TSA Carry-On Rules 2026 — Complete Update

Last reviewed: July 2026. We update this guide every quarter, because airport rules move faster than most travel advice does.

If you've flown recently, you already know the checkpoint feels different than it did two years ago. You keep your shoes on now. At some airports, your laptop and liquids stay in the bag. At others, they don't. Meanwhile a headline told you the liquid rule was ending — and then someone you know had a full-size shampoo confiscated last week.

So let's cut through it. Here's exactly where TSA carry on rules stand in 2026: what genuinely changed, what only feels like it changed, and what will still get your bag pulled aside.

The Short Version

If you read nothing else, here are the TSA carry on rules that matter most in 2026:

• The 3-1-1 liquid rule still applies. 3.4 oz (100ml) per container, one quart-sized bag, one bag per passenger. It did not go away.
• Shoes stay on. The mandatory shoe-removal rule ended in July 2025.
• REAL ID is required — and as of February 2026, showing up without one has a price attached.
• Carry-on size is 22" x 14" x 9" for most major U.S. airlines, and enforcement has gotten noticeably stricter.
• The checkpoint experience varies by airport, depending on whether your lane has a CT scanner.

Now the detail.

1. Liquids: The 3-1-1 Rule Did Not Change

This is the single biggest source of confusion in the TSA carry on rules, so let's be unambiguous. The TSA 3-1-1 rule remains in effect in 2026, and there are no planned changes to the liquid restriction for standard security lanes.

The rule works like this:

• 3.4 ounces (100ml) — the maximum size of any single container of liquid, gel, aerosol, cream, or paste
• 1 quart-sized bag — all those containers must fit inside one clear, resealable bag
• 1 bag per passenger — that's your entire carry-on liquid allowance

The detail that catches people out every single trip: the rule is about container size, not how much is left inside. A 6 oz shampoo bottle that is half empty is still a 6 oz container, and it will be confiscated.

Why everyone thinks the liquid rule changed

Back in mid-2025, the Homeland Security Secretary publicly suggested the agency was re-evaluating its liquids policy and hinted the next big announcement could concern allowed liquid sizes. That comment set off a wave of headlines suggesting the 3-1-1 rule was on its way out — but as of mid-2026, no nationwide change has happened.

What has changed is the screening process, not the limit. More on that below.

What TSA counts as a "liquid"

TSA reads the word broadly. Anything you can pour, pump, squeeze, or spread qualifies — which means toothpaste, sunscreen, gel deodorant, peanut butter, hummus, yogurt, and even snow globes fall under the rule. If it isn't solid, assume it's a liquid.

The exceptions that genuinely exist

Some items are allowed over 3.4 oz, provided you declare them at the checkpoint for separate screening:

• Medically necessary liquids and medications — allowed in reasonable quantities, ideally in original labeled containers
• Baby formula, breast milk, and toddler drinks — allowed in larger amounts, and they don't need to fit in the quart bag
• Ice packs and freezer packs used to keep those items cool
• Duty-free liquids purchased internationally, if sealed in a tamper-evident bag with proof of purchase

Declare these proactively. Don't let an officer find them.

The smart workaround

The easiest way to beat the liquid rule is to stop packing liquids. Solid shampoo bars, conditioner bars, solid sunscreen sticks, toothpaste tablets, and stick deodorant don't count toward your 3-1-1 allowance at all. Frequent flyers have quietly moved to solids for exactly this reason.

2. Shoes: You Can Keep Them On

One of the most welcome updates to TSA carry on rules in recent memory. In July 2025, the Department of Homeland Security announced a policy allowing passengers travelling through domestic airports to keep their shoes on while passing through security screening at TSA checkpoints.

The policy took effect immediately and applies nationwide across U.S. airports, ending a routine that had been in place since 2006. It applies to everyone, regardless of age — you no longer need to be in PreCheck or over 75 to keep your shoes on.

Two caveats worth knowing:

• Officers can still ask. If a scanner alarms, or you're selected for enhanced screening, you may still be asked to remove your shoes. Follow the officer's instruction.
• The policy is under scrutiny. In April 2026, a classified DHS Inspector General report reportedly found that some advanced imaging scanners cannot effectively screen footwear, prompting political pressure to reverse the shoes-on policy. For now it remains in place — but this is exactly the kind of rule that could shift, which is why we re-review this guide quarterly.

3. ID: REAL ID, and the New ConfirmID Fee

This is the change most likely to cost you money in 2026, and a lot of travellers still haven't caught up with it.

REAL ID enforcement began in May 2025. A REAL ID-compliant licence is the one with a star in the top corner; a passport or passport card also works.

Here's the 2026 update that matters: As of February 1, 2026, if you arrive at the checkpoint without a REAL ID or a valid passport, you can be required to pay a $45 fee to use TSA's "ConfirmID" verification system, which lets TSA verify your identity another way. That clearance is valid for 10 days, and the process can take up to 30 minutes.

Translation: turning up with a non-compliant licence is no longer just a risk of being turned away — it's a fee, a delay, and a very stressful start to your trip. Check your licence for the star before you book, not the night before you fly.

4. Carry-On Size: The Rules Didn't Change, But Enforcement Did

Here's the part of the TSA carry on rules that trips up seasoned flyers: your bag didn't get bigger, but the odds of it being gate-checked did.

Most major U.S. airlines — American, Delta, United, JetBlue, and Alaska — hold the same carry-on limit of 22 x 14 x 9 inches, including wheels and handles. Southwest allows slightly larger bags at 24 x 16 x 10 inches.

