Whether you are a parent traveling a long haul with your kids wanting to take highlighters along to keep them entertained or an artist embarking on their first flight with art supplies, the question to be answered remains the same- can you bring highlighters on a plane?
The folks responsible for screening baggage at the various security checkpoints throughout the airport are the agents of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), who have the right to throw away or discard any of your luggage if it is deemed dangerous or prohibited.
Therefore, you must be aware of the art items you can carry along or not, and the focal discussion topic of our artist’s travel guide today is whether can you bring highlighters on a plane.
Can You Bring Highlighters On A Plane?
Regarding carrying highlighters with you on a plane, the TSA authorities have extended the same verdict application as it is for pens, pencils, and markers. According to the rules and regulations of the TSA, highlighters are not considered dangerous materials; therefore, there are no restrictions, and highlighters are permitted to be taken on board. 
However, it is always a good idea, keeping you on the safe side, to beforehand confirm and double-check with the airline you are traveling with for specific guidelines. Though the TSA may allow you to board the plane with highlighters, the airline might have something opposing regarding highlighters.
Rules and regulations are subject to fluctuation per the airline you are traveling with and the country you may travel from and to, or vice versa.
Generally, items akin to highlighters can be packed and carried in any piece of luggage, no matter whether it is your checked or carry-on bag. But still, there is a preference for all travelers to pack highlighters in a carry-on bag so that any potentially occurring damage can be prevented, which would have otherwise easily occurred when packed in checked luggage.
Highlighters placed in a personal or carry-on bag do not require to be scanned through extra security, nor is there an obligation for you to declare them or pull them out at a security terminal. In comparison, packing highlighters in checked luggage could have led to all these problems arising at the security checkout.
Typical TSA Rules:
Although our key discussion topic concerns whether you can bring highlighters on a plane, if you are an artist who is frequently traveling, then learning about a few other typical TSA rules will be to your benefit.
All the rules we state surround the topic of multiple writing utensils that a passenger might consider taking along with them on a plane. While you read through the typical TSA rules, be attentive so that you can beware of the art supplies you can or cannot carry on your next flight.
- Ensure to pack all your highlighters, markers, pencils, and pens in your personal or carry-on bags for convenient accessibility to them.
- Any ink or felt-tip pen must be capped and tapped for additional safety and protection against spills.
- Pencils, colored pens, and highlighters are preferred and permitted to be traveled within a carry-on bag.
- Pack all pencils, pens, and highlighters in checked luggage.
- Do not pull out individual highlighters or pens for scans at a security checkout.
- Do not board a plane with tactical pens.
- Place your vape pen in your carry-on as they are not allowed in checked luggage, and do not use them on flights or at the airport.
- Weed pens are only allowed if cleaned and emptied of residue.
What NOT To Take On A Plane:
We have highlighted all kinds of pens and artistic supplies allowed on a plane, such as highlighters and markers, but what products are strictly prohibited from being carried on a plane?
Any artistic supply containing large sharpened objects like scissors or paper cutters cannot be brought to a plane. TSA authorities state in their rule book that bringing art supplies on a plane is completely okay if they cannot be used as a potential weapon.
Additionally, for gel liquid materials such as ink or paint, it has been specified for the liquids to be carried in a quart-sized transparent bag, with the liquid capacity not exceeding 100ml or 3.04 ounces.
Sometimes, we think of certain things not to be harmless, but when viewed from a different perspective, TSA considers them prohibited. For example, on the website, TSA lists some art supplies falling under the general category of “prohibited items.”
These supplies are any liquid exceeding the liquid limit of three ounces, including medium solvents, ink, gel substances, and paint tubes. Similarly, explosive pens (fountain pens) are strictly prohibited from being carried in a checked or carry-on bag.
Moreover, any art supply composed of metal like scissors, palette knives, or any other material assisting in cutting and made of metal with blades longer than six inches can result in you seeking trouble with the TSA and the airline authorities.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
Which pen is not allowed in flight?
Precisely, the TSA and the airlines do not allow any tactical pens on flights as they are considered to be harmful objects.
If I have authorization from the airline to carry liquid more than 100ml, will TSA allow it?
Only with authorization from your airline you can carry a liquid that exceeds the cap of 100ml, and the authorization script or the declaration form needs to be presented to the TSA for them to allow your baggage.
Do pencils count as a liquid on planes?
No pencils such as shading, drawing, or color pencils do not count as a liquid on planes.
Do the same rules for art pencils apply to makeup pencils?
Yes, more or less, the same rules for art pencils also apply to makeup pencils, and you are permitted to carry your lip or eye pencils with you on a plane.
