Lithium Battery Shipping: 49 CFR,
IATA DGR and IMDG Code Compliance

Yes. While these power cells provide energy to everyday conveniences ranging from vape pens and cellphones to electric vehicles, they pose major safety risks. Worn or damaged units may leak corrosive chemicals, spark fires or even explode.

Because of the potential for major health risks and catastrophic damage, lithium and sodium ion batteries are classified as Class 9 — Miscellaneous Dangerous Goods by the UN Model Regulations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods. The U.S. government adopts the same definitions under Section 173.2 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

Multiple organizations create and enforce regulations for lithium-based power cells. This course covers all major standards for multimodal transportation via planes, trucks, trains and ships.

Major regulatory bodies and standards include:

• The U.S. Department of Transportation — The DOT defines and enforces major rules for all carriers in the United States. Rules found in 49 CFR apply across land, air and sea. Federal laws may be enforced by subsidiary agencies, such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) or the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
• The International Air Transport Association — This airline trade group represents most of the world's airlines and air traffic. The association publishes aviation best practices, including HAZMAT standards, in manuals like the ICAO Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air and the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR).
• The International Maritime Organization — As part of the United Nations, this agency upholds international rules for naval travel and commerce, including rules for transporting DGs across the ocean by ship. The IMO created the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code. The IMDG Code is included in both the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL).

If you are shipping within the United States, you will focus primarily on the standards found in 49 CFR. International air transport or international maritime transport are governed by IATA and IMO, respectively.

Dangerous goods standards don't just apply while batteries are in the back of a truck or on the hold of a ship. These high-risk devices are under strict scrutiny at every step along the way from sender to receiver.

Rules apply to:

• UN-recognized classification numbers for equipment types
• Compliant packaging materials
• Container markings, labels and placards
• Documentation and shipping forms
• Every mode of transport used
• Safe storage facilities and handling practices
• Batteries sold as separate products vs. integrated inside electronic devices
• Journeys involving multiple stages, customers or SKUs
• And more

This course covers every stage of this complex regulatory ecosystem for total end-to-end compliance.

Your Certificate of Completion doesn't expire. However, due to the intricate and rapidly changing nature of battery shipping standards, you should repeat this course every two years to refresh your knowledge of international modal rules and best safety practices for handling battery-powered products.

This course discusses a variety of important topics for transportation by aircraft, ground vehicles and seagoing vessels. To cover all major topics, you will spend approximately six hours studying relevant hazardous materials regulations.

You can complete this course in approximately six hours of study. You will complete 10 lesson modules full of high-quality instruction, full-color images, interactive activities and audio narration before passing a brief final exam.

After you complete all lessons and pass the final exam, you can instantly download your digital Certificate of Completion. You may save and print this document as many times as you like.

Your certificate demonstrates your knowledge of the highest safety standards applicable to the shipment of all major classes of lithium batteries.

While this course examines rules and standards set forth by IATA, DOT and IMO, these bodies do not review, approve or accredit any training programs. These lessons help employees prepare and ship hazardous lithium batteries according to all relevant regulations. But there is no such thing as a DOT-approved or IATA-approved lithium power cell program.

Lithium battery shipping regulators, including DOT, IATA and IMO, do not endorse or approve any training programs for regulated power cells.

This course is designed for professionals who frequently handle or ship regulated lithium cells, batteries or devices that contain them. That includes a broad range of careers, from designated HAZMAT shippers to logistics compliance managers.

However, if you only work with these items from time to time, or you only ship batteries that qualify for exceptions from these rules, you may be interested in a basic, awareness-level safety training course instead. This primer walks students through foundational concepts and technical basics designed to protect workers from common lithium battery hazards and legal liability.

The course takes approximately two hours to complete.

Yes. You can enroll multiple employees across worksites, job descriptions and transportation roles for a simple, end-to-end transportation compliance solution. Assign training and track progress with our admin dashboard.

We offer bulk discounts, 100% online instruction, instant certificate downloads and renewal tracking across our entire course catalog.