Can knives be taken on a plane in checked baggage or hand luggage? (2023)

NO

yes, with conditions

Most countries and airline regulators allow knives in checked baggage. However, there are two important things to note.

First, the knife must be safely stored in your checked bag, with the sharp edge protected. This is a flight safety requirement to prevent accidental injuries while carrying out baggage inspections.

And second, you should avoid packing knives that are illegal in the countries/states you are flying through. These include folding knives, button knives, butterfly knives, knives that resemble various objects, and knives with long blades. Legal knives in most countries include pocket knives, multitools, short fixed-blade knives, and kitchen knives.

Officially, you don't need to declare knives in your luggage within the US, as knives are classified as sharp objects. HeTSA requires you to declare firearms, large amounts of medication and other items, but no sharp objects. However, we recommend that you voluntarily declare knives at check-in, especially if you are flying internationally. Airline employees can sometimes misunderstand or forget the rules, and some countries even require all knives to be declared.

If you return from abroad and bring a knife bought abroad, you will still have to declare it, as you have to declare everything you bought abroad. Depending on the value and the place of departure, it may also be necessary to pay import taxes.

In principle, all knives are allowed in checked baggage, regardless of blade length. However, in some states and countries, knives that exceed a certain blade length are considered illegal, usually above 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm). So it really depends on where you're flying to and you should always check your local knife laws for whatever country you're flying to.

Knives are generally not permitted in carry-on baggage, except in certain countries where blade length is restricted. For example, in the United States, all knives are prohibited in carry-on luggage, regardless of blade length. But in Canada and New Zealand, knives with a blade length of less than 6 cm (2.36 inches) are allowed on board. The UK also imposes a 6 cm (2.36 in) blade length limit, but bans all sharp objects in carry-on luggage, disqualifying most knives.

Currently, in 2022, the TSA will not allow knives in carry-on unless they are round-bladed or plastic butter knives. There is a misconception that knives with blades smaller than 6 cm (2.36 inches) are allowed, as the same limit applies to flights from Canada, New Zealand and the UK, but does not apply to flights to or from the US. Even in 2022, it's virtually impossible to carry knives in your carry-on.

The TSA allows virtually any knife in checked baggage. The TSA is not responsible for determining which knives are legal and which are not, so it sometimes allows even illegal knives to be placed in checked bags. However, if the security officer believes that a particular knife may be illegal in that state, they will likely contact local law enforcement.

Keep reading: Can carving tools be taken on planes?

In 2013, the TSA announcedthat knives with blades smaller than 2.36 inches are allowed in carry-on baggage. But unfortunately this rule was not approved. Therefore, there is currently no TSA approved knife.

In theory, the TSA allows round-bladed butter knives and plastic knives. But sometimes even butter knives are removed from passengers' carry-on luggage because the final decision always rests with each individual security officer. If you're absolutely sure you need a knife in your carry-on, only pack cheap plastic knives that can be disposed of by security officers if necessary, such asHumanGear utensil set made of plastic.

In the US, UK, Europe, Australia, China and India, local airline authorities ban all pocket knives in carry-on luggage. Even those with short leaves.

In Canada and New Zealand, small pocket knives are allowed in carry-on baggage on flights. In Canada, the blade length of a switchblade must be less than 6 cm (2.36 inches). In New Zealand, the knife itself must be less than 9.5 cm (3.74 inches) in order to travel on airplanes. HeCanivete Victorinox Swiss Army MiniChampIt would be good to use on flights to Canada and New Zealand as it is 1.96 inches (5.8 cm) tall and 1.25 inches (3.2 cm) long blade.

All pocket knives are allowed in checked baggage virtually anywhere in the world. Because small switchblades are not considered serious weapons and packing them in checked baggage does not pose a risk.

Mostly cutlerypermittedin hand luggage. Forks and spoons are still allowed, but even round-bladed butter knives are generally allowed, as they cannot be used as dangerous weapons. The TSA specifically lists round-blade butter knives as the only type of knife allowed on planes, so it's safe to pack cutlery sets in your carry-on luggage on flights within the United States. In Europe, the UK and elsewhere, knives are generally not specifically listed as banned, they just ban sharp objects, which can include knives. Round-blade cutlery knives are not usually sharp, so they will be allowed, but it depends on the interpretation of the security officer.

There are no cutlery restrictions in checked baggage, even sharp knives are allowed. However, packing expensive cutlery in checked luggage is not really safe as checked bags are sometimes lost or stolen during luggage check-in. Therefore, we recommend taking expensive cutlery sets with round butter knives in your hand luggage.

Keep reading: Can you take can openers on planes?

There really isn't a surefire way to prevent your knife from being stolen in your checked baggage. Also, I actually stealit's not so commonin checked baggage, so the chance of someone stealing your knife is very low.

To reduce the chances, you can avoid packing it in expensive boxes and sleeves. Some people have reported packing their knives in a plastic bag, which is then smeared with something dirty and placed in another bag, which would make any would-be thief's job that much more complicated.