Banned Carry-on Items


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Here is the current list, released by the Transportation Security Administration, in November, 2002, of things that you can not take onboard a flight as carry-on items.

Note that this list is subject to interpretation and also to change from time to time.

As such, you should consider it a partial list rather than a complete list, and use common sense - if something doesn't appear on this list but still looks threatening or has a sharp point to it, then the chances are very good it will be confiscated.

Similarly, if something doesn't appear on the list but is very similar to something that is on the list, then it will probably also be excluded.

For a hopefully definitive and up to date list of both Banned and Permitted objects, this page on the TSA site is the best source.

Lastly, please remember that this is a list of banned carry-on items.  Just because an item is banned from being carried onto the plane does not mean that you can not carry it in your checked baggage.  Some items can be legally carried in checked baggage (including most firearms, although you'll need to fill out a special form) but some items can not be carried in checked baggage either (such as most of the items in the 'incendiaries' category).


Guns and Firearms

BB guns
Compressed air guns
Firearms
Flare pistols
Gun lighters
Parts of guns and firearms
Pellet guns

Realistic replicas of firearms
Spear guns

Starter pistols

Stun guns/cattle prods/shocking devices

Sharp Objects

Axes and hatchets
Bows and arrows

Drills (including cordless portable power drills)

Ice axes/Ice picks
Knives of any length (except rounded-blade, butter and plastic cutlery)
Meat cleavers
Razor-type blades such as box cutters, utility knives, and razor blades not in a cartridge, but excluding safety razors

Sabers
Saws (including cordless portable power saws)

Scissors (metal with pointed tips)

Screwdrivers (except those in eyeglass repair kits)
Swords

Throwing stars (martial arts)

Club-Like Items

Baseball bats
Billy clubs
Blackjacks
Brass knuckles
Cricket bats

Crowbars
Golf clubs

Hammers

Hockey sticks
Lacrosse sticks

Martial arts weapons (including numchucks, and kubatons)
Night sticks
Pool Cues
Ski Poles
Tools (including but not limited to wrenches and pliers)
Wrenches and pliers

All Explosives Including

Ammunition
Blasting caps
Dynamite

Fireworks
Flares in any form

Gunpowder
Hand grenades
Plastic explosives

Incendiaries

Aerosol (any except for personal care or toiletries in limited quantities)
Fuels (including cooking fuels and any flammable liquid fuel)
Gasoline
Gas torches
Lighter fluid

Strike-anywhere matches

Turpentine and paint thinner

Disabling Chemicals and Other Dangerous Items

Chlorine for pools and spas
Compressed gas cylinders (including fire extinguishers)
Liquid bleach

Mace

Pepper spray

Spillable batteries (except those in wheelchairs)

Spray Paint

Tear gas

 

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This page last modified on May 30, 2021