Can you take pens on a plane? Rules by country

Pens on flights in and from Japan

The rule for pens comes from the Civil Aviation Bureau's list of restricted items. On international flights its liquids list applies as well.

Pens and pencils: carry-on and checked baggage in Japan

Where	Allowed?	What applies
In the cabin	Yes	Yes. Japan's liquids list names fountain pens and ball-point pens as stationery outside the liquid limit: carry them on in any quantity, with nothing to declare. A bottle of fountain pen ink is on the list as a liquid, so on international flights it falls under the 100ml limit.
In checked baggage	Yes	Yes.

Japan's list does not name tactical pens. It says an item can be refused in the cabin when the airline or the security screener judges that its material, strength or shape could make it a weapon.

Ballpoints, fountain pens, ink bottles and tactical pens

An ordinary pen is not a security item. The answers change for ink carried in a bottle and for pens built as weapons.

Ink in the pen is free, ink in a bottle is a liquid: Japan's liquids list puts writing instruments, with fountain pens and ball-point pens as its examples, among items that need no particular declaration. The same list's row of liquids and gels names fountain pen ink, sumi ink, correction fluid, liquid glue and watercolours. So the pen passes as it is, and the refill bottle follows the liquid rules on international flights.
The TSA lists a tactical pen apart from a pen: The TSA has 2 entries. Pen is allowed in carry-on and checked bags. Tactical Pen is not allowed in carry-on bags and is allowed in checked bags. Kubatons, the short striking sticks that some tactical pens copy, are listed the same way: no in carry-on, yes in checked.
Pencils and sharpeners: The TSA lists Pencil Sharpeners as allowed in carry-on and checked bags. Japan's stationery row gives only fountain pens and ball-point pens as examples and does not name pencils, mechanical pencils or sharpeners, so no pencil rule can be quoted from it.
A letter opener in the pen case is a knife in Japan: Japan's list files the paper knife in its knife group, marked not allowed in the cabin and allowed in checked baggage. The note on that row lets one through only when the tip is not sharp and it is judged not to be a weapon.

Carry-onChecked bag

Liquids (the 100ml rule)Carry-on: conditionsChecked bag: yes Glue and adhesivesCarry-on: noChecked bag: no Knives (kitchen and pocket)Carry-on: noChecked bag: yes

Pens: the rule country by country

The carry-on answer for pens is the same in the other place we checked.

Pens and pencils: carry-on and checked baggage rules by country

Flying from	Carry-on	Checked bag	What the authority says
JapanCivil Aviation Bureau	Yes	Yes	Japan's liquids list names fountain pens and ball-point pens as stationery outside the liquid limit: carry them on in any quantity, with nothing to declare. Source
United StatesTSA	Yes	Yes	Pens are allowed in carry-on and checked bags. A tactical pen is a separate entry: not allowed in carry-on bags, allowed in checked bags.TSA entry: Pen, Tactical Pen Source

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

Frequently asked questions

Can you take pens on a plane?

On flights in and from Japan: Yes. Japan's liquids list names fountain pens and ball-point pens as stationery outside the liquid limit: carry them on in any quantity, with nothing to declare. A bottle of fountain pen ink is on the list as a liquid, so on international flights it falls under the 100ml limit. In checked baggage: Yes.

Can you bring a fountain pen on a plane?

Yes. Japan's liquids list names fountain pens next to ball-point pens in its stationery row, as articles permitted in the cabin with no particular declaration. The ink inside the pen is not treated as a separate liquid. The TSA's Pen entry is allowed in carry-on and checked bags.

Can you take a bottle of fountain pen ink in carry-on?

Only in a small bottle on international flights from Japan. The Japanese liquids list names fountain pen ink in its liquids and gels row, and Narita Airport says liquids in containers with a capacity exceeding 100 ml (g) cannot be brought onto an international flight. Sumi ink and correction fluid are in the same row.

Is a tactical pen allowed in carry-on luggage?

No in the United States. The TSA lists Tactical Pen as not allowed in carry-on bags and allowed in checked bags. Japan's list has no tactical pen row. It says an item can be refused in the cabin when the airline or the screener judges that its material, strength or shape could make it a weapon.

Do gel pens and markers have to go in the liquids bag?

No list in our sources says so. Japan's liquids list treats writing instruments as articles permitted in the cabin, and says a particular declaration is not required for them. Its examples are fountain pens and ball-point pens. Gel pens and markers are not named.

Does the TSA allow a pen in carry-on bags?

Pens are allowed in carry-on and checked bags. A tactical pen is a separate entry: not allowed in carry-on bags, allowed in checked bags.

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