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Battery Shipping Classification

UN number, packing instruction, IATA Section, and required documentation for shipping UPS replacement batteries by air, sea, or road. Indicative — confirm with your DGSA before booking transport.

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Transport modes
UN number + name
UN 2800
Batteries, wet, non-spillable, electric storage
Regulatory status
Not restricted
Not restricted (IATA SP A67 / UN SP 238) when the non-spillable conditions are met — no PI applies. If conditions cannot be met, ship as UN 2800 Class 8, PI 872.
Passenger aircraft
Allowed
Cargo aircraft
Allowed
No DG labelling required
Quantity limit
No dangerous-goods quantity limit — not restricted

Documentation you will need

  • • Manufacturer non-spillable declaration (SP A67 / 49 CFR 173.159a); battery marked "NONSPILLABLE" for US consignments
  • • Terminals insulated; battery secured against movement and short circuit
  • • Air waybill may state "Not restricted, as per Special Provision A67"

Labels and marks on the package

None required — not a dangerous good when the conditions in the notes are met.

Important notes

  • • The exemption applies only while ALL SP A67 conditions are met. A cracked case, exposed terminal, or missing manufacturer test declaration reverts the consignment to UN 2800 Class 8.

Quote replacement batteries with the right shipping line included.

Power Stack stores each UPS's battery type, capacity and string count, so when a replacement comes due you already know what you're shipping — chemistry, Ah and block count — before you call the forwarder.

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Why battery shipping has its own rules

Batteries store energy and most chemistries can release it violently if abused. The UN Model Regulations classify them as Class 9 (miscellaneous dangerous goods, for lithium) or Class 8 (corrosive, for lead-acid). Air carriers, ocean carriers, and road authorities each adopt the UN base rules with their own modal annexes — IATA DGR for air, IMDG for sea, ADR / DOT / RID for road and rail. The classification doesn't change much between modes, but the packing instructions and labels do.

Sections IA, IB and II for lithium

IATA tiers lithium shipments by size. The small-battery tier — individual cell ≤ 20 Wh, individual battery ≤ 100 Wh — is Section II for UN 3481 (in or with equipment) and Section IB for UN 3480 shipped alone, since the 66th DGR edition withdrew Section II for standalone lithium. Anything above the threshold is Section IA (UN 3480) or Section I (UN 3481): fully regulated, Class 9A hazard label, shipper's declaration. UN 3480 in every section is cargo-aircraft-only and must be tendered at ≤ 30 % state of charge. UN 3481 (lithium in equipment, or packed with equipment) is more permissive because the equipment provides shock and short-circuit protection.

UN 38.3: the test that gates the shipment

Every lithium cell and battery design manufactured for international shipment must pass the UN 38.3 test sequence: altitude, thermal cycling, vibration, shock, external short circuit, impact / crush, overcharge, and forced discharge. As of 1 January 2020, the shipper must hold a UN 38.3 test summary from the manufacturer (or sub-supplier) and produce it on demand. Failure to do so is grounds for a carrier to refuse the shipment.

VRLA: the easy case — not restricted

Sealed lead-acid (VRLA / AGM / Gel) that meets IATA Special Provision A67 — UN Special Provision 238 and 49 CFR 173.159a say the same thing — is not a dangerous good for transport at all: no Class 8 label, no shipper's declaration, no quantity limit, accepted on passenger aircraft. The conditions are that the manufacturer certifies the battery passed the vibration and pressure-differential tests, there is no free liquid at 55 °C, the terminals are protected against short circuit, and the battery is secured against movement in strong outer packaging. The air waybill can state “Not restricted, as per Special Provision A67”. Lose any of those conditions (cracked case, bare terminals, no test certificate) and it reverts to UN 2800 Class 8. Flooded lead-acid (VLA, UN 2794) and wet nickel-cadmium (UN 2795) are the harder cases — spillable corrosive electrolyte, Class 8 on every mode.

When to involve a DGSA

For routine spares (a couple of replacement batteries per quarter), the dealer's freight forwarder usually handles the paperwork. For large shipments, mixed-modal transport, or any case where the rules feel ambiguous — get a certified Dangerous-Goods Safety Adviser (DGSA in EU, equivalent elsewhere) involved early. Penalties for misdeclared dangerous goods are substantial and the carrier can refuse the shipment at any point with no refund.

Questions engineers ask

Are VRLA batteries dangerous goods?

Not when they meet IATA Special Provision A67 / UN Special Provision 238: certified non-spillable, no free liquid at 55 °C, terminals protected, secured in strong packaging. They then travel as “not restricted” on any mode, passenger aircraft included. Fail a condition and they revert to UN 2800, Class 8.

Why can’t I ship lithium batteries on a passenger aircraft?

Standalone lithium-ion (UN 3480) has been cargo-aircraft-only since 2016 and must be tendered at 30 % state of charge or less. Lithium batteries packed with or contained in equipment (UN 3481) are allowed on passenger aircraft under PI 966 / 967 within the Section limits.

Is this tool a substitute for a dangerous-goods adviser?

No. It gives the indicative UN number, section, packing instruction and paperwork so you can price freight and avoid obvious refusals. Carriers add operator variations and misdeclaration penalties are severe, so have a certified DGSA sign off anything beyond routine spares.

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Engineering disclaimer: Power Stack provides this calculator as a general engineering estimate. Final design must be verified by a qualified electrical engineer and reconciled with manufacturer datasheets, the applicable national wiring regulations (NEC, BS 7671, IEC 60364, or your local equivalent), and site-specific conditions. Power Stack accepts no liability for design decisions made from this output.