TSA Carry-On Rules: Everything You Can and Cannot Bring on a Plane in 2026

The complete guide to TSA carry-on rules for 2026. Covers the 3-1-1 liquid rule, prohibited items, food, razors, medications, electronics, and what happens if you pack something banned.

Every year, TSA officers confiscate millions of items from travelers who did not realize what was and was not allowed in a carry-on bag. The rules can feel confusing, especially when some items are allowed in carry-on but not checked luggage, and vice versa.

This guide covers every TSA carry-on rule you need to know for 2026, from the 3-1-1 liquid rule to prohibited items, food, razors, medications, and electronics.

The 3-1-1 Liquid Rule Explained

The TSA 3-1-1 rule is the foundation of carry-on packing for liquids, gels, aerosols, creams, and pastes. Despite periodic rumors of its retirement, the 3-1-1 rule remains the federal standard at all U.S. airports in 2026.

• Each container must be 3.4 ounces (100 mL) or less. This applies to the container size, not the amount of liquid inside. A half-empty 6-ounce bottle will be confiscated.

• All containers must fit inside <strong>one clear, quart-sized, resealable plastic bag.

• Common items that count as liquids and must follow 3-1-1: shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, lotion, perfume, contact lens solution, lip gloss, mascara, liquid foundation, and aerosol deodorant.

• At airports equipped with new CT scanners, you may no longer need to remove your liquids bag from your carry-on. However, the 3.4-ounce container limit still applies regardless of scanner type.

Exceptions to the Liquid Rule

Certain liquids are exempt from the 3.4-ounce limit and may be carried in reasonable quantities:

• Prescription liquid medication - Declare at checkpoint; may undergo additional screening.

• Over-the-counter liquid medication - Includes saline solution, eye drops, cough syrup.

• Breast milk and formula - Allowed in reasonable quantities for infant feeding.

• Baby food and juice - For infants and toddlers; inform TSA officer.

• Medically necessary gel ice packs - Must be declared; may be screened separately.

• For all exempt liquids, remove them from your carry-on bag and inform the TSA officer at the start of screening. They may undergo X-ray inspection or additional testing.

TSA Prohibited Items: What You Cannot Bring in a Carry-On

The following items are never allowed in carry-on luggage. Some may be packed in checked bags instead. When in doubt, check the official TSA "What Can I Bring?"

Sharp Objects: Box cutters, utility knives, scissors (blades over 4 inches) Knives (all types), Straight razors, razor blades, Swords, sabers, martial arts weapons, Ice picks, ice axes.

Tools: Screwdrivers (over 7 inches) Wrenches, pliers (over 7 inches), Hammers, crowbars, Drills, saws, Multi-tools with blades.

Sporting Goods: Baseball bats, golf clubs, hockey sticks, lacrosse sticks, ski poles, pool cues, and bows and arrows are all banned from carry-on but allowed in checked luggage.

Firearms and Weapons: Firearms, ammunition, firearm parts, stun guns, tasers, pepper spray (one 4-ounce container with safety mechanism allowed in checked bags only), and martial arts weapons are prohibited in carry-on luggage. Firearms may be transported in checked bags if they are unloaded, in a hard-sided locked case, and declared at check-in.

Explosives and Flammable Items: Fireworks, flares, gasoline, lighter fluid, spray paint, propane tanks, and strike-anywhere matches are banned from both carry-on and checked bags. Standard lighters (disposable and Zippo) are allowed in carry-on but not checked luggage. Torch lighters are banned everywhere.

What Food Can You Bring on a Plane?

Good news: TSA allows most solid foods in your carry-on. You can bring sandwiches, chips, fruit, nuts, granola bars, candy, baked goods, and most other snacks through security without issue.

The key rule: Solid foods are fine, but anything liquid, spreadable, or gel-like must follow the 3-1-1 rule. This catches more travelers than you might expect.

