Can You Bring a Lighter on a Plane? The TSA Rules You Need to Know

There are many benefits of cigar smoking, including stress relief and relaxation. For these reasons, many smokers are eager to light up while on their travels. The wide range of cigar festivals hosted overseas also helps. Still, there remains the question, can you bring a lighter on a plane?

Though some lighters are permitted, you need to be careful which type you take and how you pack it. For example, bringing a cigar torch lighter is usually out of the question. However, the rules differ depending on where you travel. Here’s a closer look at the full picture.

Are Lighters Allowed on Planes?

You can easily travel with cigars, as long as you don’t pack too many. Can you bring a lighter on a plane just as easily? One key factor here is what type of lighter you have. Here’s a list of various types and how different rules apply to each in the United States:

• Disposable and Zippo lighters: You are allowed one of these in a carry-on. Still, check whether your airline or destination country accepts Zippos.
• Torch lighters: These produce especially hot flames. For this reason, torch lighters are banned from both carry-on and checked luggage.
• Electronic lighters: You can’t put these in checked bags. In some specific circumstances, you can take electronic lighters in carry-on bags instead.
• Gun lighters: These are so-called as they can resemble firearms. As specific regulations apply to firearms, it’s best to avoid bringing gun lighters.

Both carry-on and checked bags can hold empty lighters. Yes, the TSA lets you take more than one! Just double-check that they really are empty before you pack them.

TSA Rules for Bringing a Lighter on a Plane

If you’re set to catch a flight from the United States, you must learn what you can legally bring with you. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) sets various rules to protect US airport security. So, it’s important to look up the TSA guidelines pertaining to cigar lighters.

Obviously, when you light a cigar, you produce a flame. Even when you aren’t intentionally using a lighter, it poses a fire risk. The precise level of risk, though, depends on the type of lighter and how you handle it. That’s why there’s no simple answer to the question “are lighters allowed on planes”.

Carry-On vs Checked Baggage

Don’t put your lighter in checked luggage. Lighters generally aren’t allowed there, for very good reason. If temperature changes lead a lighter to catch fire, the blaze can quickly spread. This is especially likely to happen when the lighter is kept somewhere you can’t regularly check.

Okay, so can you bring a lighter on a carry-on instead? Yes, or keep it on your person, such as in your pocket. Either way, it’s close enough for you to keep a watchful eye on. That way, if the lighter does inadvertently catch fire, you can swiftly do something about it. One option is to alert a flight attendant.

How Many Lighters Are You Allowed to Bring?

Cigar lighters aren’t always bought just for practical reasons. They can also be collectibles. Some can be ‘antiques’ passed down from one generation to another. Others can have sentimental value. So, it’s possible that you have built up quite a collection of lighters over the years.

Can you bring lighters on a plane? That’s multiple lighters on one plane. The rules typically limit travelers to one lighter per person. The lighter you do take must also be for your own use.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) lets you take two lighters on several conditions. One, those lighters are the disposable or Zippo type. Two, they go into checked baggage. Three, they are kept in a DOT-approved case.

What Types of Lighters Are Allowed on a Plane?

If you’ve already got a lighter, check what type it is. Some types are more likely than others to be accepted by airport security. Generally, the safer a lighter is to use, the more likely it is to be accepted.

Can you bring a lighter on a plane when you take safety precautions beforehand? Yes, in many instances. This is certainly the case with the following lighter types. That’s because they are the ones most commonly accepted by airport security

Disposable (Bic-Style) Lighters

The Bic brand is best known for its ballpoint pens. However, since the 1970s, the company has also produced pocket lighters. Bic isn’t the only company making disposable lighters. However, Bic alone has sold more than 30 billion. As a result, disposable lighters are now instantly recognizable.

This is a real boon when you're passing through an airport. Security staff there will be familiar with disposable lighters. So, carrying such a lighter is unlikely to hold you up at security for too long. Just remember to keep the lighter somewhere you can easily retrieve it. That way, security staff will be able to check it especially quickly.

Zippo and Liquid-Fuel Lighters

Zippo lighters, too, are pretty common. In theory, then, airport security staff are unlikely to see them as red flags. However, this is more the case in the US than elsewhere. Compared to disposable lighters, they are more likely to catch fire. This naturally makes them more of a risk.

