Can I Bring It on a Plane?
Type what you want to pack: TSA’s own answer for your carry-on and your checked bag, and TSA’s instructions word for word, for every item on its list. Batteries and power banks add the FAA’s limits.
TSA · Lighters (Disposable and Zippo)
Carry-on: yes · Checked: yes, with conditionsTSA’s own answer for each bag, and its instructions below.
- Carry-on bags
- Yes
- Checked bags
- Yes (Special Instructions)
Disposable and Zippo lighters without fuel are allowed in checked bags. Lighters with fuel are prohibited in checked bags, unless they adhere to the Department of Transportation exemption, which allows up to two fueled lighters if properly enclosed in a DOT approved case.
If you have questions regarding regulations, please see the FAA website.
Liquids go through the 3-1-1 rule: check each bottle in the liquids and luggage weight converter.
TSA’s page for lighters (disposable and zippo), read 2026-09-25. The final decision rests with the TSA officer on whether an item is allowed through the checkpoint.
Quick answer: type the item and the tool shows TSA’s own answer for your carry-on and your checked bag, with its instructions word for word. A disposable or Zippo lighter: carry-on yes, checked only without fuel. A power bank: carry-on only. Liquids over 3.4 oz go in the checked bag.
How to use it
Start typing what you want to pack: the best match answers at once, and the list below it shows the other items with those words (there are six kinds of lighter and four of razor on TSA’s list, with different answers). Or tap one of the items people ask about most. The answer shows both bags, TSA’s instructions, and a link to TSA’s own page for the item. For a battery or a power bank, type its watt-hours, or its volts and milliamp-hours, and the tool checks it against the FAA’s limits.
Where the answers come from
Every answer is TSA’s, from its “What Can I Bring?” list: all 495 items, with TSA’s answer for each bag and its instructions, word for word. TSA’s website refuses automated readers, so the list was read through the Internet Archive, which took a fresh copy of each of its 50 pages on September 25, 2026; each answer links to TSA’s page for the item. The battery limits are the FAA’s PackSafe rules. The final decision rests with the TSA officer on whether an item is allowed through the checkpoint, and your airline may have stricter rules of its own.
The items people ask about most
| Item | Carry-on bag | Checked bag |
|---|---|---|
| Lighters (Disposable and Zippo) | Yes | Yes (Special Instructions) |
| Lighters (Torch) | No | No |
| Disposable Razor | Yes | Yes |
| Safety Razor With Blades (allowed without blade) | No | Yes |
| Power Banks | Yes | No |
| Solid Foods | Yes | Yes |
| Alcoholic beverages | Yes (Less than or equal to 3.4oz/100 ml allowed) | Yes |
| Sunscreen | Yes (Less than or equal to 3.4oz/100 ml allowed) | Yes |
| Medications (Pills) | Yes | Yes |
| Medications (Liquid) | Yes (Special Instructions) | Yes |
| Knitting Needles | Yes | Yes |
| Electronic Cigarettes and Vaping Devices | Yes (Special Instructions) | No |
Batteries and power banks
The FAA sets these limits, and TSA’s answer for power banks follows them: spare lithium batteries, power banks and phone charging cases go in your carry-on only, never in a checked bag, and must come out of a bag that is checked at the gate. A lithium-ion battery may be up to 100 watt-hours; with your airline’s approval you may carry up to two spares of 101 to 160 watt-hours. Many batteries print their watt-hours; if not, multiply the volts by the amp-hours (mAh ÷ 1000). A 10,000 mAh power bank at 3.7 V is 37 Wh.
Liquids
Where TSA’s answer for the carry-on is “Yes (Less than or equal to 3.4oz/100 ml allowed)”, the item follows the 3-1-1 liquids rule: containers of 3.4 ounces (100 ml) or less, all in one quart-sized bag. Anything bigger goes in the checked bag. Check your bottles in the liquids and luggage weight converter.
What you cannot bring in either bag
46 of TSA’s items are “No” for both bags. They are mostly things that burn or explode: fireworks and sparklers, flares, gasoline, lighter fluid, torch lighters, strike-anywhere matches, spray paint, propane and butane, bear spray and tear gas, and alcohol over 140 proof.
Common mistakes
- Packing a power bank or a spare battery in the checked bag. Spares fly in the cabin only.
- Taking “lighter” to mean every lighter. A disposable or Zippo lighter may go in your pocket; a torch lighter may not fly at all.
- Forgetting that a safety razor needs its blade out. TSA officers are not allowed to take the blade out for you.
- Assuming TSA’s answer is the airline’s. TSA decides what goes through security; your airline can refuse more, and says so for some items.
Pack for the flight
Build the bag with the ultimate carry-on packing list and these packing tips for vacation. For the flight itself, see the long flight survival guide, and before you fly with one, the rules for flying a drone abroad.
FAQ
Can you bring a lighter on a plane?
A disposable or Zippo lighter, yes, in your carry-on. In a checked bag TSA allows it only without fuel, or up to two fueled lighters in a DOT-approved case. Torch lighters, gun lighters and lighter fluid are “No” for both bags.
Can you bring razors on a plane?
Disposable and electric razors, yes, in both bags. A safety razor may go in your carry-on only without its blade, which you must remove before the checkpoint; loose razor blades are not allowed in carry-on. In a checked bag, TSA asks for sharp objects to be sheathed or wrapped.
Can you bring food on a plane?
Solid food, yes, in either bag. TSA officers may ask you to take food out of your carry-on at screening. Food that is a liquid or a gel, like soup or yogurt, follows the 3.4-ounce liquids rule in your carry-on.
Can you bring alcohol on a plane?
In your carry-on, only in containers of 3.4 ounces (100 ml) or less, in your quart-sized bag. In a checked bag, drinks of 24% alcohol or less have no TSA limit, and those between 24% and 70% are limited to 5 liters per passenger in unopened retail packaging. Over 70% (140 proof) is not allowed in either bag, and you may drink on board only what the flight attendant serves.
Can you bring sunscreen on a plane?
Yes: in your carry-on in containers of 3.4 ounces (100 ml) or less, and in a checked bag in larger sizes. The FAA caps toiletries in checked bags at 500 ml a container and 2 liters in total per person.
Can you bring medicine on a plane?
Yes. Pills can go in either bag. Liquid medicine can go in your carry-on in amounts larger than 3.4 ounces if it is medically necessary and reasonable for your trip, but you must declare it to the TSA officer at the checkpoint.
Can you bring a power bank on a plane?
Yes, in your carry-on only: TSA and the FAA do not allow power banks or spare lithium batteries in checked bags. Up to 100 watt-hours needs no approval; 101 to 160 watt-hours needs your airline’s, and you may carry two at most.
What can’t you bring on a plane?
In either bag: fireworks, flares, gasoline and other fuels, lighter fluid, torch lighters, spray paint, bear spray, tear gas and alcohol over 140 proof are among the 46 items TSA lists as “No” for both. In your carry-on, also knives, power tools and liquids over 3.4 ounces. Type any item above for TSA’s answer.