Lithium battery checker. Section I or II, in 30 seconds.
Tell us the battery type, how it is packed and its watt-hour rating. See the UN number, IATA packing instruction (PI 965 to 970), section, passenger or cargo-aircraft-only status, state-of-charge limit, documents and the exact labels your air shipment needs.
From battery to booking, in three steps.
The lithium battery rules in plain words
Lithium ion: PI 965 (batteries alone, UN3480), PI 966 (packed with equipment, UN3481), PI 967 (inside equipment, UN3481). Lithium metal: PI 968, 969 and 970 for UN3090 and UN3091.
Lithium ion cells up to 20 Wh and batteries up to 100 Wh, or lithium metal cells up to 1 g and batteries up to 2 g, can use the lighter Section II rules within the quantity limits. Anything bigger is fully regulated Class 9.
Lithium ion batteries shipped on their own must be at 30% charge or less. From 1 January 2026, lithium ion batteries above 2.7 Wh packed with equipment must also be at 30% or less.
UN3480 and UN3090, batteries shipped without equipment, are forbidden on passenger aircraft. They must fly on freighters and carry the Cargo Aircraft Only label.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between UN3480 and UN3481?+
UN3480 is lithium ion batteries shipped on their own. UN3481 is lithium ion batteries packed with equipment (PI 966) or contained in equipment (PI 967), such as phones and laptops. UN3090 and UN3091 are the lithium metal equivalents.
How do I calculate watt-hours?+
Multiply the capacity in ampere-hours by the nominal voltage: Wh = mAh ÷ 1000 × V. A 5,000 mAh phone battery at 3.85 V is 19.25 Wh, so it is within the 100 Wh Section II limit.
Do Section II lithium batteries need a dangerous goods declaration?+
No. Section II shipments do not need a Shipper’s Declaration, but they still need the lithium battery mark (with some exceptions for equipment), a statement on the air waybill and a UN 38.3 test summary.
What is a UN 38.3 test summary?+
Every lithium cell and battery type must pass the UN 38.3 tests for altitude, temperature, vibration, shock, short circuit and overcharge. Manufacturers must provide a test summary, and airlines and customs can ask for it.
Can I ship mobile phones by air from India?+
Yes. Phones with batteries inside are UN3481 under PI 967, usually Section II. YAM is Mumbai airport’s #1 customs broker for mobile phone exports and handles the paperwork, labels and airline acceptance every day.
Are courier and passenger rules the same?+
No. This checker covers air cargo under the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations. Courier companies and passenger baggage have their own, often stricter, rules.