8 Electronics The TSA Doesn't Allow In Carry-On Baggage

For the most part, electronics are allowed in checked luggage as per the Transportation Security Administration guidelines. However, there are some notable edge cases where electronic items are banned entirely or find themselves in a gray area. It can be important to be aware of these exceptions before traveling, as getting caught with prohibited items can lead to consequences ranging from confiscation to fines and even arrest. There's even a website that sells confiscated TSA items (a great place to check if you want your items back).

While electronics are usually allowed in carry-on luggage, and in many cases cannot go in checked luggage, there are a handful of exceptions ranging from power tools to mobility devices, and at least one particular model of smartphone. Here's a rundown of the devices, gadgets, and tools you shouldn't try to pack in your carry-on luggage. It is always a good idea to check with the TSA if you're unsure whether one of your items will be allowed through a security checkpoint. The agency's policies can change rapidly based on a range of factors, whereas this article reflects its stated policies at the time of writing. Additionally, while many of the items banned in carry-ons can be checked, the TSA rules for electronics in checked bags are different. Without further preamble, let's run down the list of eight electronics the TSA doesn't allow in carry-on baggage.

Although disposable, Bic style lighters and traditional, Zippo style lighters are allowed in carry-on bags, electric lighters are a different story. While electric lighters might seem safer than combustion fuel-based lighters, the TSA takes many precautions when it comes to batteries. Especially in cheap electronics like most electric lighters, batteries can undergo a reaction called thermal runaway that can cause them to combust. According to a report from UL Standards & Engagement, incidents of thermal runaway onboard aircraft increased by 28% over a five year period from 2019 to 2023, with nine out of 10 such incidents occurring near the passenger's seat.

In order to bring an electric lighter, arc lighter, or E-lighter in your carry-on luggage, you must take measures to "prevent unintentional activation of the heating element while on board the aircraft" according to the TSA. Among the agency's suggestions are removing the battery or putting the lighter in a protective case. You are never permitted to charge your electric lighter onboard the plane, even if you've managed to secure it enough to meet those guidelines. And, as always, whether your particular lighter is allowed through is up to the discretion of the TSA agents you encounter.

While many electric lighters are allowed in carry-ons, provided they're modified so that they don't pose a risk of activating by accident, the exception is for lighters shaped like guns. Even if such lighters aren't electric, they are never allowed to travel in either checked or carry-on luggage, and electric lighters pose additional risks because of their batteries. 

This is likely for several reasons. First, they resemble firearms closely enough that the confusion could cause a panic for airline staff or other passengers. Furthermore, a malicious actor could pretend that their novelty lighter is a real weapon in order to intimidate and cause fear in the commission of a crime. And, during a split second decision in which a TSA agent or other law enforcement officer needs to decide whether someone is a threat, any object that looks like a gun will likely be treated as one. The ban on gun-shaped lighters is for your own safety as well as for the safety of those around you.

You might know how to handle your power tools, but that doesn't mean you can bring them onto an airplane in your carry-on. In general, power tools are not allowed in carry-on luggage and must be checked, and the guidelines draw explicit attention to the ban on drills and drill bits. For a determined enough attacker, it's not difficult to turn a run of the mill drill into a deadly weapon. Although it's understandable that you might want your expensive drill or other power tools kept with you, you'll unfortunately have to put them in checked luggage if you want to stay on the TSA's good side.

However, when it comes to your power tools' removable batteries, the rules are different. According to the TSA, "External battery chargers that don't require electricity and spare, uninstalled lithium batteries must be packed in a carry-on bag." That falls in line with the TSA rules on batteries in general, as most batteries are required to be packed in carry-on luggage and are not allowed in a checked bag. So, if you need to travel with your power tools, make sure you pack the tools themselves in a checked bag, but put the batteries in a protective case and store them in your carry-on.

Samsung's now defunct Note series of phones were beloved in their heyday by productivity enthusiasts. With their top-tier specs, boxy designs, and included S-Pens, they represented the pinnacle of Samsung's smartphone lineup. But one particular Note model lives in infamy, and remains banned in carry-on luggage to this day as a safety hazard. The Galaxy Note 7 was a fantastic phone on paper, but it had one dangerous flaw that led to viral videos of flaming phones, personal injuries, and eventually a TSA ban.

