Can you take a tripod on a plane? Rules by country

Tripods on flights in and from Japan

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

Tripods and monopods: carry-on and checked baggage in Japan
Where	Allowed?	What applies
In the cabin	Yes, within limits	Yes if 60cm or less when folded. Longer tripods and monopods go in checked baggage.
In checked baggage	Yes	Yes.

Tripods and monopods: the folded length is what gets measured

Japan and Taiwan both measure a tripod collapsed, not standing. The TSA and CASA do not use a length at all.

A row each among the rod-shaped items: Japan's list gives the tripod and the monopod a row each in its section for rod-shaped items, the group that also holds iron pipes. The opening notes of the list say some articles are restricted in the cabin by length and point readers to the row concerned. Both of these rows measure the item folded, so the working height of a tripod is not the figure that counts.
Taiwan pairs the 60 cm line with tube thickness: Taiwan's CAA uses the same 60 cm figure but adds a second test. Its ban covers camera tripods whose tube diameter is 1 cm or more and whose height is over 60 cm, and for a telescopic tripod the height is the one after it is collapsed. Japan's rows carry no diameter test, only the folded length.
Selfie sticks are not in Japan's list: The list has rows for the tripod and the monopod and none for the selfie stick. Abroad the item is named and the answers split. The TSA's Selfie Stick entry is a Yes in both columns. CASA files a selfie stick in the same category as camera tripods and monopods and flags it as a security item that is checked in.
In Australia the camera may ride in the cabin, the tripod may not: CASA's entry groups the camera tripod and monopod with glidecams and other similar photography equipment and flags the whole group as a security item for the checked bag. The camera has a separate entry, flagged for both carry-on and checked baggage, with a pointer to the rules for portable electronic devices.

Tripods: the rule country by country

Tripods are not allowed in carry-on in Australia. In the United States the authority's page lists tripods as allowed in carry-on.

Tripods and monopods: carry-on and checked baggage rules by country
Flying from	Carry-on	Checked bag	What the authority says
JapanCivil Aviation Bureau	With limits	Yes	Yes if 60cm or less when folded. Longer tripods and monopods go in checked baggage. Source
United StatesTSA	Yes	Yes	Tripods and camera monopods are allowed in carry-on and checked bags. Check with the airline that an item you carry on will fit in the overhead bin or under the seat.TSA entry: Tripods, Camera Monopod Source
TaiwanCivil Aviation Administration	With limits	Yes	Camera tripods with a tube diameter of 1 cm or more and a height over 60 cm (measured folded if telescopic) may not be in hand baggage or carried on your person. They must go in checked baggage. Source
AustraliaHome Affairs, CASA	No	Yes	Camera tripods, monopods and similar photography equipment, and selfie sticks, are listed as security items: not allowed in carry-on, allowed in checked baggage.CASA Pack Right entry: Camera tripod, monopod, film, glidecam and other similar photography equipment, Selfie stick 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 tripods through

What to do: Move tripods 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 tripods in Japan

Where to buy: Electronics shops and hundred-yen shops.

Frequently asked questions

Can you take a tripod on a plane?

On flights in and from Japan: Yes if 60cm or less when folded. Longer tripods and monopods go in checked baggage. In checked baggage: Yes.

Is a tripod measured folded or extended for carry-on?

Folded. Japan's list words the limit as a length of 60 cm or less in the folded state, for tripods and monopods alike. Taiwan's CAA also judges a telescopic tripod by its height after it is collapsed, and its ban applies only when the tube diameter is 1 cm or more and that height is over 60 cm.

Is a camera monopod allowed in flight as carry-on?

Yes in Japan when it folds to 60 cm or less: the monopod has its own row there, with the same note as the tripod. The TSA clears Camera Monopod for carry-on and tells passengers to confirm with the airline that it fits in the overhead bin or under the seat. CASA does not allow a monopod to be carried on.

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

Tripods and camera monopods are allowed in carry-on and checked bags. Check with the airline that an item you carry on will fit in the overhead bin or under the seat.

What is the rule for tripods on flights from Australia and Taiwan?

Australia: Camera tripods, monopods and similar photography equipment, and selfie sticks, are listed as security items: not allowed in carry-on, allowed in checked baggage. Taiwan: Camera tripods with a tube diameter of 1 cm or more and a height over 60 cm (measured folded if telescopic) may not be in hand baggage or carried on your person. They must go in checked baggage.

Related items

Sources for this page

Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (MLIT) — Items restricted in carry-on and checked baggage (updated 24 April 2026)checked October 2, 2026
TSA — What Can I Bring?: Tripods + Camera Monopodchecked October 1, 2026
Taiwan CAA — Articles that may not be carried into the aircraft cabin (announcement of 18 June 2024)checked October 1, 2026
CASA — Pack Right: Camera tripod, monopod, film, glidecam and other similar photography equipmentchecked October 1, 2026
Taiwan CAA — Items that may not be carried into the cabin (公告 113.06.18)checked October 1, 2026