Lithium Battery UN3480 vs UN3481: What's the Difference?

Why the Distinction Matters

If you ship lithium ion batteries, you've almost certainly encountered both UN3480 and UN3481 in the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations. Using the wrong UN number on your Shipper's Declaration is one of the most common DG documentation errors — and it leads to immediate shipment rejection at the cargo terminal.

The distinction is simple once you understand it, but it has significant consequences for packing instructions, quantity limits, and airline acceptance.

The Core Difference at a Glance

Feature	UN3480	UN3481
Proper Shipping Name	Lithium ion batteries	Lithium ion batteries contained in equipment or Lithium ion batteries packed with equipment
Batteries standalone?	Yes — batteries shipped alone	No — batteries shipped with/in equipment
Primary Packing Instruction (Cargo)	PI 965	PI 966 (in equipment) / PI 967 (with equipment)
State of Charge (SoC) Limit	Maximum 30% SoC	No SoC limit (but ≤30% recommended for Section IB)
Watt-hour limit per cell	≤20 Wh (Section II) / >20 Wh (Section I)	≤20 Wh (Section II) / >20 Wh (Section I)
Passenger aircraft allowed?	Prohibited (Section IB) / Section II: Yes	Section II: Yes (in/with equipment)

Understanding "Contained In" vs "Packed With"

This is where many shippers get confused. Under UN3481:

"Contained in equipment" (PI 966) means the battery is already installed inside the device — e.g., a laptop with its battery in the laptop, a phone with its battery fitted, a power tool with its battery inserted.
"Packed with equipment" (PI 967) means the battery is shipped separately in the same outer packaging as the device but not installed — e.g., a laptop in one box and a spare battery for that laptop in the same outer carton.

UN3480 covers standalone batteries — spare batteries shipped without any associated device. Power banks, replacement laptop batteries, spare EV battery modules — all UN3480.

Quick Test: If you're shipping a phone in its box — UN3481 (PI 966, contained in equipment). If you're shipping 50 replacement phone batteries with no phone — UN3480 (PI 965). If you're shipping a laptop with a spare battery pack in the same box — UN3481 (PI 967, packed with equipment).

Packing Instructions Side by Side

PI 965 (UN3480 — Standalone Batteries)

Section IA: Large lithium ion batteries (>100 Wh per cell or >300 Wh per battery) — Cargo aircraft only, full DGD required
Section IB: Lithium ion batteries ≤100 Wh per cell, ≤300 Wh per battery with SoC ≤30% — Cargo aircraft only, DGD required
Section II: Lithium ion cells ≤20 Wh, batteries ≤100 Wh, SoC ≤30% — Passenger and cargo aircraft permitted, limited to 2 packages per consignment

PI 966 (UN3481 — Batteries in Equipment)

Section I: Batteries >100 Wh — Cargo aircraft only, DGD required
Section II: Batteries ≤100 Wh — Passenger and cargo aircraft permitted, no quantity limit per consignment

PI 967 (UN3481 — Batteries with Equipment)

Section I: Batteries >100 Wh — Cargo aircraft only, DGD required
Section II: Batteries ≤100 Wh — Passenger and cargo aircraft permitted, max 2 packages per consignment

The 30% State of Charge Rule

For standalone lithium ion batteries (UN3480) shipped under Section IB and Section II, IATA DGR 2026 requires the batteries be at a maximum of 30% of their rated capacity. This rule exists to reduce thermal runaway risk during air transport. The shipper must certify compliance with this limit on the DGD.

For UN3481 (in or with equipment), the SoC restriction does not apply under Section II, though best practice is to keep devices below 30% for long-haul cargo.

2026 Update: IATA DGR 66th Edition (effective January 1, 2026) tightened SoC requirements and clarified that power banks are classified as UN3480, not UN3481, regardless of whether they are "portable chargers." Ensure your team is trained to 2026 DGR, not the 2024 edition.

Lithium Metal vs Lithium Ion — Don't Confuse Them

UN3480 and UN3481 are for lithium ion (rechargeable) batteries. Lithium metal batteries (non-rechargeable, like coin cells and cameras) use different UN numbers:

UN3090 — Lithium metal batteries (standalone)
UN3091 — Lithium metal batteries in/with equipment

Confusing lithium ion with lithium metal on a DGD is a serious error. The packing instructions, quantity limits, and aircraft permissions differ significantly.

Which UN Number Do You Need?

Spare laptop battery (no laptop): UN3480
Laptop with battery installed: UN3481
Power bank: UN3480
Phone in original box: UN3481
EV battery module (standalone): UN3480
Drone with battery installed: UN3481
Replacement drone battery (no drone): UN3480

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