Can You Bring a Lighter on a Plane?
QUICK ANSWER
Yes, you can bring one disposable or Zippo-style lighter in your carry-on or pocket, but not in checked luggage. Torch and jet-flame lighters are banned from the cabin. Lighter fluid and butane refills are prohibited in both carry-on and checked bags. Empty lighters have no limit.
Lighters are one of the more counterintuitive items to pack, because the rules come from the FAA and Department of Transportation rather than a simple size limit. The type of lighter and where you put it both matter. Here is exactly which lighters can fly, which cannot, and how to pack them.
Are lighters allowed on a plane?
Yes, but with specific limits. Under Department of Transportation rules explained by FAA PackSafe, you may bring one common lighter, meaning a disposable butane lighter or a Zippo-style absorbed-liquid lighter, in your carry-on bag or on your person. Notice the location: permitted lighters go in the cabin with you, not in checked baggage. If your carry-on gets gate-checked at the door, you must remove the lighter and keep it in your pocket. Arc, plasma, and other lithium-battery lighters are allowed in carry-on only and must be protected from accidental activation, with no charging on board. This one-lighter allowance covers the vast majority of everyday lighters.
Can you pack a lighter in checked luggage?
Generally, no. Ordinary lighters with fuel are not allowed in checked baggage. There is a narrow exception: you may pack up to two lighters, including torch lighters, in checked bags only if each is inside a DOT-approved airtight travel container designed for lighters. Brands like Zippo and Colibri sell these approved cases, which are marked with a DOT special permit number. Without that container, keep your lighter in the cabin. A truly empty lighter, with no fuel or vapors at all, is not regulated as hazardous and can go in either bag, though carrying several empty lighters may slow down your screening.
Are torch lighters allowed?
No, torch lighters are banned from the aircraft cabin. Torch lighters, also called jet-flame, blue-flame, or cigar lighters, burn hotter and are prohibited in carry-on bags and on your person under TSA rules. Micro-torches, chef's torches, and utility torches are treated even more strictly and are forbidden in both carry-on and checked baggage, along with their fuel. If you rely on a torch lighter, your only option is to pack up to two in checked baggage using a DOT-approved airtight container. Otherwise, plan to buy one at your destination, since a standard disposable lighter is the safe choice for flying.
What about lighter fluid and fuel?
Lighter fluid and fuel refills are prohibited everywhere on the plane. You cannot pack butane, naphtha lighter fluid, or fuel canisters in carry-on or checked baggage; these are flammable hazardous materials. The same goes for spare fuel of any kind. This means you can bring the lighter itself, within the rules above, but not extra fuel to refill it. If you are traveling and expect to need fuel, buy it after you arrive. For any camping or outdoor fuel, check the FAA PackSafe guidance separately, as most camping fuels and their empty-but-not-purged containers are also banned from both bags.
Yes, you can bring one disposable or Zippo lighter in your carry-on or pocket, but not in checked luggage. Torch and jet-flame lighters are banned from the cabin and allowed in checked bags only inside a DOT-approved container. Lighter fluid and fuel refills are prohibited in both bags. Empty lighters are unregulated.
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