Can You Send Batteries Through the Mail? USPS, FedEx, and UPS Rules

Yes, you can send batteries through the mail, but whether it’s simple or heavily regulated depends entirely on the battery type. Ordinary household batteries ship with almost no restrictions. Lithium batteries face strict federal rules on packaging, labeling, quantity, and transport mode. Wet lead-acid batteries can’t go through USPS at all. Getting the details wrong isn’t a minor paperwork problem: civil fines can exceed $100,000 per violation.

Which Batteries You Can Mail

Household Alkaline and Nickel Batteries

Standard AA, AAA, C, D, and 9-volt batteries are not regulated as hazardous materials for shipping. You can drop them in the mail with ordinary packaging. Tape the terminals on 9-volt batteries so they can’t short against metal in transit.¹ Nickel-metal hydride and nickel-cadmium rechargeables are also less regulated than lithium, but they still need secure packaging that protects the terminals.

Lithium-Ion and Lithium Metal Batteries

Lithium batteries get the most regulatory attention because of their fire risk. Two things determine how restrictive your shipment is: the chemistry and the configuration.

Lithium-ion cells rated at 20 Wh or below, and batteries at 100 Wh or below, qualify for less restrictive small-battery exceptions. Most consumer electronics fall well under these limits. A typical smartphone battery runs 10–15 Wh, and a laptop battery runs 50–70 Wh.² For lithium metal (non-rechargeable) batteries, the equivalent thresholds are 1 gram of lithium per cell and 2 grams per battery. Anything above those limits ships as a fully regulated Class 9 hazardous material, with more demanding packaging, labels, and documentation.

Configuration matters just as much. A battery installed inside a device is the least restricted case. A battery packed alongside a device faces tighter rules. A standalone battery, shipped by itself, is the most restricted, and through USPS it can travel only by ground.

Lead-Acid Batteries

Wet lead-acid batteries, the kind in most cars, contain liquid acid that can leak and corrode. USPS will not accept them.¹ Non-spillable sealed lead-acid batteries are mailable through USPS and private carriers with proper packaging, because the sealed design removes the leak risk.

How to Package a Battery for Shipping

The single biggest cause of battery fires in transit is a short circuit. When terminals contact metal or each other, the resulting current generates enough heat to ignite whatever is around it. Good packaging prevents that and cushions the cell against punctures.

Insulate the terminals. Tape over the positive and negative contacts, seal each battery in its own plastic bag, or leave it in the manufacturer’s original packaging.
Prevent movement. Surround batteries with bubble wrap or foam so they can’t shift and collide.
Use rigid outer packaging strong enough to resist crushing.

Lithium batteries shipped as regulated hazardous materials also need specific markings on the outer box: a UN identification number, a Class 9 lithium battery hazard label, and the proper shipping name. The UN number matches the chemistry and configuration: UN3480 for standalone lithium-ion, UN3481 for lithium-ion packed with or installed in equipment, UN3090 for standalone lithium metal, and UN3091 for lithium metal packed with or installed in equipment. Shipments restricted to cargo aircraft also need a “Cargo Aircraft Only” label.²

Mailing Batteries Through USPS

Domestic Limits

When lithium batteries are installed in a device, USPS allows up to eight cells or two batteries per package, provided each lithium-ion cell stays at or below 20 Wh and each battery at or below 100 Wh. Total package weight can’t exceed 11 pounds. Very small lithium-ion cells (2.7 Wh or less) get more relaxed quantity limits but a lower weight cap of 5.5 pounds.³

Standalone lithium batteries, not installed in or packed with equipment, can only go by surface transportation. The package must weigh 5 pounds or less and must carry a marking stating the batteries are forbidden on passenger aircraft. Lithium-ion shipments require the wording “Surface Mail Only, Lithium-ion Batteries — Forbidden for Transportation Aboard Passenger Aircraft.”⁴ In practical terms, Priority Mail Express and any air service are off the table for loose lithium batteries.

International Mail

USPS international rules are much tighter. Loose lithium batteries, whether shipped alone or packed with equipment, are prohibited outright. Only new lithium batteries properly installed in the device they power can be mailed internationally, and each shipment is capped at four lithium metal cells (or two batteries) or the equivalent lithium-ion limits. Used, damaged, or defective devices containing lithium batteries also cannot be mailed internationally.⁵ Individual destination countries may add restrictions on top of those.

