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Which Items Are Not Allowed In A Hand Luggage

What Not to Pack: TSA Carry-on Bag Restrictions for 2025

Joanna Teljeur
Written By Joanna Teljeur
5 minutes read
Last Updated: January 02, 2025

2025 will be the 24th year that the TSA has been placing restrictions on what is and isn’t allowed in carry-on bags. By now, you’d think all passengers would have a solid understanding about carry-on rules, but surprisingly, this isn’t the case at all.

Business Insider reported that in the first 9 months of 2024, more than 5,000 firearms were found at TSA checkpoints! Meanwhile, liquids and gels continue to be the most frequently flagged items. In this guide, we’re going to help you understand exactly what you cannot bring with you aboard a flight and how to make better decisions when packing your carry-on baggage.

Couple checking a list of prohibited items in hand luggage

TSA Guidelines for Carry-on Baggage

The basic rules about cabin baggage are the same in 2025. Liquids must be in 3.4 ounce or (100ml) containers and must fit into a quart-sized bag. Also, sharp objects, weapons, and dangerous materials are still prohibited in carry-on bags.

Basically, if it could potentially cause harm, you cannot take it with you in your hand baggage. Also, if it is not solid, you might need to consider whether you should pack it in your checked bags.

About Restricted Items

Some gels, liquids, or sharp objects are prohibited from cabin baggage, while others are prohibited altogether. That is - you can’t pack them in your checked suitcase either.

To be absolutely certain about the rules, you should always download the MyTSA app. The “What Can I Bring Feature” is especially easy to use, but if you don’t want to search, just take a photo of the item in question and send it to @AskTSA on X (Twitter) or Facebook Messenger. You can also ask the TSA questions by texting TRAVEL to AskTSA (275-872).

What you Cannot Bring in Carry-On Baggage

TSA will not allow you through the checkpoint with any of the following items in your cabin baggage. However, you are allowed to bring these things in your checked bags.

Aerosol Insecticide

Ammunition

Axes and Hatchets

Baseball Bats

Battery powered wheelchairs and mobility devices

BB Guns

Black jacks

Bowling Pins

Bows and Arrows

Box cutters

Brass Knuckles

Canoe or Kayak paddles

Cap Guns

Cast Iron Cookware

Cattle Prod

Compressed AIr Guns

Corkscrew

Cricket bat

Crowbar

Darts

Drills and drill bits

Engine-powered Equipment Completely Purged of Fuel

Engines and Engine-powered Equipment Completely Purged of Fuel

Firearms

Foam toy swords

Gel Candles

Golf Clubs

Hammer

Gel Heating Pad

Hiking poles

Hockey sticks

Ice pick

Kirpans

Knives

Kunatons

Lacrosse Sticks

Magic 8 Ball (Yes, this is the fortune telling toy)

Mallets

Martial Arts Weapons

Medical-Clinical Thermometer (Mercury)
Nail guns

Night Sticks

Parts of guns and firearms

Pellet gun

Permeation devices for calibrating air quality

Pocket knife

Pool cue

Power tools

Rainbow flame crystals

Razor blades

Safety razor with blade

Saws

Self-Defense Sprays

Snow spikes

Ski Poles

Sling Shots

Snow Cleats

Spear guns

Stun Guns/Shocking Devices

Tactical pens

Tent Spikes

Walking sticks (unless medically necessary)

Airport control employee explaining things that are allowed in hand carry baggage

Prohibited Items: What You Cannot Pack in Cabin or Checked Bags

There are some things that you can’t take with you in your cabin OR checked luggage. TSA will not allow any of the following items anywhere on the plane during a flight.

Alcoholic beverages over 140 proof

Bang Snaps

Bear Bangers

Bear Spray

Blasting caps

To be permitted (in either carry-on or checked baggage), it must be clearly visible to the TSA officer that the cylinder is empty.

Cooking Spray

Dynamite

Engine-powered Equipment with Residual Fuel

English Christmas Crackers

Fertilizer

Fire Extinguishers and Other Compressed Gas Cylinders

Firecrackers and fireworks

Flammable Liquid, Gel, or Aerosol Paint

Flare Guns and flares

Fuel

Gas torch

Gun Powder

Butane

Chlorine for pools

CO2 Cartridge: You can only carry an EMPTY compressed gas cylinder onboard a plane unless it is a personal medical oxygen cylinder.

Lighters (gun and torch)

Matches

Propane

Toys or replicas of guns, explosives, incendiaries

Recreational Oxygen

Samsung Galaxy Note 7

Small Compressed Gas Cartridges

Sparklers

Spillable Batteries

Spray paint

Spray starch

Tear gas

Turpentine and Paint thinner

Vehicle airbags

Your Options if TSA Flags Items in Your Cabin Baggage

If you go through a security checkpoint and something in your carry-on luggage is flagged, then TSA will either confiscate it or give you a chance to put it somewhere safe like your car, if you happen to be parked at the airport.

If storing it in your vehicle isn’t an option, you can also try to put the item in a locker or storage facility at the airport. Unfortunately, you might only find this at larger airports. Another possibility is to leave the security checkpoint, and ship the item to your final destination or to your home.

If you arrived at the airport early enough, you might try to check your carry-on bag and then go back through the checkpoint.

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8 Tips to Avoid Getting Flagged by TSA

If you’ve ever had TSA agents pull something from your cabin baggage, you know the stress and frustration it can cause. So, here are a few tips to help keep this from happening.

  1. Download the MyTSA app so you can refer to is while packing
  2. Check the contents of your everyday handbag to make sure there aren’t restricted items that you just forgot about.
  3. Remember that in the United States, the 3-1-1 rule for liquids is still part of the current TSA rules. In case you forgot, make sure all your liquids and gels are in 3.4 ounce containers or smaller.
  4. If you are traveling with medications, get a doctor's note to explain why you must take them. It’s good to keep this on-hand just in case you get flagged.
  5. Don’t overpack. This can cause problems with the X-ray screening process and might lead to your bag being searched.
  6. Check all your electronic devices that have batteries to make sure they are allowed in cabin bags.
  7. All food items must follow liquids and gels rule
  8. If you’re traveling with a baby or small children, remember to declare any items related to feeding like baby food or breast milk.

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