Guide to Contraband

Summary

tl;dr

1. Is the person allowed to have it as part of their job? If yes, it's not contraband.
2. Do they have a permit to have it anyway? If yes, it's not contraband.
3. Is it not on this list of contraband items on the Wiki? If it's not on the list, it's not contraband.
4. Is it dangerous in any way to the user or anyone else? If yes, it's at least minor contraband.
5. Is it intended to cause bodily harm to somebody other than the user, or designed with the intention of breaking into places (such as an emag)? If yes, it's major contraband.

See the Identifying Antagonists page for more items, but this'll be moved over here.

Generally not contraband

The following items are generally not considered contraband for anyone. If they are used in a crime, however, they may be confiscated as evidence. Generally contraband charges wouldn't apply to the first offence, but if the items are confiscated for another crime, contraband charges may apply if they are found with another one.

While many of these items may potentially allow a user to gain access to restricted areas, having the means to bypass access restrictions isn't necessarily a crime - using it is, and some jobs are even expected to gain access to normally-restricted areas as part of their duties, such as engineers or doctors responding to emergencies.

Items	Notes
Size guns	Not contraband for anyone. If used to alter someone against their will, then this is considered assault.
Basic tools	Not contraband. Again, may be confiscated if used in the commission of a crime. This includes insulated gloves and the like.
Job gear	Items used as part as somebody's job, kept within the bounds of that department, are not contraband.
Translocators	Translocators are are not considered contraband in and of themselves despite the potential to bypass access restrictions, but like any other tool may be confiscated if used to facilitate crime or evade security.

If an item is potentially harmful, that does not necessarily make it contraband as long as its harmful nature is not the intended use of the item.

Potentially contraband

These items are not always contraband for the crew to possess, but may be considered so under certain circumstances. Generally speaking, if they're kept in their appropriate department or being used by authorised persons, they're not contraband. If it's a dangerous item that shouldn't be just left lying around or flashed about in the bar to impress people, then it's contraband.

Note that simply having these goods in transit isn't considered the same as going around the station strapped - a scientist or cargotech making a delivery to security isn't committing an offence by "possessing security gear" en-route. Likewise, miners dropping off a crate of materials for science before heading out for another load aren't expected to strip off their hardsuit and put it on again. On the other hand, a miner or explorer hanging about in the bar with their spider-slaying sword strapped to their back probably counts.

Item	Notes
Restricted job gear	Items such as mining gear, hardsuits and so on that are in limited supply and/or potentially dangerous. These items are not contraband when being used for their intended purpose, but are generally not permitted outside their departments when not in use. Generally in these cases, offenders should be told to stow their gear in their department before resorting to arresting them for contraband.
Combat mechs	As long as they stay in the science department (or outside the station), not contraband. Otherwise, see above.
Unidentified Grenades	Grenades that a crewmember has no reason to be carrying around are most likely contraband, and if discovered during a search should be identified in chemistry. Cleaning grenades are obviously not contraband, nor are metal foam grenades for engineers. Explosives, toxic smoke, EMPs and other weapons are clearly contraband. Pranks like water bombs are probably disturbing the peace. Generally even legitimate grenades should be kept out of sight so as not to cause alarm to other crew.
Other teleporters	Teleportation devices such as the hand tele or bluespace harpoon are generally only issued to authorised personnel due to the risk they pose to gaining access to restricted areas. Command staff with access to the teleporter (or those they authorise) are generally permitted to have them.

Usually contraband

These items are almost always considered contraband, though exceptions do apply - a non-lethal weapon is obviously not contraband for security officers, for example, as it falls under "job gear". Standard Operating Procedure covers most such exceptions.

Item	Notes
Weapons	Any item that has the sole purpose of causing injury to another is major contraband. This doesn't mean a useful tool that happens to also be good at injuring people - the chef's kitchen knife or an engineer's welding torch is not a "weapon", while a machete in the hands of some random visitor is. Lethal ammunition also falls under this.
Non-lethal weapons	Weapons that are explicitly not capable of causing permanent injury, such as tasers, stun revolvers and hunter guns are minor contraband. Weapons that are capable of being loaded with lethal ammunition are not non-lethal.
Combat Gear	Even if not weaponry, equipment intended specifically for use in armed combat is contraband for people with no business getting involved in fights. This includes armour. While someone strapping metal plates to their body for no good reason probably falls under "suspicious conduct" more than "contraband", an actual armour vest such as those issued to security in code green would be considered minor contraband for anyone else, and a heavy armour suit or breacher rig would be considered major. Note that some jobs are issued armour vests as standard, such as the librarian's press vest.
Stolen goods	Even if someone didn't commit the theft themselves, stolen goods are still considered contraband to handle.

Mitigating factors

Some items are not considered contraband under certain circumstances. Such exceptions include the following.

Situation	Description	Effect
Possession of a permit	The crewmember has a permit for the item.	Obviously it's not contraband if they have a valid permit.
Authorised by owner	The crewmember is allowed to use the item by someone authorised to have it.	For example, if the chief engineer gives someone the station blueprints so they can build a fort, then those blueprints are not contraband. Does not apply to restricted gear such as a miner's drill or explorer's phaser - if the miner can't carry it in the bar, they can't authorise anyone else to. Likewise, weapons still require an actual permit.
Surrender of goods	The crewmember is handing contraband goods in to a member of security.	Generally only applies if they've not actually used them, but if someone finds a bottle of happy pills in the trash and hands them over to an officer or the like, they shouldn't be charged with contraband.
Dire need	The goods are needed for use in an emergency.	Charges are dropped, though the goods should be returned once the emergency is over. An example would be a crewmember taking the spare ID to rescue someone from a breach, or similar.
Captain's Approval	The Captain had given their approval.	Charges are dropped. Ideally, there's written record of this decision within Station Announcements or a stamped sheet of paper. Verbal approvals can get lost, forgotten and are thus not advised over written ones. This only applies for a singular shift.

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