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UN number lookup
Type a four-digit UN number or the name of a substance. You get the proper shipping name, hazard class, packing group and how much can go in one package on a passenger or cargo aircraft.
2,324 UN numbers from the US DOT Hazardous Materials Table, 49 CFR 172.101, as published on eCFR on 1 November 2026. Quantities are the maximum net quantity per package.
UN numbers you'll see most in air cargo
| UN | Proper shipping name | Class | Passenger aircraft | Cargo aircraft only |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UN3480 | Lithium ion batteries including lithium ion polymer batteries | 9 | Forbidden | 35 kg |
| UN3481 | Lithium ion batteries contained in equipment including lithium ion polymer batteries | 9 | 5 kg | 35 kg |
| UN3481 | Lithium ion batteries packed with equipment including lithium ion polymer batteries | 9 | 5 kg | 35 kg |
| UN3090 | Lithium metal batteries including lithium alloy batteries | 9 | Forbidden | 35 kg |
| UN3091 | Lithium metal batteries contained in equipment including lithium alloy batteries | 9 | 5 kg | 35 kg |
| UN3171 | Battery-powered vehicle or Battery-powered equipment | 9 | No limit | No limit |
| UN1845 | Carbon dioxide, solid or Dry ice | 9 | 200 kg | 200 kg |
| UN1266 | Perfumery products with flammable solvents | 3 | PG II: 15 L PG III: 60 L | PG II: 60 L PG III: 220 L |
| UN1263 | Paint (including paint, lacquer, enamel, stain, shellac solutions, varnish, polish, liquid filler and liquid lacquer base) | 3 | PG I: 1 L PG II: 5 L PG III: 60 L | PG I: 30 L PG II: 60 L PG III: 220 L |
| UN1210 | Printing ink, flammable or Printing ink related material (including printing ink thinning or reducing compound), flammable | 3 | PG I: 1 L PG II: 5 L PG III: 60 L | PG I: 30 L PG II: 60 L PG III: 220 L |
| UN1170 | Ethanol or Ethyl alcohol or Ethanol solutions or Ethyl alcohol solutions | 3 | PG II: 5 L PG III: 60 L | PG II: 60 L PG III: 220 L |
| UN3065 | Alcoholic beverages | 3 | PG II: 5 L PG III: 60 L | PG II: 60 L PG III: 220 L |
| UN1993 | Flammable liquids, n.o.s. | 3 | PG I: 1 L PG II: 5 L PG III: 60 L | PG I: 30 L PG II: 60 L PG III: 220 L |
| UN1950 | Aerosols, flammable, (each not exceeding 1 L capacity) | 2.1 | 75 kg | 150 kg |
| UN1950 | Aerosols, non-flammable, (each not exceeding 1 L capacity) | 2.2 | 75 kg | 150 kg |
| UN1057 | Lighters containing flammable gas | 2.1 | 1 kg | 15 kg |
| UN3166 | Vehicle, flammable liquid powered or Vehicle, fuel cell, flammable liquid powered | 9 | No limit | No limit |
| UN2794 | Batteries, wet, filled with acid, electric storage | 8 | 30 kg | 400 kg |
| UN3373 | Biological substance, Category B | 6.2 | 4 L or 4 kg | 4 L or 4 kg |
| UN2814 | Infectious substances, affecting humans | 6.2 | 50 mL or 50 g | 4 L or 4 kg |
| UN1090 | Acetone | 3 | 5 L | 60 L |
| UN1219 | Isopropanol or Isopropyl alcohol | 3 | 5 L | 60 L |
| UN1789 | Hydrochloric acid | 8 | PG II: 1 L PG III: 5 L | PG II: 30 L PG III: 60 L |
| UN1203 | Gasoline includes gasoline mixed with ethyl alcohol, with not more than 10% alcohol | 3 | 5 L | 60 L |
| UN1202 | Diesel fuel | 3 | 60 L | 220 L |
| UN1075 | Petroleum gases, liquefied or Liquefied petroleum gas | 2.1 | Forbidden | 150 kg |
| UN3082 | Environmentally hazardous substance, liquid, n.o.s. | 9 | No limit | No limit |
| UN3077 | Environmentally hazardous substance, solid, n.o.s. | 9 | No limit | No limit |
What a UN number is
A UN number is a four-digit code that identifies a dangerous substance or article in transport. The UN Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods assigns them in the UN Model Regulations, and every mode uses the same numbers: road, rail, sea and air. UN1090 is acetone whether it travels on a truck in Texas or a freighter out of Frankfurt.
The number always comes with a proper shipping name, the exact wording that goes on the package and the paperwork. Some numbers cover one chemical (UN1090, Acetone). Others are generic "n.o.s." entries, short for "not otherwise specified", such as UN1993, Flammable liquid, n.o.s. Those need the technical name added in brackets, for example Flammable liquid, n.o.s. (ethanol, toluene).
Where to find the UN number for your shipment
- Safety data sheet (SDS): section 14, "Transport information", lists the UN number, shipping name, class and packing group.
- The package: a dangerous goods package is marked with the UN number, written with the letters "UN" in front, next to the proper shipping name and the hazard label.
- Shipper's Declaration for Dangerous Goods: the form that travels with the air waybill lists each UN number in the shipment.
- The air waybill: it doesn't carry the UN number itself. The Handling Information box says "Dangerous goods as per associated Shipper's Declaration" (and "Cargo Aircraft Only" where that applies). The declaration has the details. More on the AWB boxes in What is an air waybill?
