What can you not carry on an airplane

If you’re travelling by air, make sure you know what you’re allowed to have in your carry-on and checked baggage.

Some items that aren’t allowed in carry-on bags can be packed in checked baggage. As this page provides a list of banned items, to determine if an item can be placed in checked baggage, see the What can I bring? searchable list on the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) website.

On this page:

• Part 1: Items that are banned in carry-on for all flights
• Part 2: Items that are banned in carry-on for flights to the US
• Part 3: Items that are banned from checked baggage

Part 1: Items that are banned in carry-on for all flights

You aren’t allowed to pack these items in carry-on for any flight:

1. 1. Guns, firearms or another device that could seriously injure someone by launching harmful objects. This includes items that could be mistaken for this type of device (like a toy gun), like:
   • any type of firearm
   • toy, replica and imitation weapons
   • firearm parts (except telescopic sights)
   • compressed air and CO2 guns, like pistols pellet guns, rifles and ball bearing guns
   • flare and starter pistols
   • bows, cross bows and arrows
   • harpoon guns and spear guns
   • slingshots and catapults
2. 2. Devices that can stun or immobilise someone, like:
   • devices that can shock someone, like tasers and stun batons
   • animal stunners
   • chemicals and sprays like mace, pepper spray or capsicum spray, tear gas, acid sprays and animal repellent sprays
3. 3. Sharp objects that could cause a serious injury, like:
   • axes, hatchets and cleavers
   • ice axes and ice picks
   • items that include razor blades, like box cutters, utility knives, and safety razors
   • knives with blades that are longer than 6 cm
   • scissors with blades that are longer than 6 cm from the fulcrum (the pin where the blades are held together)
   • martial arts equipment with sharp points or edges
   • swords or sabres
4. 4. Tools that could cause serious injury or threaten the safety of aircraft, like:
   • crowbars and hammers
   • drills and drill bits, including cordless drills
   • tools with shafts longer than 6 cm (not including the handle) that could be used as a weapon, like screwdrivers and chisels
   • saws, including cordless power saws
   • blowtorches and gas torches
   • bolt guns and nail guns
5. 5. Blunt objects that could cause serious injury, like:
   • Baseball or cricket bats
   • golf clubs, billiard cues, ski poles
   • hockey or lacrosse sticks
   • brass knuckles
   • clubs and batons, like billy clubs, blackjacks and night sticks
   • martial arts weapons
6. 6. Explosive or incendiary substances or devices that could be used to cause serious injury or threaten the safety of the aircraft, including:
   • ammunition (bullets), propellant powder, gunpowder
   • blasting caps
   • detonators and fuses
   • replica or imitation explosive devices (like a fake bomb)
   • mines, grenades and other military supplies
   • flares or fireworks
   • canisters or cartridges that create smoke
7. 7. Liquids, aerosols and gels
   • Any liquid, aerosol or gel - other than formula, milk, breast milk, juice or food for infants – that’s in a container larger than 100 ml or 100 g and cannot fit in in a 1L sealed clear plastic bag
   • Note: you can only carry one 1L sealed clear plastic bag, so all containers under 100ml or 100g must fit in the same bag 1L bag
8. 8. Dangerous goods
   • You can usually identify dangerous goods by a mark or label on the packaging
   • You can only transport dangerous goods if they are:
     • listed in the Schedule of the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, and
     • being transported according to Part 12 of the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations
   • Caustic materials (including acids)
   • Carbon dioxide cartridges and other compressed gases
9. 9. Inorganic powder and granular material
   • 350 ml or more of powder or granular material like baby powder, foot powder, cooking powder, bath salt, sea salt and sand

Part 2: Items that are banned in carry-on for flights to the US

Some Canadian airports have preclearance facilities where you and your baggage are cleared to enter the United States before you arrive.

If you’re taking a flight to the US that’s being precleared in Canada, you can’t pack any type of knife.

Part 3: Items that are banned from checked baggage for all flights

In Canada, you aren’t allowed to pack these items in your check baggage:

• anything that’s illegal under the Criminal Code of Canada
• any explosive substance, or
• any device that can ignite

You can pack an unloaded firearm as long as it’s placed in a locked, hard-sided container. You must also declare all firearms, firearm parts, bullets and cartridges to your airline during check-in. For details on how to transport these items in your checked baggage, please contact your airline.

If you’re unsure about an item that you’d like to pack in your checked baggage, please contact your airline.

Related links

• Border information for international travel