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Can you take a stun gun or taser on a plane?

In Japan stun guns are banned from carry-on; checked bags only, with conditions. Carry-on: No. Stun guns and extendable batons cannot be carried on. Checked baggage: The aviation list accepts them in checked baggage, but possession can itself be illegal in Japan under the Firearms and Swords Control Act and other laws.

Updated

NoCarry-on in Japan
ConditionsChecked bag in Japan
8countries compared

Carry-on: noChecked bag: conditions

Stun guns on flights in and from Japan

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

Stun guns and batons: carry-on and checked baggage in Japan
WhereAllowed?What applies
In the cabinNoNo. Stun guns and extendable batons cannot be carried on.
In checked baggageConditionsThe aviation list accepts them in checked baggage, but possession can itself be illegal in Japan under the Firearms and Swords Control Act and other laws.
Narita AirportNarita says a baton cannot be carried into the cabin because it is a weapon-like item; put it in your suitcase and check it in.Narita International Airport FAQ
A black X26 TASER stun gun with yellow and black warning stripes on a white background
Photo: Police issue X26 TASER-white.jpg by Junglecat (CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped), via Wikimedia Commons.

Stun guns, tasers and batons: battery, type and local law

Japan's list treats a stun gun as a weapon and says nothing about its battery. Other lists look at the battery as well, and Hong Kong at whether you may hold one at all.

Filed as a weapon, with nothing about the battery
Japan's list has the stun gun in its miscellaneous section, between handcuffs and shovels, and the extendable baton under martial and self-defence gear with nunchaku and knuckle dusters. All are × for carry-on and ○ for checked baggage, and no row has a remark about batteries. The only note in that group is for the jitte, an old police truncheon, which may be carried on if it is plainly a toy.
A taser's battery can rule out checked baggage too
A baton is only a weapon; a taser can also be dangerous goods. Taiwan's CAA and Australia's CASA forbid electro-shock weapons such as tasers that contain explosives, compressed gas or lithium batteries in any baggage, and Hong Kong's CAD marks electro shock weapons ✘ for carry-on and checked bags. The TSA notes that some of these devices are manufactured with lithium batteries and points to the FAA battery rules.
Not every baton is a weapon
The English word covers more than one row on Japan's list. The police-style extendable baton is kept out of the cabin, but the sports baton is treated differently: one for relay races or baton twirling may be carried on if it is 60 cm or shorter. A longer one goes in checked baggage like the rest.
Handcuffs and personal alarms
Restraints and alarms are listed as well. Japan's list marks handcuffs × for the cabin, and says cabin restrictions cover items that could be used to restrain other passengers. Australia's security list names handcuffs for the same reason, while the TSA allows them in carry-on and checked bags. Mainland China's CAAC puts buzzer-type self-defence alarms among items that may be checked but not carried on.

Stun guns: the rule country by country

The carry-on answer for stun guns is the same in all 7 other places we checked.

Stun guns and batons: carry-on and checked baggage rules by country
Flying fromCarry-onChecked bagWhat the authority says
JapanCivil Aviation BureauNoWith limitsStun guns and extendable batons cannot be carried on. Source
United StatesTSANoWith limitsNot allowed in carry-on. In checked bags, tasers, stun guns and electro-shock weapons must be transported in a manner that renders the device inoperable from accidental discharge. Night sticks are allowed in checked bags.TSA entry: Stun Guns/Shocking Devices, Night Sticks Source
European UnionEuropean Commission, EASANo—Stun guns, tasers and stun batons are prohibited in cabin baggage. So are clubs and batons such as billy clubs, blackjacks and night sticks. Source
South KoreaMOLIT Aviation Security 365NoWith limitsStun guns and batons are banned from the cabin. A stun gun is checked after the airline checks the permit papers; one that needs no permit is checked with the battery removed or the power off. Batons can be checked. Source
TaiwanCivil Aviation AdministrationNoWith limitsPolice batons and stun devices permitted for transport may not be carried into the cabin and go in checked baggage. Stun devices containing explosives, compressed gas or lithium batteries are banned from hand and checked baggage alike. Source
Hong KongCivil Aviation DepartmentNoNoElectro shock weapons are forbidden in carry-on and checked baggage, and stunning devices count as arms that need a licence in Hong Kong. Gravity-operated and spring-loaded steel batons are prohibited weapons under Hong Kong law. Source
Mainland ChinaCAACNoWith limitsStun devices that are not state-controlled items, and sticks including telescopic batons, cannot be carried on but can be checked. State-controlled items such as military and police equipment cannot be carried on or checked. Source
AustraliaHome Affairs, CASANoNoStun guns, tasers, night sticks and batons are weapons and cannot be carried on. Electro-shock weapons containing dangerous goods such as explosives, compressed gases or lithium batteries are not permitted in any baggage.CASA Pack Right entry: Electro-shock weapons (eg. Tasers) containing explosives, compressed gases, lithium batteries etc. 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 stun guns through

What to do
Move stun guns to the bag you check in before you reach security, within the checked-baggage limits above. Narita Airport states that anything given up at the checkpoint is discarded and cannot be returned.
If it gets on board
Taking an item that is restricted from the cabin onto an aircraft is punishable under Japan's Civil Aeronautics Act: up to 2 years' imprisonment or a fine of up to 1,000,000 yen.

Frequently asked questions

Can you take a stun gun or taser on a plane?

On flights in and from Japan: No. Stun guns and extendable batons cannot be carried on. In checked baggage: The aviation list accepts them in checked baggage, but possession can itself be illegal in Japan under the Firearms and Swords Control Act and other laws.

Can I transit through Hong Kong with a stun gun in my checked bag?

No. Hong Kong police state that it is illegal for visitors and transit passengers passing through Hong Kong International Airport to carry arms without a licence, a category that includes stunning devices, whether in hand-carried or hold luggage. The Civil Aviation Department points air passengers to that police page by name, citing the stun gun, and marks electro shock weapons as forbidden in both kinds of baggage.

Does a stun gun need its battery removed before it is checked?

Some lists ask for that or more. South Korea checks a stun gun that needs no permit only with the battery removed or the power cut off, and the TSA requires the device to be transported so that it cannot discharge by accident. Taiwan and Australia go further and forbid electro-shock weapons containing lithium batteries in any baggage. Japan's list sets no battery condition.

Does the TSA allow a stun gun in carry-on bags?

Not allowed in carry-on. In checked bags, tasers, stun guns and electro-shock weapons must be transported in a manner that renders the device inoperable from accidental discharge. Night sticks are allowed in checked bags.

Can you take a stun gun in hand luggage in the UK or Europe?

The European Union: Stun guns, tasers and stun batons are prohibited in cabin baggage. So are clubs and batons such as billy clubs, blackjacks and night sticks.

Can you put a stun gun in checked luggage?

The aviation list accepts them in checked baggage, but possession can itself be illegal in Japan under the Firearms and Swords Control Act and other laws.

What is the rule for stun guns on flights from South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong?

South Korea: Stun guns and batons are banned from the cabin. A stun gun is checked after the airline checks the permit papers; one that needs no permit is checked with the battery removed or the power off. Batons can be checked. Taiwan: Police batons and stun devices permitted for transport may not be carried into the cabin and go in checked baggage. Stun devices containing explosives, compressed gas or lithium batteries are banned from hand and checked baggage alike. Hong Kong: Electro shock weapons are forbidden in carry-on and checked baggage, and stunning devices count as arms that need a licence in Hong Kong. Gravity-operated and spring-loaded steel batons are prohibited weapons under Hong Kong law.

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