How to read a result
Let's take lithium ion batteries shipped on their own, UN3480. The lookup shows class 9, no packing group, Forbidden on passenger aircraft and 35 kg per package on cargo aircraft only. In plain terms: these batteries can't go in the hold of a passenger flight at all, and a freighter will take packages of up to 35 kg each.
- Class
- The type of hazard, 1 to 9. See the table below.
- Packing group
- I is great danger, II medium, III minor. Not every class uses them.
- Passenger aircraft
- Maximum net quantity per package on a passenger flight.
- Cargo aircraft only
- Maximum per package on a freighter. The package then needs the Cargo Aircraft Only label.
One number can have more than one row. UN1993 is a good example: the limit on a passenger aircraft goes from 1 L at packing group I to 60 L at packing group III, because the danger drops. If your SDS gives a packing group, use that row.
Hazard classes
| Class | Name | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Explosives | Divisions 1.1 to 1.6, from mass-explosion hazard (1.1) to very insensitive articles (1.6). The letter after the division, as in 1.4S, is the compatibility group. |
| 2.1 | Flammable gas | Propane, butane, lighters, most aerosols. |
| 2.2 | Non-flammable, non-toxic gas | Compressed nitrogen, carbon dioxide, fire extinguishers. |
| 2.3 | Toxic gas | Chlorine, ammonia (anhydrous). Almost all are forbidden by air. |
| 3 | Flammable liquid | Paint, perfume, alcohol, adhesives, fuels. |
| 4.1 | Flammable solid | Matches, sulphur, self-reactive substances. |
| 4.2 | Spontaneously combustible | Materials that can heat up and ignite in air, such as some oily rags or white phosphorus. |
| 4.3 | Dangerous when wet | Gives off flammable gas in contact with water: sodium, calcium carbide. |
| 5.1 | Oxidizer | Pool chlorine, hydrogen peroxide solutions, nitrates. |
| 5.2 | Organic peroxide | Hardeners for resin kits, some polymer initiators. |
| 6.1 | Toxic substance | Pesticides, some laboratory chemicals. |
| 6.2 | Infectious substance | Patient specimens, cultures. Category B specimens ship as UN3373. |
| 7 | Radioactive material | Medical isotopes, some gauges. |
| 8 | Corrosive | Acids, alkalis, wet-cell batteries. |
| 9 | Miscellaneous | Lithium batteries, dry ice, vehicles, magnetized material, environmentally hazardous substances. |
Read this before you ship by air
These limits come from the US Hazardous Materials Regulations. For international air shipments, and on many US flights too, airlines apply the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations, based on the ICAO Technical Instructions. The numbers and names are the same, and the per-package limits usually match, but not always. Airlines and countries add their own, often stricter, variations. Use this page to identify a substance and get a first answer, not as the legal basis for a shipment.
Shipping dangerous goods by air also takes trained staff, UN-specification packaging, marks and labels, and a signed Shipper's Declaration. Most shippers hand that to a freight forwarder with dangerous goods certification. A common mistake is assuming small or everyday items don't count. Perfume, nail polish, hand sanitizer, power banks and dry ice for perishables all have UN numbers.
UN numbers and NA numbers
In the US Hazardous Materials Table you'll also find NA numbers, such as NA1993 for combustible liquids. The table describes them as not recognized for transportation outside the United States, apart from shipments to and from Canada. Air carriers work from UN numbers, so this lookup lists UN numbers only.
Dangerous goods and AWB tracking
A dangerous goods shipment tracks like any other: use the AWB tracker with the 11-digit number. Airline tracking pages may show special handling codes next to the shipment, such as ICE for dry ice, RLI for fully regulated lithium ion batteries, RFL for flammable liquids or CAO for cargo aircraft only.
Questions
What is UN3480?
Lithium ion batteries (including lithium ion polymer batteries) shipped on their own, not inside or packed with equipment. Class 9. Forbidden on passenger aircraft; up to 35 kg per package on cargo aircraft only. Batteries inside a device are UN3481.
Is dry ice dangerous goods by air?
Yes. Dry ice (carbon dioxide, solid) is UN1845, class 9. It gives off carbon dioxide gas, which matters in a closed aircraft hold. The table limit is 200 kg per package on passenger and cargo aircraft, and airlines also limit the total per aircraft.
What is the difference between a UN number and an HS code?
A UN number identifies a hazard for transport safety. An HS code classifies goods for customs duties. A shipment of paint has both: UN1263 for the airline and an HS code for the customs declaration.
What is the difference between a UN number and a CAS number?
A CAS number identifies one specific chemical, for chemistry and safety data. A UN number identifies a transport entry, which can cover one chemical or a whole group. Acetone is CAS 67-64-1 and UN1090; a solvent blend has no single CAS number but still ships under a UN number such as UN1993.
Can the same substance have different UN numbers?
Yes, depending on its form and concentration. Ethanol ships as UN1170, but wine and spirits ship as Alcoholic beverages, UN3065, with their own limits. Mixtures and solutions often move to a different entry, so take the number from your own SDS rather than the pure chemical.
What does "Forbidden" mean?
The substance can't be carried on that type of aircraft at all, in any quantity. If it says Forbidden for passenger aircraft but gives a quantity for cargo aircraft only, it can fly on a freighter with the Cargo Aircraft Only label.
Why does one UN number show several names?
Some numbers cover a family of closely related entries. UN1950, Aerosols, has separate entries for flammable, non-flammable, corrosive and toxic aerosols, each with its own limits. Pick the one that matches your SDS.
Where does this data come from?
From the Hazardous Materials Table in 49 CFR 172.101, published by the US Department of Transportation (PHMSA) on eCFR. This copy reflects the table as of 1 November 2026.