Can You Bring a Lighter on a Plane? TSA and FAA Rules

Yes, you can bring a lighter on a plane, as long as it is an ordinary one and it stays with you. A disposable lighter such as a Bic or a Zippo-style lighter is allowed in your carry-on bag or on your person. The FAA limits you to one. Torch lighters, which burn with a hot, needle-like flame, are not allowed in carry-on or checked bags.

The rules below come from TSA’s lighter pages and the FAA’s PackSafe lighter page (last updated April 13, 2026), which I read on October 18, 2026. This guide covers US screening rules. Airports in other countries set their own.

The short answer by lighter type

Lighter type	Carry-on	Checked bag
Disposable (Bic-style)	Yes, one per passenger	Only if empty of fuel, or in a DOT-approved case (up to two fueled)
Zippo-style (absorbed fuel)	Yes, one per passenger	Only if empty of fuel, or in a DOT-approved case (up to two fueled)
Torch (jet flame, butane)	No	No
Arc or electric (lithium battery)	Yes, with precautions	No
Lighter fluid or butane refill	No	No
Safety matches	Yes, one book	No

Every row comes from TSA’s item pages or the FAA’s lighter page. The sections below explain the exceptions.

Disposable and Zippo-style lighters

TSA lists “Lighters (Disposable and Zippo)” as allowed in carry-on bags and, with special instructions, in checked bags. The FAA says absorbed-liquid and butane lighters, which covers both of these, are “limited to one lighter per passenger in carry-on or on one’s person.”

The one-lighter limit is the part many people miss. Pack a spare in your bag and you are over the FAA limit, even though each lighter is a legal type.

Can a lighter go in a checked bag?

Mostly no. TSA says disposable and Zippo lighters “without fuel” are allowed in checked bags. Lighters with fuel are prohibited in checked bags unless they follow the Department of Transportation exemption, which “allows up to two fueled lighters if properly enclosed in a DOT approved case.”

So a loose Bic tossed in a suitcase is not allowed. If you must check one, it needs to be empty of fuel or sit in a DOT-approved case. Most travelers are better off keeping a single lighter in a pocket and skipping the checked bag entirely.

If your carry-on gets gate-checked

If an airline checks your carry-on at the gate, the FAA is specific: “any lighter in the carry-on must be removed from the bag and kept with the passenger in the aircraft cabin.” Pull the lighter out before you hand the bag over.

Torch lighters are banned

TSA lists “Lighters (Torch)” as No for both carry-on and checked bags. It describes them as creating “a thin, needle-like flame that is hotter (reaching 2,500 F)” than common lighters, and notes they are often used for pipes and cigars.

The FAA puts it more bluntly. Torch lighters, also called butane, blue flame, or jet flame lighters, “are not allowed in the cabin or in checked baggage by both the Hazardous Materials Regulations and TSA security rules.”

This is the one that catches cigar and pipe smokers. If your lighter has a blue, wind-resistant flame, assume it will not get through. The same goes for any lighter that burns liquid fuel without an absorbent lining. The FAA says those, such as desk or table lighters and antique wick lighters, “are forbidden.”

Arc, plasma, and other electric lighters

Rechargeable lighters are treated as lithium battery devices. TSA allows “Lighters (Arc Lighters, Electronic Lighters, E-Lighters)” in carry-on bags with special instructions, and not in checked bags. The FAA lists tesla coil, flux, arc, and double arc lighters under the same rule.

The conditions are:

• Prevent accidental activation. Remove the battery, use a protective case, or use a cover or safety latch on the button.
• No recharging on board. The FAA and TSA both say recharging the device or its batteries during the flight is not permitted.
• Battery size. Each lithium ion battery must not exceed 100Wh, and each lithium metal battery must not exceed 2 grams of lithium content.

The same carry-on-only logic applies to other lithium devices, as covered in the portable charger guide.

Lighter fluid and butane refills

Lighter fluid is a No for both carry-on and checked bags on TSA’s “Lighter (Fluid)” page. A refill is not a lighter, so the one-lighter allowance does not cover it. Empty the tank at home and carry the lighter without fuel, or buy fuel at your destination.

Lighter fluid is also a liquid, but the 3-1-1 liquids rule does not rescue it, because it is banned outright.

Can you bring matches on a plane?

Yes, with limits. TSA says “one book of safety (non-strike anywhere) matches are permitted as carry-on items, but all matches are prohibited in checked baggage.” Strike-anywhere matches are not covered by that allowance.

Matches are limited to one book, so do not stock up.

Going through security

TSA’s pages carry the same line on every item: “The final decision rests with the TSA officer on whether an item is allowed through the checkpoint.” That means a lighter that fits the rules can still be questioned, and an officer can decide a particular lighter is not allowed.

A few habits make this smoother:

1. Carry one plain disposable or Zippo-style lighter.
2. Keep it in a pocket or an outer pocket of your personal item where you can pull it out fast.
3. Skip anything that looks like a torch, even if it is sold as a regular lighter.
4. Do not carry lighter fluid or refills.

If you are packing a smoking kit, the rest of your bag still has to meet the carry-on size limit. Snacks for the trip follow separate rules, covered in the food guide.

Frequently asked questions

Can you bring a lighter on a plane in your carry-on? Yes. TSA allows disposable and Zippo lighters in carry-on bags, and the FAA limits you to one lighter per passenger.

Can you take a Bic lighter on the plane? Yes. A Bic is a disposable lighter, which TSA allows in carry-on bags. Keep it to one, and carry it on your person or in your carry-on.

Where do you put your lighter when flying? In your pocket or carry-on. If a carry-on is gate-checked, the FAA says to remove the lighter and keep it with you in the cabin.

Can I put a lighter in a checked bag? Only if it has no fuel, or if it is a fueled disposable or Zippo-style lighter in a DOT-approved case, where TSA says up to two are allowed. Torch lighters are not allowed in checked bags at all.

Can you bring a torch lighter on a plane? No. TSA and the FAA both prohibit torch lighters in carry-on and checked bags.

Will TSA stop me for a lighter? A permitted lighter can still be pulled for a closer look, since TSA says the officer makes the final call. Torch lighters and lighter fluid are the items most likely to be taken, because they are not allowed.

Can you bring matches on a plane? One book of safety matches is allowed in carry-on. All matches are prohibited in checked bags.