Allowed (Solid) Must Follow 3-1-1 (Liquid/Gel)

• Sandwiches, wraps, burgers

• Soup, chili, salsa

• Whole fruits and vegetables

• Yogurt, pudding

• Chips, crackers, pretzels, Hummus, dips, spreads

• Cookies, brownies, cake

• Jam, jelly, honey, syrup

• Nuts, trail mix, granola bars

• Peanut butter, Nutella

• Cheese (hard blocks), Cream cheese, soft cheeses

• Cooked meat and seafood

• Gravy, sauces, oils

• Bread, bagels, muffins

• Beverages (buy after security)
  

Tip: Bring an empty reusable water bottle and fill it at a water fountain after clearing security. Most airports have filtered bottle-fill stations near the gates.

For international flights, be aware that customs at your destination may restrict bringing fresh produce, meats, and dairy products into the country. Check destination rules before packing perishable food.

Can You Bring a Razor on a Plane?

This is one of the most searched TSA questions, and the answer depends entirely on the type of razor.

Carry-On Checked Bag Allowed: Disposable razors (e.g., Bic), Cartridge razors (e.g., Gillette Mach3), Electric razors, Safety razor (handle only, no blade), Safety razor blades. Straight razors are NOT allowed.

Key point: If you use a safety razor, remove the blade before going through security. The handle is fine in your carry-on, but the blade must go in your checked bag or be purchased at your destination. TSA officers will not remove the blade for you.

Electronics Rules

All personal electronics are allowed in carry-on luggage. In standard screening lanes, you must remove laptops, tablets, and large electronics from your bag and place them in a separate bin for X-ray screening.

Lithium battery rules (critical for 2026):

Phones, tablets, laptops: Allowed (with battery installed)

Spare lithium batteries: Yes (required)

Power banks / portable chargers: Yes (required)

E-cigarettes, vape devices

Smart luggage with non-removable battery: Not allowed

Power banks and spare lithium batteries must be carried in your carry-on bag, never in checked luggage. This is an FAA safety rule to prevent cargo hold fires. Smart luggage with a non-removable lithium battery is banned from all U.S. airlines.

At airports with newer CT scanners, you may not need to remove laptops or electronics from your bag. Look for signage at your checkpoint or ask a TSA officer.

**SEE MY NOTE AT THE END OF THIS ARTICLE ON LITHIUM BATTERIES!!!

Medication Rules

TSA allows all medications in carry-on luggage. There is no limit on the amount of pills (prescription or over-the-counter) you can bring.

Liquid medications are exempt from the 3-1-1 rule. You may bring medically necessary liquids, gels, and aerosols in quantities exceeding 3.4 ounces. Declare them to the TSA officer and remove them from your bag for separate screening.

TSA does not require medications to be in prescription bottles, though keeping the original packaging with your name on it can prevent issues. TSA also does not require a doctor's letter, but having one is recommended for injectable medications, controlled substances, or large quantities of liquid medication.

Medical devices such as insulin pumps, CPAP machines, nebulizers, and syringes are all allowed through security. Inform the TSA officer before screening begins. Passengers may request a visual inspection of medications and medical devices instead of X-ray screening.

Items That Surprise Most Travelers

Some items that are allowed in carry-on surprise many travelers:

Allowed in Carry-On:

Scissors (blades under 4 inches) Measured from the pivot point

Screwdrivers (under 7 inches)

Small repair tools are fine

Disposable razors: Blade is enclosed and non-removable

Knitting needles: All types allowed

Crochet hooks: All types allowed

Corkscrews (no blade)

Wine openers without a knife

Lighters (disposable, Zippo) One per passenger; no torch lighters

Safety matches: One book of matches per passenger

Umbrellas: All sizes allowed

Some items that are not allowed catch people off guard: snow globes over 3.4 ounces (they contain liquid), full-size bottles of wine or liquor, certain gel candles, and multi-tools with any blade component.

