Can You Take A Pickleball Paddle On A Plane?

You might be planning a vacation or a trip and want to take your pickleball paddles with you. However, you are wondering if pickleball paddles are allowed on the plane.

As a pickleball lover, it’s natural that you want to keep your paddle with you. You don’t know when you will get a chance to have a friendly match. So let me get straight to the answer.

Yes, you can take a pickleball paddle on a plane, and no airline states otherwise. However, the real question is if it is allowed in a carry-on bag or if you must check it. Let us share what we found.

Table of Contents

• TSA Rules About Carrying Pickleball Paddle on Plane (For US)
• CATSA Rules About Pickleball Paddles on Plane (For Canada)
• For Other Countries
• The Bottom Line

TSA Rules About Carrying Pickleball Paddle on Plane (For US)

According to TSA rules about luggage, tennis rackets are allowed in carry-on and checked-in bags. However, their rule book has no clear-cut instructions on pickleball paddles.

But, on its Twitter account, TSA has confirmed that you can take a pickleball paddle on a plane, both in your carry-on and checked bags.

Great question! Your pickleball paddles are allowed in both your carry on and checked bags. Safe travels!

— AskTSA (@AskTSA) July 29, 2016

There’s a catch, though. In another tweet, TSA states that its officers have the authority to prohibit you from carrying a pickleball paddle if it triggers an alarm during the security process.

1: Pickleball paddles aren’t specifically mentioned on our prohibited items list for carry-on bags. However, our officers have the discretion to not allow an item through security if it triggers an alarm during the screening process…

— AskTSA (@AskTSA) August 2, 2022

If you are thinking about what security risk a pickleball paddle can cause? Well, it’s up to the officer in charge. If they think it can be used as a weapon to harm a person, they can stop you from carrying it on a plane. It is hard to predict anything with TSA.

That’s the reason people have had mixed experiences. Some passengers didn’t face any issues with their paddles in their carry-on bags. On the contrary, some were stopped and had their paddles confiscated. In case yours get seized too, you can always refer to our list of the best pickleball paddles.

In short, you won’t have any problem carrying your pickleball paddle unless it’s your bad day.

CATSA Rules About Pickleball Paddles on Plane (For Canada)

If you are traveling from Canada and want to know whether it’s allowed to carry a pickleball paddle on a plane. You don’t have to worry because CATSA allows you to travel with your paddle in carry-on bags.

Yet, if you check CATSA’s official website, it clearly mentions that even when there is no issue with carrying racquets and balls, some airlines may have different policies. They suggest checking with the air carrier beforehand to avoid any last-minute hassle.

For Other Countries

From what we found during our research, airlines have no issue in most countries if you carry your paddle to the plane. You can check it or keep the paddle in a carry-on bag. However, we recommend you contact the local authorities and the airline to clarify any confusion.

In case you don’t conform to the airline policies, you may have to leave your precious paddle if the authorities deny permission to carry it on a plane. In that case, you either have to pay extra to check it or they will confiscate your paddle.

You definitely don’t want any of that to happen. Hence, we advise you to ask the relevant authorities.

The Bottom Line

In short, there’s usually no issue if you take your pickleball paddle on a plane. However, there can be a case when the authorities do not allow passengers to carry it on the plane. To avoid such trouble, it’s better to confirm before check-in.