Small Business

Understanding the TSA's New Battery Rules

By Rick Broida

Updated on: January 3, 2008 / 3:00 PM EST / MoneyWatch

Happy new year, frequent flyers! When the ball dropped three days ago, new TSA rules went into effect regarding spare batteries -- the kind smart travelers bring along for their phones, notebooks, etc. Here's a summary from SafeTravel.gov:

Spare batteries are the batteries you carry separately from the devices they power. When batteries are installed in a device, they are not considered spare batteries.
You may not pack a spare lithium battery in your checked baggage
You may bring spare lithium batteries with you in carry-on baggage â€" see our spare battery tips and how-to sections to find out how to pack spare batteries safely!

Head to SafeTravel's site for a complete list of the new battery rules. And make sure to familiarize yourself with them before heading to the airport, otherwise you could wind up having to surrender some costly spares! [via View from the Wing]