TSA PreCheck: What You Can Keep in Your Bag

TSA PreCheck does not change what items are allowed or prohibited. It changes how you go through screening, making the process faster and less disruptive.

With TSA PreCheck, you can keep: shoes on, belt on, light jacket on, laptop in your bag, 3-1-1 liquids bag in your carry-on.

2025-2026 updates: TSA ended its long-standing "shoes-off" policy in mid-2025. As of July 2025, most passengers in standard lanes can also keep their shoes on, though additional screening may still require removal. At airports with CT scanners, standard lane passengers may also keep electronics and liquids in their bags.

PreCheck still offers significant advantages: dedicated shorter lines (average wait under 5 minutes), no need to remove anything from your bag, and a generally smoother experience. It costs $78 for five years.

What Happens If You Bring a Prohibited Item?

If TSA finds a prohibited item in your carry-on, the outcome depends on the item and the situation.

For common items like oversized liquids, a forgotten pocket knife, or a multi-tool with a blade, you typically have three options: voluntarily surrender the item (it will be disposed of), take it back to your car or give it to a non-traveling companion, or check it in your luggage if you have time to go back to the airline counter.

For serious violations involving weapons, firearms, or dangerous items, TSA may issue a Notice of Violation with civil penalties of up to $17,062 per violation. Repeat offenders face higher fines. Firearms discovered at checkpoints will result in law enforcement being called, and you may face criminal charges depending on state and local laws.

Even accidental violations can result in loss of TSA PreCheck eligibility. Always double-check your bags before heading to the airport, especially if you use the same bag for work, camping, or other activities where prohibited items might be stowed.

REAL ID Requirement for 2026

Starting May 7, 2025, a REAL ID-compliant driver's license (marked with a star) or another acceptable form of ID (passport, passport card, military ID) is required to board domestic flights. Standard driver's licenses without the REAL ID star are no longer accepted at TSA checkpoints.

If you arrive at the airport without an acceptable ID, TSA offers a Confirm.ID identity verification process for a $45 non-refundable fee. This is not guaranteed to get you through security, so always bring proper identification.

(I'm sorry but this REAL ID star on your driver's license business reminds me TOO MUCH of Nazi Germany and Jews being forced to wear the Star of David on their clothing!)

My note on lithium batteries:

For your own safety just don't bring them aboard. The TSA has found them to be HIGHLY HIGHLY flammable after they caused fires in the cargo holds of planes, causing the planes to crash with loss of life. In fact, the TSA nearly burned down its own test building when testing lithium batteries to see just how flammable they were! Why then, the TSA would tell you "Oh but it's ok to bring them into the passenger cabin, stow them in the overhead compartments.." ?????

This is just one such recent fire caused by a lithium battery stored in an overhead compartment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CBQptg8ykI

Here's why this TSA rule of bringing lithium ion batteries into the cabin compartment of a plane vs. storing them in the cargo hold makes absolutely NO SENSE WHATSOEVER.

Unlike the passenger cabin on an airplane, the cargo holds on all commercial planes are equipped with a built-in fire extinguisher system that starves the fire of oxygen, extinguishing the fire. This is not the case in the passenger cabin where you're sitting!

In fact, you have ZERO protection in any form should a fire erupt in the passenger cabin!

And NTSB testing has shown repeatedly that the materials used to manufacture the plane cabin (like the seats for example) give off toxic fumes when burning that will kill a passenger with 90 seconds if inhaled.

As airlines become more and more computerized, that translates to miles and miles more of wiring that can malfunction or short out and cause a fire. Such was the case with SwissAir Flight 111 when a wire in the first class entertainment system shorted out.

Within minutes, Flight 111 went down in the ocean, killing all 229 people aboard. And Flight 111 wasn't an isolated incident by any stretch of the imagination.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlNdZ1Yz6y8

The airlines aren't going to protect your safety. They told the NTSB and I quote: "If we lose a few hundred people here and there well, that's just the cost of doing business."

They care only about their bottom line - not your safety as their passenger.