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Loading up a suitcase for travel is usually about stuffing as many clothes inside as you can while still being able to operate the zipper. But that’s not the only thing you should be concerned about: The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has a long list of items that are prohibited from being included in your luggage. Flaunting or violating the policy could mean having to pay civil penalties in the thousands.
Here’s a closer look at the banned items the TSA will search for in your checked luggage, carry-on luggage, or both. (Note: This is not intended to be a complete list of prohibited items. Check with your airline or TSA for further guidance on things not listed here.)
Common Items Banned by TSA
Item | Permitted in Carry-On Luggage | Permitted in Checked Luggage |
|---|---|---|
Aerosol Insecticide | No | Yes |
Alcohol Over 140 Proof | No | No |
Ammunition | No | Yes |
Axes/Hatchets | No | Yes |
Bang Snaps (Novelty Firework) | No | No |
Baseball Bats | No | Yes |
Battery-Powered Wheelchairs/Mobility Devices | No | Yes |
BB Guns | No | Yes |
Bear Bangers (Noisemakers to Frighten Bears) | No | No |
Bear Spray | No | No |
Billy Clubs | No | Yes |
Black Jacks (Weighted Self-Defense Weapon) | No | Yes |
Blasting Caps | No | No |
Bowling Balls | No | Yes |
Bowling Pins | No | Yes |
Bows and Arrows | No | Yes |
Box Cutters | No | Yes |
Brass Knuckles | No | Yes |
Butane | No | No |
Butane Cordless Curling Irons | Yes | No |
Canoe Paddles | No | Yes |
Cap Guns | No | Yes |
Cast Iron Cookware | No | Yes |
Cattle Prods | No | Yes |
Chlorine | No | No |
CO2 Cartridges (Full) | No | No |
Compressed Air Guns | No | Yes |
Cooking Spray | No | No |
Corkscrews | No | Yes |
Cricket Bats | No | Yes |
Crowbars | No | Yes |
Curling Iron (Cordless) | Yes | No |
Darts | No | Yes |
Drills/Bits | No | Yes |
Dynamite | No | No |
E-Cigarettes/Vaping Devices | Yes | No |
Engines or Engine-Powered Equipment (No Fuel) | No | Check With Airline |
Engines or Engine-Powered Equipment With Fuel | No | No |
English Christmas Crackers | No | No |
Fertilizer | No | No |
Fire Extinguishers | No | No |
Firearms/Firearm Parts (See Below) | No | Yes |
Firecrackers | No | No |
Fireworks | No | No |
Flammable Liquids, Gels, or Paints | No | No |
Flares or Flare Guns | No | No |
Foam Toy Sword | No | Yes |
Fuel Cells | Yes | No |
Fuel | No | No |
Gasoline or Gas Torches | No | No |
Gel Candles | No | Yes |
Golf Clubs | No | Yes |
Gunpowder | No | No |
Hair Straightener (Cordless) | Yes | No |
Hammers | No | Yes |
Hand Grenades | No | No |
Heating Pad (Gel) | No | Yes |
Hockey Sticks | No | Yes |
Ice Axes or Picks | No | Yes |
Kirpans (Fencing Foils) | No | Yes |
Knives | No | Yes |
Kubatons | No | Yes |
Lacrosse Sticks | No | Yes |
Lighter (Fluid) | No | No |
Lighter (Electronic) | Yes | No |
Lighter (Lithium) | Yes | No |
Lighter (Torch) | No | No |
Liquid Bleach | No | No |
Live Coral | Yes | No |
Live Fish | Yes | No |
Live Lobster | Check With Airline | Yes |
Magic 8 Ball | No | Yes |
Mallets | No | Yes |
Martial Arts Weapons | No | Yes |
Matches (Safety) | Yes | No |
Matches (Strike Anywhere) | No | No |
Meat Cleavers | No | Yes |
Medical Devices (Fitted or Implanted) | Yes | No |
Mercury Thermometer | No | Yes |
Medically Necessary Personal Oxygen | Yes | No |
Nail Guns | No | Yes |
Night Sticks | No | Yes |
Nunchucks | No | Yes |
Party Poppers | No | No |
Pellet Guns | No | Yes |
Pepper Spray | No | Yes |
Permeation Devices (Air Quality) | No | Yes |
Phone Chargers | Yes | No |
Pocket Knife | No | Yes |
Pool Cues | No | Yes |
