Prohibited Items Checker
Before you pack, find out whether an item can fly in carry-on, checked baggage, or at all — under the rules of your departure region. Covers TSA (USA), the EU, UK, Australia, and Canada.
1. Where are you departing from?
2. What are you packing?
How to use this checker
Start by selecting your departure region — security rules apply to the airport you're leaving from, not your destination. Then search the item list for what you plan to pack. The result card shows whether the item is allowed in your carry-on, in checked baggage, or banned outright, plus the quantity limit (e.g. the 100 ml liquids rule) and a short explanation of why the rule exists.
A handful of items behave differently depending on the situation: lithium batteries and power banks must travel in carry-on only because cabin crew can reach a fire; medically necessary liquids are exempt from the 100 ml limit if you declare them; duty-free liquids over 100 ml are allowed only in a sealed STEB tamper-evident bag with the receipt visible. The result card flags these conditions in the Limit and Note rows.
This tool is a planning aid built from official sources (TSA, the EU Commission, gov.uk, TravelSECURE, CATSA), last reviewed in May 2026. Airlines can be stricter than the national authority, and the screening officer at the gate has the final word — so always cross-check with your carrier and the linked official page before flying with anything unusual.
Heading abroad? Pair this with our Smartphone Travel Checklist and the Packing List builder so nothing gets pulled aside at security.
Why the rules differ from one airport to the next
Aviation security is set nationally, not globally. The TSA governs departures from the United States, the European Commission sets a common baseline for EU airports, the UK Department for Transport publishes its own list, and Australia (TravelSECURE) and Canada (CATSA) each maintain separate schedules. They agree on the big things — no firearms, explosives, or flammable gas in the cabin — and diverge on the details. Corkscrews are fine in EU carry-on and refused in some other jurisdictions. Powder limits above 350 ml apply on US-bound flights but not on intra-European ones. Because screening happens where you depart, the region selector above matters more than your destination.
The categories that cause most confiscations
Liquids, aerosols, and gels. Individual containers of 100 ml (3.4 oz) or less, all fitting in one transparent resealable bag of roughly one liter. The limit is on the container size, not the amount left inside it — a half-empty 200 ml bottle is still refused. Some airports now run CT scanners that lift the rule entirely, but the signage at the lane is the only reliable indicator.
Lithium batteries and power banks. These may never travel in checked baggage. Spare cells and power banks go in the cabin, terminals taped or in individual pouches. Most airlines allow up to 100 Wh without approval, 100–160 Wh with prior airline consent, and refuse anything above. Multiply amp-hours by voltage to get watt-hours if the label only lists mAh: 20,000 mAh at 3.7 V is 74 Wh.
Sharp objects and tools. Checked baggage is almost always the answer. Scissors are judged on blade length, and tools over about 6 inches (15 cm) are refused in the cabin nearly everywhere.
Food, plants, and animal products. These fail at customs rather than security. Australia, New Zealand, and the United States are strict about fresh produce, meat, dairy, seeds, and honey, with on-the-spot fines for undeclared items. Declaring costs you a few minutes; not declaring can cost hundreds.
Medication and medical devices
Prescription liquids, baby formula, and breast milk are exempt from the 100 ml rule in reasonable quantities when you declare them at the checkpoint. Keep medication in original labeled packaging, carry a copy of the prescription or a doctor's letter, and split doses between carry-on and checked bags only if the medication is not critical — checked luggage goes missing. Some common medications, including certain codeine and ADHD preparations, are controlled or banned in Japan, the UAE, Singapore, and Indonesia regardless of your prescription. Our medication travel planner walks through the paperwork and time-zone dosing.
If an item is refused at the checkpoint
You generally have four options: surrender it, return to check-in and place it in a checked bag (only viable if you have time), mail it to yourself from an airport post desk, or hand it to whoever dropped you off. Officers are not obliged to store items. Arriving with enough margin to walk back to the check-in desk is the difference between losing a €60 bottle and keeping it.