New rules for battery and connected hardware, November 2026 to December 2027
Sixteen US and EU rules that change what a small hardware team selling battery-powered or connected devices has to do in the next fourteen months, each with the date, the requirement, the penalty and the official text. The two that most often mean changing the product itself are the EU user-removable battery rule (18 February 2027) and the FCC ban on Covered List chips and modules in new authorizations (since 13 October 2026).
| Date | Where | What changes | Penalty | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-13 | US FCC | New FCC authorizations are refused for equipment containing chips or modules made by entities on the Covered List; online listings must show the FCC ID (2027-03-01 for sellers holding stock, 2027-06-01 for listings relying on seller declarations) | Authorization refused; marketing unauthorized devices is fined under 47 U.S.C. §503 | source |
| 2026-11-11 | EU | Eight product types may use professional-replaceable batteries instead of user-removable (Delegated Regulation 2026/1770) | Set by member states (Batteries Regulation Art. 93) | source |
| 2026-12-09 | EU | New Product Liability Directive applies to products placed on the market from this day; software and firmware updates count as products; importers and fulfilment providers can be liable | Strict liability for damage, no fines | source |
| 2026-12-14 (expected) | EU | Parliament vote on battery rule simplification: Council proposed an 18-month Article 11 delay for newly exempted categories. Not final | — | source |
| 2026-12-14 | US Minnesota | PFAS in products report due for companies that received an extension (first deadline was 2026-09-15); $800 fee per manufacturer; ban on intentionally added PFAS from 2032 | Products not reported may not be sold in Minnesota | source |
| 2027-01-01 | Air (IATA DGR 68) | Sodium-ion batteries added; button cells no longer counted in the "4 cells or 2 batteries" mark exception for batteries in or with equipment | Carrier refuses the shipment | source |
| 2027-01-01 | US New Mexico | Every product with intentionally added PFAS must be reported to the state; consumer electronics are not exempt; full ban 2032 | Up to $15,000 per violation | source |
| 2027-01-20 | US CPSC | Certificates of compliance must be e-filed for regulated products arriving by international mail too (e-filing started 2026-07-08 for other entries) | Shipment held | source |
| 2027-01-20 | EU | Machinery Regulation replaces the Machinery Directive: protection against corruption (cybersecurity) and safety software requirements, including for autonomous robots | Set by member states | source |
| By 2027-01-31 | US EPA | TSCA PFAS reporting window opens for companies that imported PFAS-containing articles, including electronics, since 2011 (a proposal would exempt imported articles; not final) | TSCA §16 civil penalties | source |
| 2027-02-18 | EU | Batteries Regulation Article 11: portable batteries must be removable and replaceable by the user with commercially available tools; e-bike and e-scooter batteries by an independent professional | Set by member states; non-compliant products may not be placed on the market | source |
| 2027-02-18 | EU | Battery passport for e-bike/e-scooter, EV and industrial batteries over 2 kWh, and a QR code on all batteries (Council proposed delaying the QR code for portable batteries; not final) | Set by member states | source |
| 2027-05-09 | EU | Second stage of standby and networked standby power limits (Regulation 2023/826) | Set by member states | source |
| 2027-07-01 | US | De minimis duty exemption repealed by statute; suspended since 2025-08-29 | Duty and formal or informal entry on every parcel | source |
| 2027-07-01 | US California | First annual report from makers of products with embedded batteries (SB 1215): 2026 sales, chemistry, recycled content | — | source |
| 2027-12-11 | EU | Cyber Resilience Act applies in full: security requirements, CE marking, vulnerability handling, support period, SBOM (reporting already applies since 2026-09-11) | Up to €15 million or 2.5% of worldwide turnover | source |
Already in force and easy to miss
- Since 1 January 2026, a lithium-ion battery packed with (not in) the device and over 2.7 Wh must ship by air at 30% charge or less (IATA).
- Since 12 July 2026, USPS charges $50 for an undeclared or mis-marked hazmat package (Federal Register).
- Since 11 September 2026, makers of connected products sold in the EU must report actively exploited vulnerabilities within 24 hours (Cyber Resilience Act).
- Since 12 September 2026, connected products placed on the EU market must give users direct access to their product data (Data Act Art. 3(1)).
Dates marked expected or not final are proposals. Checked against the official sources on 2026-10-30.
Send us your product
Tell us what the product is, where it is made and sold, and which rule you are stuck on. An engineer replies by email with what has to change, or what data we can get from the factory, and a fixed fee.
Or email chris@anvol.dev. This is an engineering assessment, not a legal opinion or a certification.