The critical phrase there is including wheels and handles. That means full height from the bottom of the wheels to the top of the handle, full width including any protruding pockets, and full depth front to back. Your bag's internal capacity is irrelevant.

What's genuinely different in 2026 is how strictly this is applied. Airlines are measuring bags at the gate rather than relying on the honour system, and some are testing automated scanners that flag oversized bags instantly — these systems don't negotiate or make exceptions. Soft-sided bags used to get some leeway because they could be squashed into the sizer; that grace period has ended.

A few practical notes:

• Personal items must fit under the seat in front of you — roughly 17 x 10 x 9 inches for most carriers.
• Weight limits are rarely enforced on U.S. domestic flights, but international carriers often cap carry-on weight at around 15–22 pounds, and Asian and European airlines enforce this strictly.
• Connecting internationally? Your bag might comply with one airline's rules and violate the next carrier's. Check both, and pack to the stricter standard.

If you bought your "carry-on" more than a couple of years ago, measure it. Wheels included.

5. The Checkpoint Itself: Why Your Experience Varies

If security felt effortless at one airport and painful at another last month, you weren't imagining it — and it isn't the TSA carry on rules changing between terminals.

TSA has been rolling out advanced computed tomography (CT) scanners — the same 3D imaging principle hospitals use — across major hubs. At checkpoints with these machines, you can often leave your quart bag and your laptop inside your carry-on rather than unloading them into bins.

But — and this is the part people get wrong — that's a change to the process, not to the limit. Your containers still need to be 3.4 oz or under. A CT scanner means you don't have to dig the bag out. It does not mean you can bring a full-size bottle.

Because the rollout is uneven, the only safe approach is to pack to the strictest standard and enjoy the faster lanes when you find them.

6. Electronics and Batteries

Large electronics — laptops, tablets, anything bigger than a phone — must come out of your bag in standard lanes and go in a bin with nothing on top of them. In CT-equipped lanes and PreCheck lanes, they can usually stay packed.

Lithium batteries deserve their own warning, because this corner of the TSA carry on rules is where travellers make an expensive mistake:

• Power banks and spare lithium batteries must go in your carry-on, never in checked luggage. This is a fire-safety rule, not a bureaucratic one.
• Some airlines now require spare battery packs to stay on your person rather than in the overhead bin — check your carrier's specific policy before flying.

Packing a power bank in a checked bag is one of the most common reasons a suitcase gets pulled and opened. Keep it with you.

7. TSA PreCheck: Still Worth It?

Yes — though the calculation has shifted slightly now that everyone keeps their shoes on.

PreCheck still lets you leave your laptop and your quart bag inside your carry-on, and the lines are usually shorter. What PreCheck does not do is exempt you from the 3-1-1 rule — the liquid limit applies to you exactly as it applies to everyone else.

Note too that PreCheck members must still meet the REAL ID requirement; trusted-traveler status doesn't replace proper identification.

Your 2026 Carry-On Checklist

Run through this before you leave for the airport, and the TSA carry on rules will never catch you out:

1. Check your ID for the REAL ID star — or bring your passport.
2. Measure your bag with wheels and handles included (22 x 14 x 9 for most U.S. carriers).
3. Build your quart bag — nothing over 3.4 oz, no exceptions.
4. Move power banks into your carry-on, out of the checked bag.
5. Separate medications and baby liquids so you can declare them quickly.
6. Have your boarding pass downloaded offline — a dead battery or dead signal shouldn't cost you your flight.

That last one is worth pausing on. The most common checkpoint delay isn't a prohibited item — it's a traveller scrolling through their inbox trying to find a confirmation email while the queue builds behind them. Keeping your boarding pass, ID, and booking confirmations saved and accessible offline in Tripmojo means that when you reach the front of the line, everything's already there. One less thing to think about at the one moment you don't want to be thinking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Has TSA got rid of the 3-1-1 liquid rule?

No. Despite speculation, the baseline 3-1-1 rule remains fully enforced at most US airports throughout 2026. Some airports with CT scanners let you leave the quart bag inside your carry-on, but the 3.4 oz container limit still stands.

Do I still have to take my shoes off?

Not as a rule. The mandatory shoe-removal requirement ended in July 2025 and the shoes-on policy applies nationwide, though officers can still ask you to remove footwear if a scanner alarms or you're selected for additional screening.

What happens if I don't have a REAL ID?

Since February 1, 2026, travellers without a REAL ID or valid passport can be charged a $45 fee to use TSA's ConfirmID system, which takes up to 30 minutes and is valid for 10 days. Get the star on your licence.

Can I bring a power bank in my carry-on?

Yes — and you must. Power banks and spare lithium batteries are prohibited in checked luggage and belong in your carry-on.

Are European liquid rules different?

Yes, and this trips people up. Several European and UK airports with new scanners now allow liquids up to 2 litres — but the relaxed limit applies only at your departure airport. Flying home from a relaxed airport into a strict one? Pack to the stricter rule.

The Bottom Line

The honest summary of TSA carry on rules in 2026: the rules themselves have barely moved, but the experience around them has. Shoes stay on. ID is stricter and now costs you if you get it wrong. Bag sizing is enforced far more aggressively than it used to be. And the liquid rule — the one everyone hoped would disappear — is still exactly where it was.

Pack to the strictest version of the rules and you'll never be caught out, whichever airport, whichever lane, whichever scanner.

We review this guide quarterly. Rules change — bookmark it and check back before your next trip.

Want your boarding passes, IDs, and confirmations organised and ready before you reach the checkpoint? Try Tripmojo — every trip, sorted.