How to ship products with lithium batteries (UN3481, ground only, GOFO)

Most products with a lithium battery inside can ship by ground with USPS, UPS, FedEx and GOFO, and no hazmat contract is needed. The battery has to be 100 Wh or less, the box needs the lithium battery mark in most cases, and the package stays under 66 lb. Batteries shipped on their own are the hard case. USPS takes them by ground only, and UPS and FedEx want full hazmat paperwork for air.

The four UN numbers, and which one you are shipping

Every lithium shipment falls under one of four codes. UN3481 is a lithium-ion battery installed in or packed with a product. UN3480 is a lithium-ion battery shipped by itself. UN3091 and UN3090 are the same two cases for lithium metal, the non-rechargeable type in watches and key fobs. The codes come from 49 CFR 173.185 and appear in USPS Publication 52, section 349.

Almost every ecommerce product is UN3481: an earbud case, a heated vest, a massage gun, a rechargeable toy. Carriers treat UN3481 gently and UN3480 strictly. A spare battery pack sold on its own is UN3480 even when the main product is UN3481.

The small-battery exception that makes ground easy

Paragraph (c) of 49 CFR 173.185 is where most sellers live. A lithium-ion cell at 20 Wh or less, or a battery at 100 Wh or less, counts as small. For lithium metal the limits are 1 g of lithium per cell and 2 g per battery. The Wh rating must be printed on the battery case. A small battery needs no shipping papers by ground, no Class 9 label and no hazmat account.

Three conditions still apply. Each battery goes in inner packaging that fully encloses it, inside a strong rigid outer box, and the package has to survive a 1.2 meter drop. Each package stays at or under 30 kg (66 lb) gross unless the batteries are packed with or installed in equipment. And the outer box carries the lithium battery mark, the hatched square with the battery pictogram and the UN number, at least 100 mm by 100 mm, or 100 mm by 70 mm on a small box. The phone number on the mark is no longer required, and the older version with a number can be used through December 31, 2026.

The mark has one useful exception. If a consignment is two packages or fewer, and each package holds no more than four cells or two batteries installed in the product, no mark is needed. A single earbud order qualifies. A pallet of them does not.

Ground also has a medium tier with no air equivalent. By highway or rail only, a cell can go up to 60 Wh and a battery up to 300 Wh, with the package marked "LITHIUM BATTERIES, FORBIDDEN FOR TRANSPORT ABOARD AIRCRAFT AND VESSEL." That is how a power tool pack moves without becoming a fully regulated shipment.

Why air is the problem

Lithium-ion batteries shipped alone by air are capped at 30% state of charge under both FedEx and UPS rules. UPS does not accept UN3480 or UN3090 under the small-battery exception for air at all; they move only as fully regulated dangerous goods with a shipper's declaration. For batteries in equipment by air, a package may hold only the cells needed to run the device plus two spare sets, up to 5 kg net, and the packer needs documented training.

Ground avoids all of that. Within the lower 48, USPS Ground Advantage, UPS Ground, FedEx Ground and GOFO move by truck. UPS calls Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico air-only locations, so a battery shipped alone to those addresses gets the air treatment or does not ship.

Carrier by carrier

Carrier	Battery in or packed with the product (UN3481)	Battery shipped alone (UN3480)	Paperwork
USPS	Air and ground. 8 cells or 2 batteries per package. Very small batteries at 2.7 Wh or less have no count limit.	Ground Advantage only. Original sealed packaging, 5 lb cap, "Surface Mail Only" marking.	Markings only. No international mail except small batteries installed in the device.
UPS	Ground under the small-battery exception, no hazmat contract. Air under IATA Section II limits.	Ground as a small or medium battery. Air only as fully regulated.	Shipper's declaration and a UPS agreement for fully regulated. Hazmat Support Center 1-800-554-9964.
FedEx	FedEx Ground under the small-battery exception. Express under Section II; FedEx Office counters accept Section II drop-offs.	Ground as small or medium. Express as Section IB or IA with a signed declaration.	Pre-approved hazmat shipper for fully regulated. No recalled or defective batteries at all.
GOFO	Lithium-ion accepted. Parcel 1 to 5 business days, 20 lb and 23.6 inches max. Ground for bulky items to 150 lb.	No published rule. Confirm before the first run.	None published. 47 states and 12,000+ ZIP codes.

Two details worth knowing. USPS marks a lithium-ion battery alone "Surface Mail Only, Lithium-ion Batteries, Forbidden for Transportation Aboard Passenger Aircraft," and used or damaged electronics get "Restricted Electronic Device" plus "Surface Transportation Only." The FedEx Ground guide (January 2024) repeats the 66 lb cap and the four-cell, two-battery mark exception. UPS takes used phones by ground and air when the device is off and the battery reads 30% or less, per its battery page, and damaged or recalled batteries only under a DOT special permit and a UPS agreement, by ground, in the lower 48.

Where GOFO fits

Many regional carriers refuse lithium shipments. GOFO's carrier listing on EasyPost says the opposite: "Lithium-ion accepted" and "Electronics and battery-powered goods welcome." GOFO Parcel runs 1 to 5 business days for boxes up to 20 lb and 23.6 inches on the longest side, across 47 states and more than 12,000 ZIP codes, with New York and New Jersey among its 13 origin states. GOFO opened a Newark hub of more than 400,000 square feet in October 2025, per FreightWaves, which puts the Northeast one truck ride from Brooklyn. GOFO publishes no rule for standalone packs, so UN3480 orders get confirmed with the carrier first. We cover GOFO and the other regionals in our carriers guide, and the GOFO page has the service limits.

Five checks before the first battery order ships

1. Read the Wh rating on the battery case. 100 Wh or less per battery and 20 Wh or less per cell is the small tier.
2. Pick the UN number: UN3481 in or with the product, UN3480 on its own.
3. Inner packaging around each battery, device switched off, rigid outer box, 66 lb gross or less.
4. Lithium battery mark with the UN number on one face of the box, unless the order is two packages or fewer with four cells or two batteries each.
5. Ground service in the lower 48. If a lane has to fly, a battery alone needs 30% charge or less and the packer needs training on record.

What we ask of a brand with battery SKUs

Tell us which SKUs contain a battery, the Wh rating on the case, and whether any item ships as a bare pack. With that on file, battery orders stay on ground services and the lithium battery mark goes on the box. Rate shopping across 12+ carriers then picks the cheapest ground label that meets the delivery date, and orders in by the 3:30pm ET cutoff ship the same day from 905 Remsen Avenue. For the USPS side of your catalog, Ground Advantage vs Priority Mail has the decision rule, and the carrier roster lists every service we price.