In 2016, the Note 7 was released to great fanfare and stellar reviews. Very quickly, however, the good press began to blow up in Samsung's face  — quite literally. Thanks to a lack of shielding in some batteries, missing cells in others, and other defects, the Note 7 was prone to short-circuiting, bringing a whole new meaning to the phrase "halt and catch fire." Among the damage to consumers were burns, property damage, and vehicle fires. The Department of Transportation placed a travel ban on the Galaxy Note 7 in October of 2016, and it remains in place to this day. Some believe Samsung never truly recovered from the disaster. After all, it's hard to think of a worse public relations nightmare than having your product called out by name over airport announcement systems as an explosion hazard to thousands of travelers each day. It's true that Samsung got a lot more cautious with battery technology in the aftermath of the scandal, but some tech enthusiasts speculate that the Note 7 incident is the real reason Samsung sticks with modest batteries in its flagship phones to this day.

For what are hopefully self-explanatory reasons, nail guns are only allowed in checked luggage. Nail guns can easily be turned into makeshift deadly weapons, making them extremely unsafe to bring on board an airplane. Even without any nails, nail guns are not allowed in your carry-on bag. This is for the same reason that you cannot bring even an unloaded firearm on board   — basic safety protocols for both firearms and dangerous tools like nail guns dictate that you should never treat them as unloaded, both for your own safety and that of those around you.

You can travel with nail guns if you wish, but you'll have to put them in your checked luggage. If the nail gun has a removable battery, it's best to put that battery in your carry-on inside a protective pouch or case, while leaving the nail gun itself in your checked bag. As for the nails themselves, TSA guidelines don't mention them specifically. Since they are sharp objects, you're likely best off putting them in your checked bag as well.

Tasers and other stun guns are, as you might expect, banned by the TSA for travel in carry-on luggage. While you can pack them in your checked bags so long as you take precautions to avoid their accidental activation, there is no scenario in which you can put them in your carry-on. Even with the batteries or other power source removed, a taser, stun gun, or other electro-shock weapons are not permitted in carry-ons. Because they are weapons, and because despite being mostly non-lethal, they still have the ability to incapacitate others, allowing passengers to bring tasers or other, similar weapons into the main cabin of a commercial aircraft would be a massive safety risk to all other passengers, no matter how well-intentioned the owner may be.

Even in a checked bag, the TSA mandates that tasers, stun guns, and conducted electrical weapons "must be transported in a manner that renders the device inoperable from accidental discharge." If such a weapon discharged in the cargo hold of a plane, it could easily spark a fire or lead to other emergency scenarios.

The TSA's stated rationale for not wanting metal detectors in carry-on luggage is likely not that they're hazardous, but rather that they're too large. Presumably, the TSA is picturing a standard hobbyist-style metal detector consisting of a long pole with a sensor array at its base. These devices can be too large to fit in overhead bins or be tucked under seats, which can make them hazardous. However, unlike some other items on this list, metal detectors reside in a gray area. They are not explicitly banned, but TSA guidelines still instruct travelers to avoid bringing them in carry-on luggage, preferring they be checked.

With that said, the TSA advises travelers to consult with their particular airline before bringing a metal detector, as policies may differ across different companies. It may also be a good idea to reach out to the TSA ahead of your trip, as the agency's policies can fluctuate.

Many people rely on wheelchairs and mobility devices to live their lives on a daily basis for a variety of reasons. However, because of the precautions the TSA and FAA take when it comes to batteries, electric wheelchairs and mobility devices pose an extra safety concern. Although you can bring such devices through the TSA checkpoint and use them to get to your gate, you are not permitted to bring them into the aircraft cabin. Airline staff should be able to offer you accommodations to make sure you're able to get to your seat onboard the aircraft and are reunited with your mobility device as you disembark.

For wheelchairs and mobility devices with spillable batteries, the batteries may remain installed as long as it is "securely attached to the mobility device and the battery housing provides protection from damage, the terminals are protected from short circuit, and the battery remains in an upright position when stowed on the aircraft," according to the TSA. The TSA also refers travelers to the relevant FAA regulations. Other batteries may require more precautions, and lithium ion batteries in particular must be removed and placed in carry-on luggage if the wheelchairs don't have protective housing for the battery.