(Ballpoint) Pens In Hand Luggage: Allowed?

 

Can I carry a pen in my hand luggage?

Yes, no problem at all. It is even highly recommended to bring a ballpoint pen in your hand luggage. Like this, you will always have a pen at hand to fill in important travel documents such as the arrival and departure cards.  

The flight attendants will, of course, be happy to provide you with such a pen, but as these pens are usually in great demand, you may have to wait for quite some time before you actually receive one. 

If you fill out the cards at the airport, then the situation is usually not much better: At the desks, where you can fill in the cards, there are sometimes no pens available or they are either defective or already in use. Of course, this is annoying. It is, therefore, really very practical to have a pen with you when traveling by air. 

 

Isn’t the liquid in the pen a problem?

In principle, the rule for liquids in hand luggage must also be observed for ballpoint pens. Therefore the ballpoint pen should be stored in the bag for liquids during transport in hand luggage.

However, practice shows that this is not necessary when it comes to ballpoint pens. Your ballpoint pens and any other kind of pen, such as a fountain pen, will also be tolerated if you transport it outside the bag for liquids. If you want to be on the safe side, you can also stow the pen in the bag.

 

Ballpoint pens and pointed pen refills

We have seen that ballpoint pens are fine in hand luggage. You can easily bring one or even two or three if you like and nobody will care at the security checkpoint.

This is, however, rather surprising because the refills of these pens are pointed and might be used as a stabbing weapon. This may sound a bit exaggerated to you, but most items that are even a little pointed are prohibited in hand luggage.

 

Is a ballpoint pen also allowed in hand luggage in the USA?

Yes, indeed. In the USA, ballpoint pens are allowed in both hand luggage and checked baggage.

Confirmation of this can be found at the American Transportation Security Agency TSA

 

Ballpoint pens of various airlines

By the way, for real lovers there are lots of ballpoint pens from various airlines to buy on eBay: from a bizarre Lufthansa Cargo ballpoint pen in fish shape to a silver Balkan Airlines Pen from the 80s to Air Berlin ballpoint pens!

You might want to have a look at those beauties and get one for yourself while they last! Here is the link: Airline Ballpoint Pens

 

Related Questions

Are fountain pens allowed in Hand Luggage? Yes. You might bring your fountain pen with you in your carry-on bag. However, there are a few things to keep in mind, when doing so. Have a look at our article “Fountain Pens in Hand Luggage” to get some useful information on this topic.

Can you take razors in your hand Luggage? It is generally allowed to carry razors in hand luggage. However, only the transport of certain types is allowed. Electric razors, for instance, are allowed. Disposable razors are also OK to go. Safety razors, on the other hand, are forbidden in hand luggage.

Can you bring wet wipes in your hand luggage? Yes. Wet wipes are allowed in carry-on bags. Even though wet wipes contain a little bit of liquid, they are tolerated in hand luggage and are usually not subject to the liquid rule in hand luggage.

Can you bring coffee in your hand luggage? Yes, but not in liquid form (only 100 ml). Coffee capsules and coffee beans are no problem. If you would like to bring coffee powder in hand luggage when travelling to the US, you would further need to make sure to respect the powder rule for powdery substances in hand luggage. You can find more about this topic here.