Shipping Through FedEx and UPS

FedEx and UPS accept a wider range of battery shipments than USPS, but they charge hazardous materials surcharges and often require more documentation. For 2026, FedEx’s dangerous goods surcharges run from $57.25 per package for ground shipments to $185 per package for air express, with inaccessible air shipments at $85.⁶ UPS charges $58 for ground, $83 for air inaccessible, and $188 for air accessible dangerous goods shipments.⁷ These are per-package fees.

FedEx requires pre-approval for certain lithium battery shipments, particularly larger batteries and specialized equipment. Hoverboards and similar small battery-powered vehicles are accepted only from companies shipping new, unopened products; FedEx does not take used ones from individual sellers.⁸ Both carriers may require a hazmat shipping contract or a specific account type for fully regulated battery shipments. A one-time shipper should expect to answer questions at the counter and possibly fill out a shipper’s declaration.

Damaged, Defective, or Recalled Batteries

Damaged lithium batteries are not banned from all shipment, but they cannot go on any aircraft, cargo or passenger. Ground, rail, and sea transport are permitted.⁹

The packaging rules are far heavier than for intact batteries. Each battery must sit in its own non-metallic inner container that fully encloses it, surrounded by non-combustible, non-conductive cushioning that can absorb any leaking electrolyte. Each individually packaged battery then goes into its own Packing Group I outer container, one battery per outer package. The outside must be marked “Damaged/defective lithium ion battery” or “Damaged/defective lithium metal battery” in letters at least 12 mm tall.⁹

For a consumer with a swollen phone battery or a recalled laptop pack, the practical answer is that ordinary mail and standard carrier services aren’t the route. A local battery recycling drop-off is usually best. Programs like Call2Recycle maintain collection sites at many retailers, though Call2Recycle itself does not accept damaged or defective batteries. For those, contact a municipal hazardous waste facility or the manufacturer’s recall program, which often provides prepaid shipping through a carrier licensed for ground hazmat transport.

Flying With Batteries Is a Different Rulebook

If you’re carrying batteries on a flight rather than mailing them, the rules overlap but are not the same. Spare lithium-ion batteries and portable power banks must go in your carry-on, never in checked luggage. If your carry-on gets gate-checked, pull the spare batteries and power banks out and keep them with you in the cabin.¹⁰ Lithium-ion batteries up to 100 Wh are allowed without airline approval. Batteries between 101 and 160 Wh need airline approval, with a maximum of two spares. Anything above 160 Wh is forbidden on passenger flights.¹¹

Penalties for Violating Battery Shipping Rules

Undeclaring or mislabeling a battery shipment is treated as a hazardous materials violation under federal law. Anyone who knowingly violates hazmat transportation rules faces a civil fine of up to $102,348 per violation. If the violation causes death, serious injury, or major property destruction, the ceiling rises to $238,809. Each day a continuing violation persists counts as a separate offense.¹²

Willful violations, meaning you knew the rules and broke them anyway, carry up to 5 years in federal prison, a fine, or both. If someone dies or is injured as a result, the maximum prison sentence doubles to 10 years.¹³ These penalties apply to everyone in the shipping chain: the person who packed the battery, the person who prepared the paperwork, and the person who handed the package to the carrier. Declare battery contents accurately, even when it means paying a hazmat surcharge or accepting a slower ground shipment.

1
Postal Explorer. USPS Publication 52, Section 348 – Corrosives (Hazard Class 8)
2
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). Lithium Battery Guide for Shippers
3
Postal Explorer. USPS Publication 52, Section 349 – Class 9 Hazardous Materials
4
Postal Explorer. USPS Packaging Instruction 9D – Lithium Metal and Lithium-ion Cells and Batteries – Domestic
5
Postal Explorer. USPS International Mail Manual, Section 135 – Mailable Dangerous Goods
6
FedEx. 2026 Changes to FedEx Surcharges and Fees
7
UPS. 2026 UPS Rates
8
FedEx. Lithium Metal Batteries – FedEx Battery Overview 2026
9
eCFR. 49 CFR 173.185 — Lithium Cells and Batteries
10
Federal Aviation Administration. PackSafe – Lithium Batteries
11
FAA. Frequently Asked Questions – Batteries Carried by Airline Passengers
12
eCFR. 49 CFR Part 209 Subpart B – Hazardous Materials Penalties
13
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 49 USC 5124 – Criminal Penalty