and instructions, and that program path is the one to use. |
Don't put a swollen, burned, punctured, or recalled battery in ordinary mail or parcel service; use the recall or recycling program's provided packaging and carrier arrangement. | FedEx: not accepted · UPS: permit only |
| Power banka battery shipped aloneUSPS_restrictFAA_pax | Treated as a loose battery | AllowedFor shipping, a power bank is a lithium-ion battery shipped alone (UN3480): USPS surface only with the required mark, and dangerous-goods handling for carrier air service. LimitThe travel rule does not transfer — the same power bank you must carry into an aircraft cabin as a passenger cannot be dropped in a mailbox for air transport. |
Ship it by ground with the mark and terminal protection; if it's going overseas, see the international row — loose batteries don't qualify for USPS international mail. | Ground only via USPS |
| Battery return shipmentwarranty / RMA / trade-inUSPS_restrictUPS_batteries | Same rules, no exemption | AllowedA return label doesn't relax anything: a used device going back is a pre-owned electronic (USPS ground only with markings), and a battery being returned alone is a loose battery on the surface-only path. LimitThe seller's prepaid label doesn't transfer compliance to the seller — the package still has to match the service level and markings, and a damaged battery still needs the DDR path even for a warranty return. |
Follow the return program's battery instructions exactly; if the seller's label is an air service for a used or loose battery, query it before shipping rather than dropping it off. | Condition rules still apply |
| International battery shipmentexports and APO/FPO/DPOUSPS_intlPHMSA_lb | Installed-only via USPS | AllowedUSPS international and military mail accepts lithium batteries only when properly installed in the equipment they operate — and only if the destination country or APO/FPO/DPO permits them. LimitLoose or packed-with batteries don't qualify for international mail at all; carrier international service for batteries is fully regulated dangerous-goods shipping with country-by-country variance. |
For a personal international shipment, install the battery in its device and verify the destination accepts it; anything else belongs with a dangerous-goods-capable carrier service. | USPS: installed in equipment only |
Why "can I ship it?" has six different answers
Lithium batteries are regulated hazardous materials under the federal Hazardous Materials Regulations in every mode of transport — air, highway, rail, and water. That's why there is no single yes/no: the same battery can be fine by ground, prohibited by air, refused by one carrier, accepted by another under contract, and barred from international mail entirely.
The configuration names carry the rule: lithium-ion is UN3480 alone and UN3481 in or with equipment; lithium-metal is UN3090 alone and UN3091 in or with equipment. "Alone" is always the harder lane.
What changes the answer
Four variables move a battery between "ordinary parcel" and "refused":
- Configuration. Installed in equipment is the widest path; packed-with is next; shipped alone is the narrowest — surface-only at USPS, contract dangerous-goods for carrier air.
- Condition. Used devices drop to ground-only with required markings at USPS. Damaged, defective, or recalled batteries are the hardest category: FedEx refuses them, UPS requires a DOT special permit program.
- Mode. Ground is consistently more permissive than air. Recent rules also require lithium-ion batteries to be marked with their watt-hour rating on the outside case.
- Carrier and destination. Acceptance is per-carrier, not universal — and internationally, USPS takes installed-in-equipment only, where the destination permits it.
Flying with it vs. mailing it
The two rule sets point in opposite directions, which is the most common trap. As a passenger, spare batteries and power banks must go in the cabin with you. As a shipper, that same loose battery is barred from air mail and moves by ground. The one configuration that travels well in both worlds is the battery installed in the device it powers — which is why "ship it in the device" is the standing advice for returns, sales, and moves alike.
Checklists
The neutral version — what to check before you ship, not workarounds.
Check Before you ship any battery
- Identify the chemistry — lithium-ion (rechargeable) vs lithium-metal (non-rechargeable).
- Identify the configuration — installed, packed-with, or alone; alone is the hardest lane.
- Check the condition honestly — used, damaged, swollen, or recalled changes everything.
