Storing Lithium-Ion Batteries in Your Warehouse: What IFC 2024 Section 322 Means for Distributors

Before you lease warehouse space or bring in your first container of lithium batteries, check what your local fire code says about storing them. The 2024 International Fire Code (IFC) added Section 322, which covers the storage of lithium-ion and lithium metal batteries. Depending on how much you store and how, it can mean a permit, a fire safety plan, fire barriers, sprinklers and special detection. This guide explains the main rules in plain language, using Washington State’s published adoption of Section 322 as the worked example.

This is a plain-language overview, not legal or fire-protection advice. Codes are adopted and amended locally; your fire code official (the authority having jurisdiction, or AHJ) decides. Text checked on 30 October 2026.

Short answer

• Some batteries are outside Section 322 altogether, for example batteries installed in or packed with the equipment they power.
• Up to 15 cubic feet (0.42 m³) of batteries can be kept indoors in containers under simple container rules.
• More than 15 cubic feet needs a permit, and a fire safety plan is required.
• Larger indoor storage areas need building protections: a technical report where the fire official requires one, 2-hour separation in mixed-use buildings, sprinklers and approved fire detection.
• If the state of charge (SOC) is demonstrated to be 30% or less under approved procedures, some of those requirements fall away.

Which code applies to you

The IFC is a model code. It applies only once a state or city adopts it, often with amendments, and many jurisdictions still use an earlier edition. Some jurisdictions also use NFPA standards, including NFPA 855, which covers energy storage systems. Ask your AHJ which code and edition apply to your building. For home battery installs, see our home battery permit pack guide. The rules below are quoted from WAC 51-54A-0322, Washington State’s adoption of IFC 2024 Section 322, which is free to read online.

What is outside the storage rules

Exception (WAC 51-54A-0322, 322.1)	What it means for a distributor
New or refurbished batteries installed in the equipment, devices or vehicles they are designed to power	Batteries already fitted in products
New or refurbished batteries packed for use with the equipment, devices or vehicles they are designed to power	Batteries shipped in the same package as the product they power
Batteries in original retail packaging rated at 300 Wh or less (lithium-ion)	Small retail batteries only. A 12.8 V 100 Ah pack is about 1,280 Wh, so check the Wh on the label.
Temporary storage during the battery manufacturing process, before final quality control	Battery factories, not distributors
Temporary storage during vehicle manufacturing or repair	Vehicle plants and repair shops

Most stand-alone LiFePO4 packs held by a distributor are well above 300 Wh and are not installed in equipment, so the storage rules usually apply.

Small quantities: up to 15 cubic feet in containers

Rule (322.4.1)	Requirement
Total amount	Not more than 15 ft³ (0.42 m³)
Containers	Open-top and noncombustible, or approved for battery collection
Container size	Each container or group not more than 7.5 ft³ (0.21 m³)
Spacing	At least 3 ft (914 mm) of open space between containers or groups, or 10 ft (3,048 mm) if the space contains combustible materials
Exits	At least 5 ft (1,524 mm) from exits or exit access doors

Larger indoor storage: permit, plan and protections

An accumulation of more than 15 ft³ needs a permit (322.2), and a fire safety plan must include emergency actions for a fire involving the battery storage (322.3). Indoor storage areas beyond the container rules must meet the following:

Requirement (322.4.2)	Standard rule	If SOC ≤30% is demonstrated (322.4.2.6)
Technical opinion and report	Where the fire code official requires it: evaluates deflagration risk and the sprinkler design basis, and needs approval before the permit	Not required
Construction	2-hour fire barriers or horizontal assemblies in buildings with other uses (exceptions for approved 2-hour prefabricated enclosures or approved packaging that contains a fire)	Not required
Fire protection	Automatic sprinklers per IFC 903.3.1.1, or an approved alternative suppression system	Still required
Fire detection	Approved automatic detection and alarm using air-aspirating smoke detection, radiant-energy detection, or both	Still required
Explosion control	Where the approved technical report recommends it	Not required

The ≤30% SOC option

Section 322.4.2.6 drops the technical report, fire barrier and explosion control requirements for indoor storage areas where the SOC is demonstrated not to exceed 30%, provided the procedures for limiting and verifying the SOC have been approved. In practice, that means agreeing the shipping SOC with your supplier, checking it on arrival and recording it, and making sure any top-up charging in the warehouse does not take stock above 30%. Our LiFePO4 stock storage guide covers checks and top-up routines; note that manufacturer storage recommendations are often higher than 30%, so agree the approach with both the supplier and your AHJ.

Outdoor storage

• Distance (322.4.3.1): at least 20 ft (6,096 mm) from buildings, lot lines, public ways and means of egress, or at least 3 ft (914 mm) behind a 2-hour fire-resistance-rated wall extending 5 ft above and to the sides, or inside approved prefabricated 2-hour enclosures.
• Size (322.4.3.2): each area not more than 900 ft² (83.6 m²), stored not higher than 10 ft (3,048 mm), with at least 10 ft of open space between areas.
• Detection (322.4.3.3): approved automatic fire detection using radiant-energy detection.

Checklist before your first container

1. Ask your AHJ which fire code edition and amendments apply, and whether a permit or technical report will be needed.
2. Estimate the stored volume per SKU and compare it with the 15 ft³ threshold.
3. Collect the documents your fire official may ask for: safety data sheet (SDS) and UN38.3 test summary per model. Our safety certifications guide explains each one.
4. Agree the shipping SOC with the supplier in writing for each order, and check it on arrival.
5. Plan rack layout, aisle space and the distance from exits before stock arrives.

For the import side, see our guide to importing lithium batteries from China. For channel terms, see the wholesale distributor program, and for typical stock items, the 12V LiFePO4 battery series.

FAQ

Do I need a permit to store lithium batteries?

Under IFC 2024 Section 322, as adopted in Washington State, a permit is required for an accumulation of more than 15 cubic feet (0.42 m³), unless the batteries fall under an exception. Your local adoption may differ, so ask your AHJ.

Are batteries at 30% charge treated differently?

Yes. Indoor storage areas with a demonstrated SOC of 30% or less, under approved procedures to limit and verify it, do not need the technical report, fire barriers or explosion control. Sprinklers and detection still apply.

Does a 12V 100Ah LiFePO4 battery count as “retail packaging ≤300 Wh”?

No. 12.8 V × 100 Ah is about 1,280 Wh, well above 300 Wh. Check the Wh rating on the label of each model you store.

Is NFPA 855 the same as IFC Section 322?

No. They are separate documents. Your jurisdiction may adopt one or both, with local amendments. Ask your AHJ which apply.

What documents will my fire official ask for?

Often the SDS and test summaries for each model, and for larger storage a technical opinion and report. Ask early, before you sign a lease.

Can my supplier ship at a lower SOC?

Ask. The shipping SOC is agreed per order with the manufacturer and depends on the model and transport rules, so get it in writing for each shipment.

Sources (checked 30 October 2026)

• WAC 51-54A-0322, Lithium batteries (Washington State adoption of IFC 2024 Section 322)
• NFPA 855 standard page