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Can you take tools on a plane?

In Japan tools are allowed in carry-on with conditions, and in checked bags. Carry-on: Small tools only. Screwdrivers: total length 15cm or less and shaft 6cm or less. Spanners, wrenches and crowbars: 15cm or less. A small portable tool set is fine if it has no ice pick or awl. Electric screwdrivers, drills and saws cannot be carried on. Checked baggage: Yes.

Updated

Yes, within limitsCarry-on in Japan
YesChecked bag in Japan
9countries compared

Carry-on: conditionsChecked bag: yes

Tools on flights in and from Japan

The rule for tools comes from the Civil Aviation Bureau's list of restricted items and is the same on domestic and international flights.

Tools (screwdrivers, spanners): carry-on and checked baggage in Japan
WhereAllowed?What applies
In the cabinYes, within limitsSmall tools only. Screwdrivers: total length 15cm or less and shaft 6cm or less. Spanners, wrenches and crowbars: 15cm or less. A small portable tool set is fine if it has no ice pick or awl. Electric screwdrivers, drills and saws cannot be carried on.
In checked baggageYesYes.

Screwdrivers, spanners and pliers: what each list measures

Japan, the TSA, the European Commission, South Korea and Hong Kong all measure tools, but not along the same part. Some other lists skip the ruler and name the tools.

Whole tool, shaft only, or metal part
Japan measures a screwdriver overall and along the shaft, and both must fit: 15 cm or less in total, 6 cm or less of shaft. The TSA measures screwdrivers, wrenches and pliers from end to end and allows 7 inches or shorter. The European Commission and Hong Kong's CAD look at the blade or shaft alone and ban more than 6 cm, and South Korea measures the metal part without the handle.
Screwdrivers that come apart
Japan's list adds a measuring rule for screwdrivers whose grip and shaft can be separated: measure with the parts fitted together. The TSA writes the same idea into its entries for screwdrivers, wrenches and pliers: measured from end to end when assembled. Taking a screwdriver apart does not shorten it for either list.
Spanners and pliers: measured in some places, refused by name in others
Japan allows spanners, wrenches and crowbars of 15 cm or less in the cabin, and the TSA applies its 7 inch line to wrenches and pliers. GOV.UK gives these tools no length: its work tools table says no to a screwdriver, pliers, a wrench or spanner and a crowbar. Hong Kong's CAD bans pliers and wrenches or spanners outright. Pliers have no row on Japan's list.
Power tools, drills and drill bits
Japan's list refuses electric screwdrivers, electric saws and drills in the cabin, and counts mains, battery and rechargeable drills alike. Drill bits have their own row: not allowed in the cabin because they could be used in combination with other things. The TSA says power tools must be packed in checked bags, while spare lithium batteries for them travel in a carry-on bag.
Calipers, rulers and compasses
Japan's list marks drawing compasses and dividers as allowed in both bags, and calipers on the row above them the same way. Taiwan's CAA reads measuring tools differently: metal vernier calipers and metal rulers thicker than 0.5 mm are on its list of items that must be checked. CAAC lists vernier calipers among the tools that cannot be carried on.

Tools: the rule country by country

Tools are not allowed in carry-on in the United Kingdom, Taiwan, Mainland China and Australia.

