What certificates does a household cordless vacuum need to enter the US?

For a household cordless vacuum, the things you must have are: UN38.3 battery test summary; Lithium battery package mark; Country of origin marking.

The things you must have

• UN38.3 battery test summary

  Ask your factory for its test summary; you'll keep it with the battery model's records.

• Lithium battery package mark

  Your factory marks the battery packaging; you'll ask for photos before shipping.

• Country of origin marking

  Your factory supplies English markings.

How many requirements are in the checklist?

The full checklist has 6 items: 2 apply to every product in this category, 4 apply only in some situations, and 0 are notes rather than steps.

Laboratory tests and their conditions

All eight UN38.3 tests; UL 2056

Ask for the reports below when their stated uses apply to your product.

• UN38.3 test summary

  Required for this category

• UL/ETL certification from a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL)

  Amazon requires power banks to meet one of three testing combinations (UL 2056 and others; secondary source).

• 49 CFR 173.185: batteries must pass UN38.3.

  Required for this category

• Air transport: batteries shipped separately are banned from passenger aircraft; on cargo aircraft, charge is limited to 30%.

  Applies only if: batteries are shipped separately by air.

• IATA: from 2026-01-01, batteries packed with equipment must also be at ≤30% charge.

  Applies only if: batteries are shipped by air packed with equipment, from 2026-01-01.

• Travelers must carry power banks in carry-on baggage only. ≤100Wh needs no approval; 101–160Wh needs airline approval; >160Wh is banned from baggage.

  Applies only if: a traveler is carrying a power bank.

What to look at for this product

If your household cordless vacuum has a lithium battery installed, ask your factory for the battery transport test summary for the installed pack.

If your vacuum will be shipped with its battery, check the lithium battery marking on the shipping package with the supplier.

If your vacuum's battery ships separately by air, ask the carrier to confirm that its booking excludes passenger aircraft and follows the standalone battery restrictions.

If your vacuum's battery is packed with the equipment for air shipment, ask the shipper which charge restriction applies to that equipment package.

If your vacuum is supplied with transport testing records, request the test results for the battery design in the finished vacuum.

If your vacuum's battery travels alone as air cargo, ask the shipper which charge limit applies to that standalone battery shipment.

Labels and state rules

Lithium battery mark on packaging (173.185(c))

SB 1215 (fee rate 1.5%, capped at $15, according to industry sources)

How this page was prepared

This page matches a product name to the rule library. We haven't inspected the physical product, and this isn't legal advice.