TSA Permitted and Prohibited Items List
Holiday Travel Tips from TSA
Before you pack that hostess gift or favorite holiday treat in your carry-on, remember liquids, gels, and aerosols in containers larger than 3 ounces are not permitted through the security checkpoint. Never fear, cakes and pies are permitted.
TSA's list of holiday items that you should put in your checked bag, ship ahead, or leave at home:
- Cranberry sauce
- Cologne
- Creamy dips and spreads (cheese spread, peanut butter, etc.)
- Gift baskets with food items (salsa, jams, and sauces)
- Gravy
- Jams
- Jellies
- Lotions
- Maple syrup
- Oils and vinegars
- Perfume
- Salad dressing
- Salsa
- Sauces
- Snowglobes
- Soups
- Wine, liquor, and beer
Gifts
Keep gifts unwrapped, whether they are in your carry-on or checked luggage. TSA officers may need to unwrap a gift to take a closer look inside. Either ship wrapped gifts ahead of time or wait until you arrive at your destination to wrap them.
Family Lanes
If you are traveling with small children or elderly adults, consider using the family lane to go through security with ease. Family Lanes, located at every security checkpoint, allow families and travelers with special needs to go through security at their own pace. Individuals carrying medically necessary liquids, gels, and aerosols in excess of three ounces will be directed to these lanes. So, if you are traveling with liquid medications, baby formula, or baby food, look for the signage with the green circle at each security checkpoint.
Snow Globes
TSA does not permit snow globes in carry-on baggage because they contain an undetermined amount of liquid. Snow globes are permitted in checked baggage.
Overview
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) allows for passengers to carry-on small amounts of toiletries under certain conditions. You must follow the 3-1-1 for Carry-Ons rule. Each of your toiletries must be 3 oz. (100 mL) or less, and you must place all the toiletries in a single quart-size zip-top bag. (Note, the container itself must be 3 oz. or less; a 4 oz. container that is half-full will not be allowed through the security checkpoint.) You must remove this zip-top bag from your carry-on for screening at the security checkpoint. Read more about the TSA Regulations.
Remember not to wrap gifts that are either in your carry-on or checked baggage. Security officers may have to unwrap gifts if they need to take a closer look. Either ship wrapped gifts ahead of time or wait until you are at your destination to wrap them. If you plan on traveling with food, make sure liquid, aerosol, and gel items are in your checked baggage. You can bring pies and cakes as carry-on items through the security checkpoint, but be advised that they might be subject to additional screening.
When traveling in the USA, the TSA enforces rules on what type of items can be carried aboard your flight in your carry-on bags, as well as what can be packed in your checked baggage. The following lists detail which items are allowed, and which are prohibited.
Quick Link to Lists:
- Make-up & Toiletries
- Food & Drinks
- Personal Items
- Medication and Special Needs Devices
- Electronic Devices
- Sharp Objects
- Sporting Goods
- Guns and Firearms
- Tools
- Martial Arts/Self Defense Items
- Explosive Materials
- Flammable Items
- Disabling Chemicals and Other Dangerous Items
- Other Items
Make-up & Toiletries ( > 3 oz. and not in a clear bag)
| Item Type | Carry-on Bags | Checked Bags |
|---|---|---|
| All creams and lotions including Neosporin or first-aid creams and ointments, topical or rash creams and ointments, suntan lotions, moisturizers, etc. | No | Yes |
| Bug sprays | No | Yes |
| Bubble bath including gel- or liquid-filled bubble bath balls, bath oils, or moisturizers | No | Yes |
| Gel deodorants | No | Yes |
| Gel cap type pills | No | Yes |
| Hair styling gels | No | Yes |
| Hair sprays of all kinds including aerosol | No | Yes |
| Hair straightener or detangler | No | Yes |
| Lip gels, glosses, or liquids | No | Yes |
| Liquid foundations | No | Yes |
| Liquid soaps | No | Yes |
| Make up removers or facial cleansers | No | Yes |
| Mascara | No | Yes |
| Mouthwash | No | Yes |
| Nail polish and removers | No | Yes |
| Perfumes or colognes | No | Yes |
| Toothpaste | No | Yes |
Food & Drinks
| Item Type | Carry-on Bags | Checked Bags |
|---|---|---|
| All beverages | No | Yes |
| Liquid Medications (These items should be separated from your zip-top bag, and they must be declared for inspection at the security checkpoint.) | Yes | Yes |
| Empty Camelbaks, similar backpacks and water bottles | Yes | Yes |
| Gel-based sports supplements | No | Yes |
| Jellos | No | Yes |
| Puddings | No | Yes |
