Camera batteries on a plane: carry-on rules and watt-hour limits

Spare camera batteries go in your carry-on bag, never in a checked suitcase, and each one needs its terminals covered. The FAA and TSA in the United States, IATA for airlines worldwide, EASA in Europe, the UK Civil Aviation Authority and Japan's transport ministry all keep spares out of the hold. They part ways on how many batteries you may carry and on what happens above 100 watt-hours. The same rules cover drone and flash batteries, and film has a line of its own at US checkpoints. Power banks have separate, tighter rules, which are set out in the guide to travel routers and power banks. More on flying with photo kit is in the camera gear guides, part of the gear section.

Sort your kit into two piles before you pack. The first pile is every battery that is not inside a device: spare camera batteries, drone flight batteries, loose lithium cells for a flash. Aviation rules call these spare or uninstalled batteries, and every one of them travels in the cabin. The second pile is devices with a battery fitted, such as the camera body. Those are allowed in either bag, with conditions for the hold.

The FAA sets this out on its PackSafe page for lithium batteries, which names spare batteries for cameras among the items covered. TSA repeats the same limits in its entry for lithium batteries.

EASA's wording is on its dangerous goods page for passengers. The reason is practical. IATA's battery page for travelers explains that if a lithium battery overheats in the cargo hold, the crew cannot identify and extinguish it, while in the cabin they can act immediately.

A camera with its battery installed gets more room.

That is the FAA's entry for portable electronic devices containing batteries. IATA's passenger guidance adds that switched off means fully off: sleep and hibernation modes do not count. EASA advises against packing a device in checked baggage at all. A camera body in the hold should therefore be off and padded so that nothing can press the power button.

One situation catches people at the aircraft door. When a full flight sends cabin bags to the hold at the gate, the FAA says all spare lithium batteries must be taken out of the bag and kept with the passenger in the cabin. Keep the spares in one pouch near the top of the bag so you can lift them out in seconds. The guide to carry-on bags for budget airlines covers bag sizes and gate fees.

Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are regulated by the energy they hold, measured in watt-hours (Wh). Three bands matter. Up to 100 Wh, a battery flies without any approval. Over 100 Wh and up to 160 Wh, you need the airline's approval before you fly, and the number is capped at two. Above 160 Wh, a passenger cannot carry the battery at all.

Those figures are in Table 1 of IATA's guidance for passengers traveling with lithium batteries, revised for the 2026 regulations and dated 31 March 2026. The FAA says the 100 Wh limit allows for nearly all the lithium batteries an average person uses in electronic devices. It describes the middle band as covering some larger batteries used in professional audio and video equipment. IATA's examples of batteries over 100 Wh are those used in larger cameras, drones and power tools.

To find the number, look for "Wh" printed on the battery. IATA states that all lithium-ion batteries are required to have the watt-hour rating marked on the outside of the case. If yours shows only volts and milliamp hours, the FAA gives the formula: divide the mAh by 1,000 to get amp hours, then multiply by the voltage. A battery marked 7.2 V and 2,000 mAh works out to 14.4 Wh. The FAA's own example is a 12 V battery rated at 8 Ah, which is 96 Wh. Its airline passengers and batteries page has the full table.

The marking matters at the airport. IATA's guidance says that if staff cannot verify the watt-hour rating from the battery or the user documentation, the airline may refuse to carry the battery or the device. An old battery whose print has rubbed off is a risk for that reason. Bring the page of the manual that states the rating, or leave that battery at home.

Non-rechargeable lithium metal batteries are measured differently. The FAA describes them as the type used in small consumer electronics such as cameras, flashlights and watches. The limit is 2 grams of lithium per battery, and spares follow the same cabin-only rule.

A short circuit happens when a battery's terminals touch metal: keys, coins, a tripod plate, another battery. The FAA lists the accepted ways to prevent it. Leave batteries in their retail packaging, cover the terminals with tape, use a battery case, use a battery sleeve in a camera bag, or put each one snugly in a plastic bag or protective pouch. IATA asks for the same thing, with each battery in a separate bag or pouch. If your battery came with a plastic terminal cap, keep it on.

Charge level is the second decision. IATA's guidance says airlines prefer spare batteries to be at less than 25% charge, and it advises against last-minute recharging: if you do charge a battery, let it cool before you pack it. IATA presents that as the airlines' preference, so for small batteries the trade-off is yours. Low batteries are the cautious choice, and they mean charging at the hotel before your first morning of shooting. For batteries in the 100 to 160 Wh band, IATA says an airline may make a low state of charge a condition of its approval.

Check each battery's condition before you pack it. The FAA says damaged or recalled batteries must not be carried aboard an aircraft unless the battery has been removed or otherwise made safe. IATA's advice to travelers is the same: a swollen, punctured or damaged battery stays home, and you replace it before the trip.