- Protect terminals and use a rigid box — no envelopes or soft packs.
- Read the carrier's battery page for the service you're actually using.
Stop When not to drop it in the mail
- Swollen, punctured, burned, or recalled — use the recall/recycling program's packaging, not regular mail.
- Loose batteries on an air service — that lane is contract dangerous-goods only.
- Loose or packed-with batteries going international — USPS takes installed-in-equipment only.
- A used device on an air label — USPS requires ground with the restricted-device markings.
- Unmarked packages — required marks exist so handlers know what's inside if something goes wrong.
Common wrong assumptions
- If it's legal to own, it's legal to mail.Lithium batteries are regulated hazardous materials under the HMR in every transport mode — legality of ownership says nothing about mailability.
- The seller's return label makes compliance their problem.The package must match the rules regardless of who printed the label — a used device still needs ground service and markings, and a damaged battery still needs the DDR path.
- Ground and air rules are basically the same.Ground is far more permissive. Loose batteries are surface-only at USPS, and carrier air service for batteries alone is fully regulated dangerous goods.
- A recalled battery can go back to the manufacturer like any return.DDR batteries are the most restricted category — FedEx won't accept them at all, and UPS requires a DOT special permit program. Use the recall program's provided packaging.
- If USPS accepts it, UPS and FedEx will too.Acceptance is per-carrier. Each sets its own gates on top of the federal rules, and they diverge most sharply on damaged and recalled batteries.
Sources
Every term and mechanism traces to a primary regulator. Rules change — the date is when each was last checked.
| Source | What it establishes | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| USPS — Shipping Restrictions & HAZMAT | Loose lithium batteries move by surface transportation only with required marks; pre-owned, damaged, or defective electronic devices containing or packed with lithium batteries must ship by ground, marked "Restricted Electronic Device" and "Surface Transportation Only." | 2026-06-11 |
| USPS — International Shipping Restrictions | Only lithium cells and batteries properly installed in the equipment they are intended to operate may be mailed internationally or to APO/FPO/DPO destinations, where the destination permits their receipt. | 2026-06-11 |
| USPS Publication 52 — Packaging Instruction 9D | Lithium-metal and lithium-ion cells and batteries are mailable domestically via air or surface transportation when installed in or packed with the equipment they are intended to operate, subject to Pub 52 section 349 requirements. | 2026-06-11 |
| UPS — How to Ship Batteries | Damaged, defective, or recalled (DDR) lithium batteries move only under DOT Special Permits with UPS pre-approval and a specialized service agreement; battery collection/recycling shipments likewise require pre-approval and approved special-permit packaging. | 2026-06-11 |
| UPS — Dangerous Goods Regulations Updates | UPS accepts air shipments of UN3480/UN3090 batteries packed alone (without equipment) only as fully regulated dangerous-goods shipments — Section II / 49 CFR 173.185(c) preparations are not accepted for air. | 2026-06-11 |
| FedEx — How to Ship Batteries | FedEx Express will not accept recalled or defective batteries, standalone or contained in equipment, nor waste batteries shipped for recycling or disposal; excepted lithium-metal quantities are limited to about 1 g lithium per cell and 2 g aggregate per battery; only IATA Section II battery shipments are accepted at FedEx Office locations. | 2026-06-11 |
| PHMSA — Transporting Lithium Batteries | Lithium batteries must conform to the Hazardous Materials Regulations (49 CFR 171–180) when transported by air, highway, rail, or water; mail-in recycling programs must comply with USPS or DOT requirements; PHMSA publishes the Lithium Battery Guide for Shippers and DDR guidance. | 2026-06-11 |
| FAA PackSafe — Airline Passengers and Batteries | The passenger-air crossover: as a passenger, spare lithium batteries and power banks must travel in the cabin (carry-on) — the opposite direction from the mailing rule, where loose batteries are barred from air. | 2026-06-10 |