Tools (screwdrivers, spanners): carry-on and checked baggage rules by country
Flying fromCarry-onChecked bagWhat the authority says
JapanCivil Aviation BureauWith limitsYesSmall tools only. Screwdrivers: total length 15cm or less and shaft 6cm or less. Spanners, wrenches and crowbars: 15cm or less. A small portable tool set is fine if it has no ice pick or awl. Source
United StatesTSAWith limitsYesTools 7 inches or shorter (measured from end to end when assembled) are allowed in carry-on bags. Tools longer than 7 inches are prohibited in carry-on and must be packed in checked bags.TSA entry: Screwdrivers (shorter than 7 inches), Wrenches/Pliers Source
European UnionEuropean Commission, EASAWith limitsYesTools with a blade or shaft of more than 6 cm usable as a weapon, such as screwdrivers and chisels, are prohibited in cabin baggage. Such items (the page names drills and saws) must be surrendered at security or packed in hold luggage. Source
United KingdomUK GovernmentNoYesScrewdrivers, pliers, wrenches and spanners are not allowed in hand luggage, and neither is any tool with a blade or shaft longer than 6cm. They can go in hold luggage. Source
South KoreaMOLIT Aviation Security 365With limitsYesTools that could be used as a weapon, such as screwdrivers and chisels, are banned from the cabin when the metal part (handle excluded) is over 6cm. They can go in checked baggage. Source
TaiwanCivil Aviation AdministrationNoYesScrewdrivers are named among the tools (with hammers, axes and awls) that may not be in hand baggage or carried on your person. They must go in checked baggage. Source
Hong KongCivil Aviation DepartmentWith limits—Wrenches, spanners, pliers and hammers are banned from cabin baggage, as are tools with blades or shafts of more than 6 cm, such as screwdrivers and chisels. Source
Mainland ChinaCAACNoYesTools such as screwdrivers, wrenches, pliers, saws, crowbars and drills with bits cannot be carried on but can be checked. Source
AustraliaHome Affairs, CASANoYesScrewdrivers, crowbars, hammers, pliers and wrenches, and hardware tools in general, are prohibited in carry-on. They can go in checked baggage.CASA Pack Right entry: Screwdrivers, crowbars, hammers, pliers and wrenches, Hardware tools Source

Each row comes from that authority's own page. Airlines can be stricter, and the screening officer has the final say.

If security in Japan will not let tools through

What to do
Move tools to the bag you check in before you reach security. Narita Airport states that anything given up at the checkpoint is discarded and cannot be returned.

Buying tools in Japan

Where to buy
Home centres and hundred-yen shops.

Frequently asked questions

Can you take tools on a plane?

On flights in and from Japan: Small tools only. Screwdrivers: total length 15cm or less and shaft 6cm or less. Spanners, wrenches and crowbars: 15cm or less. A small portable tool set is fine if it has no ice pick or awl. Electric screwdrivers, drills and saws cannot be carried on. In checked baggage: Yes.

Can you take a screwdriver in carry-on baggage?

Only a short one, and not from every airport. Japan allows a screwdriver of 15 cm or less overall with a shaft of 6 cm or less, measured with the grip attached. The TSA allows screwdrivers of 7 inches or shorter. GOV.UK says no to any screwdriver in hand luggage, and Taiwan's CAA and Australia's Home Affairs list screwdrivers among the tools that cannot be carried on.

Can you bring a cordless drill on a plane?

Yes in checked baggage, no in the cabin. Japan's list marks drills as not allowed in carry-on, battery and rechargeable ones included, and treats drill bits the same way. The European Commission's list bans drills and drill bits, including cordless portable power drills, from cabin baggage. The TSA says power tools with installed batteries must be packed in checked bags, protected from accidental activation.

Does the TSA allow tools in carry-on bags?

Tools 7 inches or shorter (measured from end to end when assembled) are allowed in carry-on bags. Tools longer than 7 inches are prohibited in carry-on and must be packed in checked bags.

Can you take tools in hand luggage in the UK or Europe?

The United Kingdom: Screwdrivers, pliers, wrenches and spanners are not allowed in hand luggage, and neither is any tool with a blade or shaft longer than 6cm. They can go in hold luggage. The European Union: Tools with a blade or shaft of more than 6 cm usable as a weapon, such as screwdrivers and chisels, are prohibited in cabin baggage. Such items (the page names drills and saws) must be surrendered at security or packed in hold luggage.

What is the rule for tools on flights from Taiwan, Mainland China and Australia?

Taiwan: Screwdrivers are named among the tools (with hammers, axes and awls) that may not be in hand baggage or carried on your person. They must go in checked baggage. Mainland China: Tools such as screwdrivers, wrenches, pliers, saws, crowbars and drills with bits cannot be carried on but can be checked. Australia: Screwdrivers, crowbars, hammers, pliers and wrenches, and hardware tools in general, are prohibited in carry-on. They can go in checked baggage.

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Compiled by Japan Japan !! · Updated October 2, 2026