| Yogurts or gel-like substances | No | Yes |
| Non-liquid, non-gel foods (such as sandwiches) | Yes | Yes |
| When traveling with an infant or toddler: baby formula and food, breast milk, and juice in reasonable quantities exceeding 3 oz. (Recently, the TSA has amended this rule to allow you to carry on baby formula even if you are not traveling with an infant. These items should be separated from your zip-top bag, and they must be declared for inspection at the security checkpoint.) | Yes | Yes |
Personal Items
| Item Type | Carry-on Bags | Checked Bags |
|---|---|---|
| Baby teethers with gel or liquid inside | No | Yes |
| Children's toys with gel inside | No | Yes |
| Cigar Cutters | Yes | Yes |
| Corkscrews | Yes | Yes |
| Cuticle Cutters | Yes | Yes |
| Eyeglass Repair Tools (including screwdrivers) | Yes | Yes |
| Eyelash Curlers | Yes | Yes |
| Gel candles | No | Yes |
| Gel shoe inserts | No | Yes |
| Knitting and Crochet Needles | Yes | Yes |
| Knives - prohibited as carry-on except for plastic or round bladed butter knives. | No | Yes |
| Nail Clippers | Yes | Yes |
| Nail Files | Yes | Yes |
| Personal care or toiletries with aerosols, in limited quantities (such as hairsprays, deodorants) | Yes | Yes |
| Safety Razors (including disposable razors) | Yes | Yes |
| Scissors - plastic or metal with blunt tips | Yes | Yes |
| Scissors - metal with pointed tips and blades shorter than four inches in length | Yes | Yes |
| Toy Transformer Robots | Yes | Yes |
| Toy Weapons (if not realistic replicas) | Yes | Yes |
| Tweezers | Yes | Yes |
| Umbrellas (allowed in carry-on baggage once they have been inspected to ensure that prohibited items are not concealed) | Yes | Yes |
| Walking Canes (allowed in carry-on baggage once they have been inspected to ensure that prohibited items are not concealed) | Yes | Yes |
Medication and Special Needs Devices
| Item Type | Carry-on Bags | Checked Bags |
|---|---|---|
| Blood sugar treatment up to 8 oz. of liquid or gel | Yes | Yes |
| Braille Note-Taker, Slate and Stylus, Augmentation Devices | Yes | Yes |
| Diabetes-Related Supplies/Equipment, (once inspected to ensure prohibited items are not concealed) including: insulin and insulin-loaded dispensing products; vials or box of individual vials; jet injectors; pens; infusers; and preloaded syringes; and an unlimited number of unused syringes, when accompanied by insulin; lancets; blood glucose meters; blood glucose meter test strips; insulin pumps; and insulin pump supplies. Insulin in any form or dispenser must be properly marked with a professionally printed label identifying the medication or manufacturer’s name or pharmaceutical label. | Yes | Yes |
| Nitroglycerine pills or spray for medical use (if properly marked with a professionally printed label identifying the medication or manufacturer’s name or pharmaceutical label) | Yes | Yes |
| Ostomy Scissors - All scissors with blades four inches or less | Yes | Yes |
| Prescription medicine with a name that matches the passenger's ticket | Yes | Yes |
| Non-Prescription medicine up to 4 oz. | Yes | Yes |
| Prosthetic Device Tools and Appliances, including drills, allen wrenches, and pullsleeves used to put on or remove prosthetic devices, if carried by the individual with the prosthetic device or his or her companion | Yes | Yes |
Electronic Devices
| Item Type | Carry-on Bags | Checked Bags |
|---|---|---|
| Camcorders | Yes | Yes |
| Camera Equipment - The checked baggage screening equipment will damage undeveloped film in camera equipment. We recommend that you either put undeveloped film and cameras containing undeveloped film in your carry-on baggage or take undeveloped film with you to the checkpoint and ask the screener to conduct a hand-inspection. | Yes | Yes |
| Laptop Computers | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Phones | Yes | Yes |
| Pagers | Yes | Yes |
| Personal Data Assistants (PDA’s) | Yes | Yes |
Note: Check with your airline or travel agent for restrictions on the use of these and other electronic items during your flight.
Sharp Objects
| Item Type | Carry-on Bags | Checked Bags |
|---|---|---|
| Box Cutters | No | Yes |
| Ice Axes/Ice Picks | No | Yes |
| Knives - prohibited as carry-on except for plastic or round bladed butter knives. | No | Yes |
| Meat Cleavers | No | Yes |
| Razor-Type Blades, such as box cutters, utility knives, razor blades not in a cartridge, but excluding safety razors | No | Yes |
| Sabers | No | Yes |
| Scissors - metal with pointed tips and blades longer than four inches | No | Yes |
| Swords | No | Yes |
Note: Any sharp objects in checked baggage should be sheathed or securely wrapped to prevent injury to baggage handlers and inspectors.