Power Banks | Yes | No |
Power Charger | Yes | No |
Power Tools | No | Yes |
Propane | No | No |
Rainbow Flame Crystals | No | Yes |
Razor Blades | No | Yes |
Replica Explosives/Incendiaries | No | No |
Replica Firearms | No | Yes |
Recreational Oxygen (Not Medically Necessary) | No | No |
Rifles | No | Yes |
Rocket Launcher | No | No |
Sabers | No | Yes |
Safety Razors | No | Yes |
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 | No | No |
Saws | No | Yes |
Screwdriver (More Than 7 inches) | No | Yes |
Self-Defense Sprays | No | Yes |
Shoe Spikes | No | Yes |
Ski Poles | No | Yes |
Slingshots | No | Yes |
Small Compressed Gas Cartridges (Full) | No | No |
Snow Cleats | No | Yes |
Sparklers | No | No |
Spear Guns | No | Yes |
Spray Paint | No | No |
Spray Starch | No | No |
Starter Pistols (Unloaded) | No | Yes |
Stun Guns | No | Yes |
Swiss Army Knife | No | Yes |
Swords | No | Yes |
Tactical Pen | No | Yes |
Tear Gas | No | No |
Tent Spikes | No | Yes |
Throwing Stars | No | Yes |
Turpentine/Paint Thinner | No | No |
Utility Knives | No | Yes |
Vehicle Airbags | No | No |
Weather Thermometer (Mercury) | Yes | No |
While many prohibited items have an obvious reason for being disallowed—dynamite isn't quite a vacation must-have—others are a little more vague. Cordless irons, for example, can be powered via lithium-ion batteries, which can pose a hazard. So can compressed air or anything that could be used as a weapon, like a bowling pin.
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Why no Magic 8 Balls? The TSA doesn’t specify, but it likely has something to do with the suspended liquid the toy uses to produce its answers.
So what happens if someone is found to be traveling with banned items? The answer can vary widely depending on the TSA screening policies at various airports. As a general guide, however, a civil fine can be imposed depending on whether it seems like an honest mistake or a deliberate attempt to subvert airport security; any past violations; the traveler’s level of cooperation; and the overall risk to the safety [PDF] of the airport, airline, or other passengers. The agency can opt to fine travelers for the following:
Fines That Come With Packing Banned Items
Infraction | Fine |
|---|---|
Flammable Liquids | $450 to $2570 |
Sharp Objects (Axes, Knives, Etc.) | $450 to $2570 |
BB Guns, Replica Guns, Tasers | $450 to $2570 |
Explosives (Dynamite, Gunpowder) | $10,230 to $17,062 and Possible Criminal Referral |
Fireworks | $450 to $2570 and Possible Criminal Referral |
Firearms (Loaded) | $3000 to $12,210 and Possible Criminal Referral |
Firearms (Unloaded) | $1500 to $6130 and Possible Criminal Referral |
Replica Explosives, Inert Hand Grenades, Airbags | $850 to $4250 and Possible Criminal Referral |
Self-Defense Sprays, Tear Gas | $450 to $2570 |
If you disagree with the fine, you can challenge the decision via an informal conference or formal hearing, with or without legal representation. The TSA may also at its discretion offer a settlement option, where the matter is considered settled if the traveler pays a discounted (50 percent) portion of the fine.
While loaded firearms are an obvious infraction, TSA does permit the transportation of unloaded firearms in checked baggage provided the weapon is in a locked case and declared. Ammunition can be stored in the same case, but cannot be chambered or otherwise inserted into the gun itself.
Smuggling a weapon is not recommended. In the past, the TSA has excavated guns from a peanut butter jar, a raw chicken, and an arm sling. In these cases, you’re more likely to worry about jail time than a fine.