Tattooing is a popular hobby, and tattoo artists know how important to take care of their equipment.
But when traveling by air, you need to consider whether you can take all your tattoo kit with you in one place.
And the best part?
Most tattoo machines and needles are good to go in both carry-on and checked bags. Ink is also allowed in carry-on bags but the ink containers must be 3.4 oz / 100 ml or less and must be placed in a single quart-sized bag with other liquids.
In this post, you’ll learn everything about traveling with tattoo equipment in both carry on and checked baggage.
Let’s jump in.
TSA Tattoo Equipment Policy
The TSA regulates what items to take through the security checkpoint and on planes in the United States.
And you will need to make sure that your tattoo supplies (tattoo gun, needles, tubes, tips, grips …) are compliant with their rules.
The TSA mentioned only tattoo guns and ink on its website, which we are going to talk about in more details below.
So I checked Twitter to have a general idea about the other equipment.
This passenger wanted to bring her tattoo kit on carry-on, specifically needles.
Clear as mud?
The TSA agreed that tattoo needles are good to go in carry-on bags, however; ink must be in containers of 3.4 oz / 100 ml or less.
Tattoo Gun / Tattoo Machine
Tattoo guns are accepted in both carry and checked baggage, however tattoo guns with lithium batteries are only allowed in hand luggage.
Here is a screenshot from the TSA.
Tattoo Ink
Tattoo ink has the same exact rules as traveling with toiletries, if you are not familiar with the TSA liquid rules, here is an idea.
Liquids are only allowed in carry-on baggage in containers of less or equal to 3.4 oz / 100 ml, and need to be placed inside a quart sized bag, you can bring as many as a quart size bag will take.
Take Tattoo Equipment in checked baggage
You can pack your tattoo kit on a plane in checked baggage.
If you are placing all your tattoo equipment in checked baggage, ensure that you carefully pack them so they won’t get damaged meanwhile the TSA or the security officers do not get hurt while inspecting your bag.
You can use a sturdy hard case (Amazon Link), that way you want to be worried about your equipment to be damaged even when tossed around with the airlines baggage handlers.
Tip: Check out this Travelpro Platinum Elite 21” Carry-On Spinner, a sleek and versatile carry-on that is designed to fit within the limits of most airlines, to save you from the hassle of the airports and the pesky airline fees.
Final Thoughts
You can pack your tattoo equipment ( tattoo machine, tattoo needles,tubes,tips , and grips ) in both carrying and checked baggage on most airlines.
It is only tattoo ink that has limits in carry-on baggage, it needs to be 3.4 oz / 100 ml or less for a single container.
On the other hand you can place ink in checked baggage without any restrictions.
We hope this helps .
Happy travels.
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