Sporting Goods
| Item Type | Carry-on Bags | Checked Bags |
|---|---|---|
| Baseball Bats | No | Yes |
| Bows and Arrows | No | Yes |
| Cricket Bats | No | Yes |
| Golf Clubs | No | Yes |
| Hockey Sticks | No | Yes |
| Lacrosse Sticks | No | Yes |
| Pool Cues | No | Yes |
| Ski Poles | No | Yes |
| Spear Guns | No | Yes |
Guns and Firearms
| Item Type | Carry-on Bags | Checked Bags |
|---|---|---|
| Ammunition - Check with your airline or travel agent to see if ammunition is permitted in checked baggage on the airline you are flying. If ammunition is permitted, it must be declared to the airline at check-in. Small arms ammunitions for personal use must be securely packed in fiber, wood, or metal boxes or other packaging specifically designed to carry small amounts of ammunition. Ask about limitations or fees, if any, that apply. | No | Yes |
| BB guns | No | Yes |
| Compressed Air Guns | No | Yes |
| Firearms | No | Yes |
| Flare Guns | No | No |
| Gun Lighters | No | No |
| Gun Powder | No | No |
| Parts of Guns and Firearms | No | Yes |
| Pellet Guns | No | Yes |
| Realistic Replicas of Firearms | No | Yes |
| Starter Pistols | No | Yes |
Note: Check with your airline or travel agent to see if firearms are permitted in checked baggage on the airline you are flying. Ask about limitations or fees, if any, that apply. All of the firearms listed above, as well the frame or receiver of such firearms, carried as checked baggage, MUST be unloaded, packed in locked hard-sided gun case, and declared to your airline at check-in.
Tools
| Item Type | Carry-on Bags | Checked Bags |
|---|---|---|
| Axes and Hatchets | No | Yes |
| Cattle Prods | No | Yes |
| Crowbars | No | Yes |
| Hammers | No | Yes |
| Drills (including cordless portable power drills) | No | Yes |
| Saws (including cordless portable power saws) | No | Yes |
| Tools (greater than seven inches in length) | No | Yes |
| Tools (seven inches or less in length) | Yes | Yes |
| Screwdrivers (seven inches or less in length) | Yes | Yes |
| Wrenches and Pliers (seven inches or less in length) | Yes | Yes |
Note: Any sharp objects in checked baggage should be sheathed or securely wrapped to prevent injury to baggage handlers and security screeners.
Martial Arts/Self Defense Items
| Item Type | Carry-on Bags | Checked Bags |
|---|---|---|
| Billy Clubs | No | Yes |
| Black Jacks | No | Yes |
| Brass Knuckles | No | Yes |
| Kubatons | No | Yes |
| Mace/Pepper Spray One 118 ml or 4 fl. oz. container of mace or pepper spray is permitted in checked baggage provided it is equipped with a safety mechanism to prevent accidental discharge. | No | Yes |
| Martial Arts Weapons | No | Yes |
| Night Sticks | No | Yes |
| Nunchakus | No | Yes |
| Stun Guns/Shocking Devices | No | Yes |
| Throwing Stars | No | Yes |
Note: Any sharp objects in checked baggage should be sheathed or securely wrapped to prevent injury to baggage handlers and security screeners.
Explosive Materials
| Item Type | Carry-on Bags | Checked Bags |
|---|---|---|
| Blasting Caps | No | No |
| Dynamite | No | No |
| Fireworks | No | No |
| Flares (in any form) | No | No |
| Hand Grenades | No | No |
| Plastic Explosives | No | No |
| Realistic Replicas of Explosives | No | No |
Flammable Items
| Item Type | Carry-on Bags | Checked Bags |
|---|---|---|
| Aerosol (any except for personal care or toiletries in limited quantities) | No | No |
| Fuels (including cooking fuels and any flammable liquid fuel) | No | No |
| Gasoline | No | No |
| Gas Torches | No | No |
| Lighter Fluid | No | No |
| Lighters * | No * | No * |
| Strike-anywhere Matches ** | No ** | No ** |
| Turpentine and Paint Thinner | No | No |
| Realistic Replicas of Incendiaries | No | No |
* All lighters are prohibited as carry-on items. Lighters without fuel are permitted in checked baggage. Lighters with fuel are prohibited in checked baggage, unless they adhere to the DOT exemption, which allows up to two fueled lighters if properly enclosed in a DOT approved case. If you are uncertain as to whether your lighter is prohibited, please refrain from bringing it to the airport.
** Up to 4 books of safety (non-strike anywhere) matches are permitted as carry-on items, but all matches are prohibited in checked baggage
Disabling Chemicals and Other Dangerous Items
| Item Type | Carry-on Bags | Checked Bags |
|---|---|---|
| Chlorine for Pools and Spas | No | No |
Compressed Gas Cylinders (including fire extinguishers) | No | No |
Small compressed gas cartridges (Up to 2 in life vests and 2 spares. The spares must accompany the life vests and be presented as one unit.) | Yes | Yes |
| Liquid Bleach | No | No |
| Spillable Batteries (except those in wheelchairs) | No | No |
| Spray Paint | No | No |
| Tear Gas | No | No |
*Up to 2 in life vests and 2 spares.
**Spares must accompany the life vests and be presented as one unit
Other Items
| Item Type | Carry-on Bags | Checked Bags |
|---|---|---|
| Gel-type candles | No | Yes |
| Gel shoe inserts (Gel shoe inserts are not permitted, but shoes constructed with gel heels are allowed and must be removed and screened.) | No | Yes |
| Non-flammable liquid, gel, or aerosol paint | Yes (3 oz. or smaller container) | Yes |
| Flammable liquid, gel, or aerosol paint | No | No |
| Snow globes and like decorations regardless of size or amount of liquid inside, even with documentation. | No | Yes |
