Can you mail loose lithium batteries by USPS?
Only batteries in their original sealed packaging, by ground (Ground Advantage), in a package of 5 lb or less with the DOT lithium battery mark and the "Surface Mail Only ... Forbidden for Transportation Aboard Passenger Aircraft" text.
A loose used spare doesn't meet the sealed-packaging rule on its own. It can travel packed with the device it powers, two batteries or eight cells at most, under the used-device rules (used electronics).
Rates verified on
Postage in the examples is from Notice 123 effective Oct 4, 2026, which includes USPS's temporary holiday prices for Ground Advantage and Priority Mail until 12 a.m. CT Jan 17, 2027. The fees quoted here are the same as in the July 12, 2026 edition, before the holiday prices began.
The rule, in USPS's words
“Original Packaging: Lithium-ion cells and batteries must be in their sealed packaging.”
“Weight Limit: The mailpiece must not exceed 5 pounds.”
“Surface Mail Only, Lithium-ion Batteries - Forbidden for Transportation Aboard Passenger Aircraft.”
“Original Packaging: Lithium metal cells and batteries must be mailed in the sealed packaging.”
“Watt-Hour Rating per Battery: Batteries must not exceed a 100 Wh rating.”
“individual lithium metal (or lithium alloy) and lithium-ion (or lithium polymer) batteries (without equipment) are mailable in limited quantities via surface transportation only, provided the batteries are in the originally sealed packaging”
What it costs, with examples
| What you're selling | Mailable? | How |
|---|---|---|
| New camera battery in its sealed retail pack | yes, ground only | Ground Advantage, 5 lb or less, DOT mark with UN3480, "Surface Mail Only, Lithium-ion Batteries - Forbidden for Transportation Aboard Passenger Aircraft" |
| Used camera battery, loose | not on its own | pack it with the camera (2 batteries at most) under the used-device rules |
| Sealed pack of lithium coin cells (lithium metal) | yes, ground only | 5 lb or less, DOT mark with UN3090 and the "Primary Lithium Batteries" or "Lithium Metal Batteries" text |
| Lithium-ion battery rated over 100 Wh | no | over the 100 Wh limit |
| Lithium-ion battery with no Wh marking | no | each lithium-ion battery must show its Wh rating |
| Spare batteries to an APO/FPO/DPO or another country | no | only batteries installed in equipment can go |
| Label | Postage | HAZMAT Handling Fee | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground Advantage, online | $8.24 | $0.00 | $8.24 |
| Priority Mail | not allowed (batteries without equipment are surface only) |
Edge cases
- Cells or batteries: a single-cell battery counts as a cell, so the packed-with-equipment limit is 8 cells or 2 batteries, not both (Publication 52, 349.2 and its table notes).
- Alaska: lithium-ion batteries without equipment may fly only when mailed from and to addresses within Alaska, up to 8 cells or 2 batteries (Publication 52, 349.244).
- Several to one buyer: packages in a consignment of more than two items need the DOT lithium battery markings (Publication 52, 349.221).
- Damaged, defective or recalled batteries are prohibited unless the USPS Product Classification director approves (Publication 52, 349.6).
- Declare it: say the package holds hazmat when you make the label; undeclared hazmat on an online label can draw the $50.00 fee (hazmat fees).
What to do
- Sell used spare batteries together with the device, inside the device's package.
- Keep new spares in their sealed retail packaging and ship them alone by Ground Advantage with both markings.
- Check the Wh rating printed on the battery before listing it.
Questions
Can you ship lithium batteries through USPS?
Yes, domestically: installed in or packed with the device, or alone in their original sealed packaging by ground only, within the Publication 52 limits (Publication 52, 349).
Can I mail a used spare battery by itself?
Not under Publication 52's rules for batteries without equipment, which require their sealed packaging (349.234, 349.244). Pack it with the device instead.
Sources
Rates verified on from each official page below.
- USPS Notice 123, Price List (effective Oct 4, 2026)
- USPS Publication 52, 327: transportation requirements (air and surface)
- USPS Publication 52, 349: lithium batteries and other Class 9 materials
- USPS Publication 52, Packaging Instruction 9D: lithium batteries, domestic
- USPS Publication 52, Packaging Instruction 9E: lithium batteries, international and APO/FPO/DPO
Free 1-page Reseller Cheat Sheet: fees on 8 platforms, Media Mail and stamp prices
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