Pack a spare battery in the suitcase you check, and it can get pulled for extra screening. It might get refused at the counter instead. That single habit sits at the center of most confusion about items allowed in checked baggage.
Several things travelers assume are safest in the hold actually belong in the cabin. A few things travelers insist on carrying on are required to go in the hold instead. Get the direction backward and you either lose the item at the checkpoint or delay the whole bag.
This page sorts checked baggage rules into three groups. Things banned outright, things allowed only under a condition, and things people wrongly think are banned. Each group gets its own section below.
All of it comes from FAA hazardous materials guidance and TSA screening policy. It works alongside our broader checked baggage guide. For a single item you are unsure about, the item lookup tool gives a direct yes or no.
The short list of items banned from checked baggage entirely
Very few things are flatly banned from the hold, but the ones that are matter a lot. Spare lithium batteries and power banks cannot travel in checked baggage at all, in any quantity. A damaged cell can start a fire in cargo that no one would notice until it is too late.
The battery already installed in your laptop or phone is different. It is fine to check inside the device. A loose spare or a standalone power bank is not.
Electronic cigarettes and vape pens follow the same logic. They are not allowed in checked baggage, only in the cabin. The device itself is a battery with a heating element, covered device by device in our electronics packing guide.
Certain flammable items are banned outright too. This includes fuel, aerosol paint, and anything classified as a flammable liquid or gas. Torch and jet flame lighters are banned from both the cabin and the hold, with no exception.
Items allowed in checked baggage only under a condition
A second group of items is allowed in checked baggage, but only if you meet a specific rule. Firearms may go in checked baggage only, never in carry-on. They must be unloaded, locked in a rigid case, and declared to the airline at check-in.
Ammunition can travel in the same checked bag. It needs its original box or a case built for that purpose. Loose rounds tossed in a pocket of the suitcase do not meet that standard.
Alcohol depends on proof. Beverages at 24 percent alcohol by volume or less carry no special hold limit. Between 24 and 70 percent, the cap is 5 liters total per passenger, in unopened retail packaging.
Anything over 70 percent alcohol by volume, roughly 140 proof, is banned outright. Common lighters that still hold fuel are limited to carry-on, one per passenger.
Pepper spray or mace is allowed in checked baggage, capped at one 4 ounce container with a safety mechanism. It cannot exceed 2 percent tear gas by mass.
| Item | Checked baggage status | Condition that applies |
|---|---|---|
| Spare lithium batteries, power banks | Not allowed | Must travel in the cabin instead |
| Batteries over 160 watt-hour rating | Not allowed | Banned from passenger baggage entirely |
| Electronic cigarettes, vape pens | Not allowed | Must travel in the cabin instead |
| Torch or jet flame lighters | Not allowed | Banned in cabin and hold both |
| Common fueled lighters | Not allowed | Carry-on only, one per passenger |
| Flammable liquids, fuel, aerosol paint | Not allowed | Classified as hazardous material |
| Firearms | Allowed with conditions | Unloaded, locked case, declared at check-in |
| Ammunition | Allowed with conditions | Original packaging or a proper case |
| Alcohol, 24 percent ABV or less | Allowed | No special hold limit |
| Alcohol, 24 to 70 percent ABV | Allowed with conditions | 5 liters total, unopened retail packaging |
| Alcohol, over 70 percent ABV | Not allowed | Banned outright |
| Pepper spray or mace | Allowed with conditions | One 4 ounce container, checked bag only |
What people wrongly think is banned from checked baggage
Kitchen knives, pocketknives, and scissors of any blade length are fine in checked bags. Every one of them is banned from carry-on instead. Tools, box cutters, and razor blades follow the same logic.
If security would confiscate it at the checkpoint, it usually just needs to move to the checked suitcase instead. Snow globes, full size shampoo bottles, and any liquid over 3.4 ounces are also fine in checked baggage. The 3-1-1 liquids rule only governs the cabin, not the hold.
Sporting goods like bats, golf clubs, and hockey sticks travel fine too. They are subject to your airline’s own size and fee policy, not a security ban. Pack them and move on.
The reversal: what has to switch bags
This is the part most guides skip. A short list must move from checked bag to cabin: batteries, power banks, and electronic cigarettes. Leaving them in the hold is the actual violation, not the fix.
A separate short list must move the other way, out of the cabin and into the checked bag. That list is firearms, ammunition, and pepper spray past the tiny carry-on liquid limit. Get either direction wrong and the item does not just get flagged, it gets left behind.
Knowing which items allowed in checked baggage actually belong there matters more than memorizing a long list. A short list of true exceptions runs the whole show. Everything else in this guide is detail around that core.
The screener has the final say
Every rule above describes the general policy, not a guarantee. A TSA officer at the checkpoint or bag drop can refuse any item for any reason on the day. That includes an item that is normally allowed.
This is the same authority that shapes what happens at the security checkpoint for carry-on bags. Airlines can add their own restrictions on top of the federal rule. A policy that is fine with TSA can still be refused by the carrier you are flying.
When unsure, check the item against the official list before you pack, not after you reach the counter. The packing list screener checks a full bag against current rules in one pass. That single check settles most arguments about items allowed in checked baggage before they start at the counter.
Common questions
Can I put a phone charger power bank in checked luggage?
No. Power banks and spare lithium batteries are banned from checked baggage. They must travel in your carry-on, in the cabin.
Are lighters allowed in checked baggage?
A common fueled lighter is limited to carry-on, one per passenger. It is not accepted in a checked bag. Torch or jet flame lighters are banned everywhere on the plane.
Can I check a bottle of alcohol in my suitcase?
Yes, as long as it is 70 percent alcohol by volume or less. Above 24 percent it must be unopened retail packaging, and it counts toward a 5 liter total per passenger.
Is pepper spray allowed in checked baggage?
A single container up to 4 ounces with a safety mechanism is allowed. It goes in checked baggage only, never in carry-on. Some airlines choose not to allow it at all, so it is worth checking first.
Can I pack a pocketknife in checked baggage?
Yes. Knives, scissors, and most tools are fine in a checked bag. The checkpoint would confiscate those same items from a carry-on.
Will TSA confiscate a banned item found in a checked bag?
It can happen. Checked bags get screened too. A prohibited item can be removed, reported, or held for inspection along with the whole bag.