Laptops, phones, tablets, cameras, electric toothbrushes, smartwatches, wireless earbuds. Almost every gadget in your house runs on a lithium battery, and carriers treat those batteries as hazardous materials. That does not mean you cannot ship them. It means the rules depend on how the battery is packed, whether the device is new or used, and where it is going. Customers bring electronics to our Notary Newport Beach shipping counter every week, and these are the rules that trip people up most.
Why are lithium batteries regulated in shipping?
Lithium batteries can overheat and catch fire if they are damaged, crushed or short-circuited, and a fire is hard to put out inside a cargo plane. Federal hazardous materials rules and international aviation standards set limits on how they travel, and USPS publishes its version in Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail.
UPS and FedEx follow the same underlying regulations, with their own service-specific rules on top.
Can you mail a laptop or phone within the U.S.?
Yes. Under USPS rules, a lithium-ion battery installed in the device it powers, or packed in the same box with that device, can be mailed domestically by air or ground. Each cell must be rated at 20 watt-hours (Wh) or less, and each battery at 100 Wh or less.
A watt-hour is a measure of how much energy a battery stores. Most phones, tablets and laptops fall well under 100 Wh. The rating is usually printed on the battery or the charger label. If it only shows milliamp-hours (mAh) and volts, multiply the two and divide by 1,000. A 5,000 mAh battery at 3.85 volts works out to about 19 Wh.
Does it matter if the device is used?
Yes, and this is the rule most people miss. USPS prohibits used, damaged or defective electronic devices with lithium batteries from domestic air transportation. A secondhand phone you sold online, or a laptop you are sending in for repair, generally has to travel by ground, such as USPS Ground Advantage, rather than Priority Mail or Priority Mail Express.
Damaged, defective or recalled batteries are prohibited from the mail altogether unless USPS grants special approval. A battery that is swollen, cracked, leaking or noticeably hot counts as damaged. Do not ship it. Take it to a battery recycling drop-off instead.
What about spare batteries and power banks?
Spare lithium batteries shipped on their own face much stricter rules than batteries inside a device. Power banks, camera batteries and loose laptop batteries are sometimes limited to ground transportation or require special markings, and certain types cannot be mailed by individuals at all.
Ship the battery installed in its device when you can. If it has to travel separately, ask before you pack.
Can you ship electronics internationally?
Only with tight limits. For international mail and military APO, FPO and DPO addresses, USPS allows lithium batteries only when they are installed in the equipment they operate. Each package can hold no more than four cells or two batteries. Batteries packed loose in the box with the device, or sent separately, are prohibited.
USPS also bars used, damaged or defective devices with lithium batteries from international mail, with exceptions for devices that are new in original packaging or manufacturer-certified as new or refurbished.
How should you pack a laptop or phone?
The goal is to prevent crushing, movement and accidental power-on. Turn the device completely off, not in sleep mode, and make sure buttons cannot be pressed during transit.
The original box with its fitted inserts is the best container. Without it, wrap the device in bubble wrap and place it in a sturdy box with at least two inches of cushioning on every side. Pack the charger and cables in a separate bag so they cannot scratch the screen.
What should you do before shipping a device?
Back up your data, then sign out of your accounts. Turn off activation locks such as Find My on Apple devices or Factory Reset Protection on Android, especially if the device is sold or going in for repair. Remove the SIM card and any memory cards. Photograph the device and its serial number for your records.
How does a Notary Newport Beach shipping counter help with electronics?
We check the battery type, choose a carrier and service that can legally carry it, apply any required markings, and pack the device to survive the trip. We can also help you declare its value.
Ship your device the right way
New devices with installed batteries can usually go by any domestic service. Used devices generally have to go by ground. International shipments are limited to installed batteries, four cells or two batteries per box, and damaged batteries cannot be mailed at all. Bring your laptop, phone or other electronics to our Notary Newport Beach location at 2618 San Miguel Drive, and we will pack it and send it by a route that follows the rules.
