United Kingdom (GB) - Batteries and power banks
UKCA and compliance requirements for batteries and power banks
Standalone batteries and portable charging products. The EU Battery Regulation is the anchor requirement, with EMC/RoHS/WEEE covering the device electronics around the cells.
For example: USB power bank, replacement laptop battery, rechargeable AA cells, solar power bank.
Batteries themselves are excluded from RoHS (their substances are governed by the Battery Regulation), but a power bank's charging electronics are EEE and stay in RoHS/EMC/WEEE scope; very simple packs without digital circuitry may fall outside FCC Part 15 — verify. UN 38.3 transport testing is effectively mandatory for shipping lithium cells and is beyond this dataset. UK: the Batteries and Accumulators (Placing on the Market) Regulations 2008 impose UK-specific battery duties not carried as a separate id here — verify. US: products containing button or coin cells must meet the CPSC's Reese's Law rule (16 CFR part 1263, performance and labelling per ANSI/UL 4200A) — enforced under the CPSA umbrella. EU Battery Regulation staged dates: CE-marking conformity assessment since 18 August 2024; end-user removability/replaceability of portable batteries from 18 February 2027.
Base requirements4 instruments
The GB law on electromagnetic compatibility: electrical and electronic equipment must not emit electromagnetic disturbance above levels that stop other equipment working as intended, and must have adequate immunity to disturbance. Most manufacturers self-declare conformity and affix UKCA or CE marking.
Key obligations
- 01Design and manufacture equipment so that the electromagnetic disturbance it generates does not exceed the level above which radio and telecommunications equipment or other equipment cannot operate as intended (Schedule 1 essential requirements).source
- 02Ensure the equipment has a level of immunity to electromagnetic disturbance appropriate to its intended use, allowing it to operate without unacceptable degradation of that use.source
- 03Carry out a conformity assessment (self-declaration via internal production control, or voluntary third-party assessment), draw up a declaration of conformity, and affix the UKCA or CE marking.source
- 04Retain the declaration of conformity and technical documentation for 10 years after the apparatus has been placed on the GB market (applies to manufacturers and importers).source
The general safety net for consumer products in Great Britain: no producer may place a product on the market unless it is safe, and producers and distributors must monitor products and notify authorities about unsafe ones. In Northern Ireland these Regulations were superseded on 13 December 2024 by the EU General Product Safety Regulation (EU) 2023/988.
Key obligations
- 01No producer shall place a product on the market unless the product is a safe product (regulation 5) - one which under normal or reasonably foreseeable conditions of use presents no risk, or only the minimum risk compatible with the product's use.source
- 02Producers must provide consumers with the relevant information to enable them to assess the risks and take precautions, and enable traceability by indicating the producer's name and address on the product or its packaging.source
- 03Producers must monitor marketed products: sample-test them, investigate and where necessary keep a register of complaints, and keep distributors informed of the results.source
- 04Distributors must act with due care to help ensure only safe products are supplied and must not supply products that, as a professional, they know or ought to know to be dangerous (regulation 8).source
Restricts ten hazardous substances (including lead, mercury, cadmium and four phthalates) in electrical and electronic equipment placed on the Great Britain market. Manufacturers must self-assess, draw up a declaration of conformity and technical documentation, and affix the UK marking.
Key obligations
- 01EEE placed on the market must not contain the substances listed in Schedule A1 above the maximum concentration value by weight in homogeneous materials: 0.1% for lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium, PBB, PBDE, DEHP, BBP, DBP and DIBP, and 0.01% for cadmium.source
- 02Manufacturers must carry out the internal production control procedure and draw up technical documentation demonstrating compliance.source
- 03Manufacturers must draw up a declaration of conformity stating that the requirements have been met in relation to the EEE.source
- 04The UK marking must be affixed visibly, legibly and indelibly to the EEE (or to its packaging or accompanying documents where that is not possible).source
UKCA is Great Britain's product conformity marking, introduced after EU exit for goods that previously used CE marking. Since 1 October 2024, CE marking is also recognised in Great Britain with no end date for most goods covered by the framework, so businesses can generally use either marking.
Key obligations
- 01Before placing a product in scope of the regime on the GB market, carry out the conformity assessment required by the relevant product regulation and affix the UKCA marking — or the CE marking, which businesses have the flexibility to use in place of UKCA under the continued recognition policy.source
- 02Draw up a UK declaration of conformity and maintain technical documentation (technical files and test reports) demonstrating compliance.source
- 03Apply the UKCA marking in its standard, recognisable form, at least 5mm in height (unless a different minimum dimension is specified in the relevant legislation), and ensure it is easily visible, legible and indelible.source
- 04Until 11pm on 31 December 2027, the UKCA marking may alternatively be placed on a label affixed to the product or on a document accompanying the product (certain sectors such as marine, medical devices, rail and construction products have their own specific rules).source
If your product also...
Extra regulations triggered by specific features
Has radio / wireless (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular, GPS, RFID/NFC)
Plugs into mains power (50–1000 V AC)
Intended for or marketed to children (under 14)
Connects to the internet / runs updatable software
Documents you will need
Deduplicated across the regulations above
- Declaration of conformityMust identify the apparatus and include manufacturer (and any authorised representative) details; format/content set out in Schedule 4. Retained for 10 years after placing on the GB market.source
- Technical documentationEvidence of the EMC assessment; same 10-year retention requirement applies to manufacturers and importers.source
- Traceability and monitoring recordsNo declaration of conformity or technical file is required. Producers should be able to evidence traceability (name and address on product or packaging), sample testing, complaint investigation and, where necessary, a complaints register.source
- UK Declaration of ConformityMust be drawn up by the manufacturer stating the requirements have been met; a model template is available for download from the GOV.UK RoHS guidance page.source
Frequently asked
Do I need an approved body for EMC compliance?+
Usually not. The normal route is self-declaration via internal production control, testing against designated standards. Third-party type examination by a UK approved body (or EU notified body for CE) exists as an optional route.
Does GPSR 2005 require UKCA marking or a declaration of conformity?+
No. It is a general safety-net regulation with no conformity marking, declaration of conformity or technical file. Your obligations are that the product is safe, that consumers get the information they need, that you can trace products (name and address on the product or packaging), and that you monitor and notify.
Which substances does UK RoHS restrict?+
Ten substances, listed in Schedule A1: lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), and four phthalates (DEHP, BBP, DBP, DIBP). The limit is 0.1% by weight in homogeneous materials for each, except cadmium at 0.01%.
My product is CE marked — do I also need UKCA to sell in Great Britain?+
For most goods covered by the UKCA/CE regime (electrical, EMC, radio, toys, machinery and similar), no. Since 1 October 2024 the government recognises CE marking for the GB market with no end date, so you can use CE, UKCA, or both. Check your specific product area though — sectors like medical devices, construction products, marine, rail and unmanned aircraft have separate arrangements.
Other markets, same product
Get this for your exact product
Add your product's real features (wireless, battery, mains, children) to see every extra regulation they trigger.