Small, blunt-tip kid scissors (like the ones you used in kindergarten) are totally fine. Fabric scissors or embroidery scissors under 4 inches? Also good to go.
But huge tailoring shears or kitchen scissors with blades over 4 inches? Nope—those have to be checked. Sorry, aspiring Edward Scissorhands.
And here’s a funny twist: scissors with sharp points are still okay if the blade is short. The TSA cares about the cutting edge, not the pointiness. So your pointy little craft scissors can fly free.
What About Round-End Scissors?
If your scissors have rounded tips (like safety scissors), you’re in the clear. They’re basically harmless unless you plan to give someone a really gentle haircut.
But don’t try to fool the TSA with a pair of scissors that look small but have a blade exactly 4 inches long. They measure with precision, and they’ve seen every trick.
One time I brought a tiny pair of scissors for trimming my mustache—true story—and the agent just smiled and said, “You got a beard, too?” We laughed. It was fine.