Take only what you will use. The first of IATA's seven rules for lithium batteries is to bring only the devices and batteries you need, and the FAA's allowance covers batteries for the passenger's own use. Batteries carried for sale or distribution are prohibited.

The first difference is the number of small spares. The FAA sets no quantity limit for batteries of up to 100 Wh, as long as they are for personal use. IATA's 2026 guidance sets a default of 20 spare batteries of any type per person, and 15 devices, with more only if the airline approves. A photographer flying with 24 small batteries is inside the FAA's rule and over IATA's default, so the airline decides. The FAA says as much itself: many airlines have stricter quantity limits, and passengers should check with the carrier before traveling.

The second difference is how the two larger batteries are counted. The FAA allows two spares of 101 to 160 Wh per person with airline approval. IATA's table words its cap as two spare batteries per device. The UK and Japan each have their own text.

The UK table is on the Civil Aviation Authority's page on what to pack. It also says that a device in checked baggage must be completely switched off when its battery is larger than 2.7 Wh.

Japan's rule is in the ministry's English list of dangerous goods examples, last updated 24 April 2026. The pooled count is the part that differs: one large camera battery and one large power bank already make two. The same list warns that airlines may add rules and that other countries may have further restrictions on international flights.

The third difference is the camera in the hold. TSA lists digital cameras as allowed in both carry-on and checked bags. EASA allows a device in checked baggage but does not recommend it. IATA's traveler page tells passengers to keep lithium-powered devices in hand baggage, while its guidance document permits a switched-off device in the hold. Follow the strictest reading and keep the camera with you. On a route with two airlines, read both carriers' battery pages: the FAA, IATA and Japan's ministry each say the airline has the final word.

Drone flight batteries follow the same rules as camera batteries. IATA says drones and cameras with installed batteries can go in hand luggage, spare batteries must be protected and carried in hand baggage, and a drone that uses batteries over 100 Wh needs the airline's approval. TSA's entry for drones says they are allowed through the checkpoint and tells passengers to check the airline's policy before traveling. The rules for flying the drone at your destination are a separate question, covered in traveling with a drone.

Ordinary cells are easier. The FAA's battery table allows dry alkaline batteries (most AA, AAA, C, D and button cells) and dry rechargeable types such as nickel metal hydride in both carry-on and checked baggage, provided they are protected from damage and short circuit. A set of rechargeable AAs for a flash can therefore go in the suitcase. Lithium AAs cannot: they are lithium metal batteries, so spares stay in the cabin.

Film has no battery rule, but it shares the same bag and the same checkpoint.

That is the whole of TSA's film entry, which the page shows as last updated on 4 May 2017. It gives no film speed threshold, and it notes that the final decision on whether an item is allowed through the checkpoint rests with the TSA officer.

The EASA, UK Civil Aviation Authority and GOV.UK pages used for this guide do not mention film, so there is no official text to point to at a European or British checkpoint. The practical approach is the one TSA describes. Keep every roll, and any camera with a roll loaded, in your cabin bag. Put the film in a clear bag at the top so you can hand it over quickly if you ask for a hand inspection, and allow extra time at security for the request.

In the United States, TSA lists digital cameras as allowed in carry-on and checked bags. In standard lanes, its screening page says passengers will be asked to remove personal electronic devices larger than a cell phone from the bag and place them in a bin with nothing on or under them. The examples TSA gives are laptops, tablets, e-readers and handheld game consoles, and it adds that officers may ask travelers to separate other items that clutter the X-ray image. Pack the camera body where you can lift it out without unpacking the lenses.

The UK adds a rule that affects how you charge.

The rule is on GOV.UK's page on electronic devices in hand luggage. The same page says you can usually take camera equipment in hand and hold luggage, and that there might be restrictions on specialist equipment such as professional video cameras. Read together with IATA's preference for low spares, the packing order is clear: one charged battery in the camera, and the spares at a lower charge in their cases.

IATA also tells passengers with an unusual amount of electronic equipment to be prepared for extended security checks. If you carry two bodies, several lenses and a drone, plan for that at the airport and do not book a tight connection around it.

Four habits break the rules above. The first is putting spares in the suitcase to save cabin space, which every regulator here prohibits. The second is forgetting the spares inside a cabin bag that is taken at the gate. The third is dropping a loose battery into a pocket or pouch with keys and coins, when the FAA requires that terminals do not come in contact with other metal. The fourth is carrying a battery with an unreadable label, which staff cannot verify.

Large batteries have one more trap, which is asking for approval at check-in. IATA recommends contacting the airline well in advance. It lists what the airline will want to know: the watt-hour rating, the number of batteries and whether each battery is removable. It also notes that the airline can refuse approval when that information is inadequate. Write those three facts down for each battery over 100 Wh before you call or fill in the airline's form.