Check beforehand whether your chosen airline bans Zippo lighters. Unfortunately, many airlines do fall into this category. It’s worth researching the destination country, too. Many countries do prohibit Zippo lighters. So, an airline-approved lighter can potentially still be confiscated after you land.

What Types of Lighters Are NOT Allowed on Planes?

The cabin pressure can naturally change during a flight. Most lighters are built to handle such fluctuations. Some lighters, though, can too easily explode under this pressure. That’s why they tend to be seen as too big a safety risk during flights. Here are examples of lighters generally not allowed on planes:

Torch / Jet Flame / Cigar Lighters

Torch lighters are popular with cigar connoisseurs. That’s because these lighters are especially suitable for igniting cigars. However, don’t even think about putting a torch lighter in your carry-on or checked bag. Yes, the TSA bans both options.

The problem is the nature of the lighter’s flame. This is hotter and more intense than that of a traditional lighter. A torch lighter’s flame can reach 2,500°F. Torch lighters can otherwise be referred to as ‘jet’ or ‘blue-flame’ lighters.

Arc, Plasma, and Electronic Lighters

Some lighters are much more modern than others. Just look at electronic lighters (so-called as they use electricity in place of gas or fuel). Some lighters use plasma or can be charged via built-in USB ports.

TSA bans electronic, arc, plasma and e-lighters in checked luggage. You can put them in a carry-on bag (with stipulations). TSA requires you to take preventive safety measures like:

• Removing the lighter’s battery
• Keeping the lighter in a protective case
• Applying a safety latch or lock to the lighter’s activation button

Check what type of batteries the lighter uses. If they are lithium-ion, each battery’s watt-hour (Wh) rating must not exceed 100 Wh. Can you take a lighter on a plane if the batteries are lithium metal? Yes, but not if those batteries contain more than two grams of lithium content.

Can You Bring a Cigar Lighter on a Plane?

Cigar lighters can present a fire hazard. That’s why most of them are not allowed on flights. However, there are alternatives to boarding planes with lighters. One option is shipping those lighters to your destination country in the mail. Legally, you just need to empty those lighters of any fuel or fuel residue beforehand.

Mercifully, you can always just buy lighter fluid or butane refills once you’ve landed abroad. You can even buy the lighters themselves there. You don’t strictly need to bring or post lighters you already own!

International Flights and Airline-Specific Rules

It’s important to heed that TSA rules only apply to US airports. Airports in other countries will come under different regulations. The same can be said of airlines, even those that fly directly from the US. Some countries and airlines enforce stricter rules than the TSA.

This is especially true when it comes to lighters. For example, in the UK, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) decides the rules. These include that you only carry a lighter on your person.

Once you know which airline you’re flying with, look up their own rules. These can potentially be quite numerous and lengthy. Perhaps the airline bans lighters containing unabsorbed liquid fuel, for example.

Tips for Traveling with Cigars and Accessories

Exactly how many cigars you can bring with you depends on the destination country. When travelling from the US, the maximum can be as high as 50. You can best protect your cigars by keeping them close to you (that is, in your carry-on). Nonetheless, this likely isn’t practical if you want to pack dozens of sticks. In this situation, checked luggage is the way to go.

It’s also worth investing in a travel humidor before you set off. This will enable you to store your stogies at just the right humidity. You also need a cigar cutter, but there is the potential risk of it getting confiscated at the airport. To sidestep this issue, pack the cutter in your checked luggage.

Start Packing for Your Getaway!

There are many intricacies to the TSA rules. So, it’s still worth contacting the TSA to ask directly: “Can you bring a lighter on a plane?” That way, you can check for definite whether it’s okay to take your specific lighter (regardless of what type it is).

You can also look forward to packing stogies. Perhaps you love a classic Cohiba Robusto or something closer to a Romeo y Julieta Churchill. Whatever your cigar preferences, you can cater for them with what you put in your luggage.

If you are running low on stogies right now, you can easily replenish before you head off. It doesn’t matter if you don’t live near any brick-and-mortar cigar retailers. Just order online instead! We at Swiss Cuban Cigars offer premium cigars for worldwide delivery.