Lithium battery courier — UN3480, UN3481 and the rest
Lithium batteries are Class 9 dangerous goods. The UN number depends on chemistry and packing: UN3480 for lithium ion cells shipped alone, UN3481 for lithium ion contained in or packed with equipment, UN3090 and UN3091 for the lithium metal equivalents. Small cells meeting the conditions of Special Provision 188 travel under a lighter regime; damaged, defective or recalled batteries are treated far more strictly and need specific arrangements.
Getting the UN number right matters more than anything else
Almost every problem with a lithium battery consignment traces back to the wrong UN number. Shipping a battery packed with equipment as though it were a loose cell, or the reverse, changes the packaging, the marking and sometimes whether the load is carriable at all.
Four numbers cover most road movements:
- UN3480 — lithium ion batteries and cells shipped on their own.
- UN3481 — lithium ion batteries contained in equipment, or packed with equipment.
- UN3090 — lithium metal batteries and cells shipped on their own.
- UN3091 — lithium metal batteries contained in or packed with equipment.
Damaged, defective and recalled batteries
A battery that has been dropped, has swollen, is leaking, has been in a fire or is subject to a safety recall is not an ordinary Class 9 consignment. These carry their own provisions and specific packaging requirements, and a carrier that treats them as standard stock is taking a real risk with a real fire load.
Tell us up front if any part of the consignment is damaged or recalled. It changes the vehicle, the packaging and the route, and it is not something to discover at the collection point.
What to have ready
The UN number, whether the cells are ion or metal, whether they are loose or in equipment, the watt-hour rating or lithium content, the number of packages, and whether anything is damaged or recalled.
This page explains the framework; it is not a compliance opinion on your consignment. Send us the UN number, the packing group and the weight or volume per package and we will tell you in writing which route it travels under.
What X-Eagle will carry
We carry dangerous goods that fall under Limited Quantity, Excepted Quantity or the ADR 1.1.3.6 threshold today. For a placarded full-ADR load we will tell you so and help you find a carrier who holds the certificate, rather than take the job and work it out later.
Common questions
What UN number is a lithium ion battery?
UN3480 when the cells or batteries are shipped on their own, and UN3481 when they are contained in equipment or packed with equipment. Lithium metal batteries are UN3090 and UN3091 respectively.
Can lithium batteries go on a normal van?
Often yes. Many lithium battery consignments fall under provisions that do not require a placarded ADR vehicle, particularly smaller cells shipped in equipment. The answer depends on the UN number, the watt-hour rating and the quantity, so it needs checking against the actual consignment rather than assumed.
How do you carry damaged or recalled lithium batteries?
Damaged, defective and recalled batteries fall under separate provisions with their own packaging requirements and are not carried as ordinary Class 9 goods. Tell us before collection so the right packaging and vehicle are arranged.
Is there a state of charge limit?
Road carriage under ADR does not impose the 30% state-of-charge limit that applies to air freight, but shippers often apply it as good practice. If your consignment is also moving by air at some point, plan to the air requirement.
Send us the UN number and we will tell you how it travels
The UN number, the packing group and the quantity per package settle it in one call. We will put the answer in writing before anything is collected.