Everything You Need to Know About the TSA 3-1-1 Rule
Key Takeaways
- The TSA’s 3-1-1 rule allows you to bring liquids of 3.4 ounces (100 ml) or less in your carry-on, in a single, 1-quart plastic bag.
- The 3-1-1 rule applies to most liquids, aerosols, gels, creams, and pastes.
- Certain liquids are exempt from TSA liquid rules, including baby food, breast milk, and formula; prescription medications; and duty-free liquids in sealed bags.
- With the roll out of advanced computed tomography (CT) machines, you may not have to remove your liquids from your bags in some airports, though TSA liquid limits still apply.
What Is the 3-1-1 Rule?
TSA’s 3-1-1 rule is a regulation that limits what liquids, aerosols, gels, creams, and pastes you can bring in carry-on bags through airport security checkpoints in the United States. The rule enhances security by limiting the amount of these substances that you can bring on board.
Here’s what the 3-1-1 rule entails:
- 3.4-ounce (100 milliliters) container limit: Each passenger can carry liquids, aerosols, gels, creams, and pastes in containers that hold no more than 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) each.
- 1 quart-sized, clear, resealable bag: All liquid containers must fit into a single quart-sized, clear plastic, resealable bag (such as a Ziploc bag).
- 1 bag per passenger: Each passenger is allowed to bring one quart-sized bag containing the allowed containers through the security checkpoint.
Note that the TSA fluid limit does not apply to items in checked baggage.
What Is Considered a Liquid for TSA?
The TSA defines a liquid as anything with no definite shape that takes the shape of its container, including aerosols, gels, creams, and pastes. Basically, this includes items that you can spill, spray, spread, pump, or pour. Powders, solid deodorant, and cosmetics in stick form (e.g., chapstick), are not considered liquids.
| Examples of Liquids for TSA | Examples of Non-Liquids for TSA |
|
|
Exemptions to the TSA 3-1-1 rule
The TSA has outlined the following exceptions to the 3-1-1 rule:
- Prescription medication: Liquid prescription medications, such as cough syrups, are exempt from the TSA 3-1-1 rule.
- Infant food: Breast milk and infant formula are permitted in excess of the 3.4 ounces allotted.
- Duty-free liquids in sealed bags: You may bring duty-free liquids, such as alcohol, in carry-on bags as long as they’re in secure, tamper-evident bags; you purchased them internationally and are traveling to the U.S.; you have the original receipt; and you purchased them within 48 hours of the flight.
Although you can bring larger amounts of these items on the plane, you must declare them to TSA officers before going through security. According to the TSA, any liquids that trigger alarms during the security check will require additional screening.
Don’t Let TSA liquid requirements Leave You Unprotected: If you have to check liquids or other essentials, baggage insurance can cover you if your bag is lost, delayed, or damaged.
Are Liquids Limited in Checked Bags?
TSA liquid size restrictions don’t apply to checked luggage. You can pack full-sized containers in your checked bag without having to fit them in a single quart-sized bag.
However, the TSA does prohibit some types of liquid in your checked luggage, including:
- Alcohol over 140 proof
- Bear spray and tear gas
- Explosives and flammable liquids, such as butane
- Fire extinguishers and other compressed gas cylinders
- Chlorine and liquid bleach
- Cooking spray and spray paint
The TSA may also limit the overall amount of certain liquids in your checked bags, like aerosols or alcohol. You can view a full list of prohibited items on the TSA’s website.
Read: Which Airlines Mishandle the Most Luggage?
Do You Have to Take Out Liquids for TSA?
It depends on the airport and the type of security line that you’re in. While many airports require you to remove liquids from your bag at security checkpoints, some airports with advanced computer tomography (CT) scanners can screen bags without removing liquids. Also, passengers in the TSA PreCheck line are generally allowed to leave liquids in their bags.
In any case, it’s difficult to predict if you’ll need to remove liquids from your bags as you may connect through multiple airports. It’s a good idea to keep liquids at the top of your carry-on in case you need to remove them.
Learn more: Carry-On Packing 101
What Are the Rules for Liquids in Other Countries?
Most countries have a similar 3-1-1 liquids rule for carry-ons, limiting liquids to 3.4 oz. or 100 ml, and requiring you to place liquids in a single, clear plastic bag. Countries may vary in the strictness of enforcement of the rule, and some European countries have increased limits on liquid with the roll out of advanced CT scanners.
However, regardless of your destination, you’re likely to pass through an airport with liquid restrictions, so should pack your carry-on with a 3-1-1 bag.
FAQs: TSA Liquids Rule
As of this writing, the 3-1-1 rule is still in effect, but changes may be on the horizon. The TSA is expanding the use of advanced CT machines in airports, which create 3D images of baggage and allow for more precise threat detection. The TSA plans to roll advanced CT scanners out to all U.S. airports over time.
These scanners allow you to keep electronics and 3-1-1 liquids in your bag when passing through security. They may eventually phase out the 3-1-1 rule, as they have started doing in some European airports, though this change will likely take several years.
The TSA restricts the size and amount of liquids in carry-on luggage for safety reasons. The rules are intended to prevent airplane passengers from bringing liquids onboard that could be used to make an explosive device.
For carry-on luggage, you can carry liquids, aerosols, gels, creams, and pastes in containers that hold up to 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) each. In order to bring them on the plane, all liquid containers must fit into a single quart-sized, clear plastic, resealable bag.
You can carry on as many 3-ounce bottles as you can fit into a single quart-sized, clear, resealable bag. Typically, this allows for about 6 to 9 small bottles, depending on their shape and how you pack them. Keep in mind that no matter how many containers you fit in the bag, you must still be able to fully close the top.
Solid deodorant does not count as a TSA liquid, and therefore can be brought in a carry-on without any size limit restrictions. The 3-1-1 rule only applies to liquids, aerosols, gels, creams, and pastes, so you can pack solid deodorants in your carry-on separately from the quart-sized bag.
Yes, the TSA considers toothpaste a liquid, paste, or gel. Therefore, toothpaste falls under the TSA 3-1-1 rule, meaning it must be under 3.4 ounces and fit in a quart-sized, clear, resealable bag.
Yes, lotion is considered a liquid by the TSA. You can bring lotion or other creams on a plane via carry-on, but similar to toothpaste, they must comply with the TSA 3-1-1 rule.
Yes, each traveler is allowed a single, quart-size bag for their liquids. If you have multiple people in your party, each person can bring their own quart-size bag.
Yes, while passengers with TSA PreCheck are allowed to leave liquids in their bags when passing through security, they still have to follow the 3-1-1 rule.