Carry-On Liquid Rules: What You Can Bring on a Plane

What Does TSA Count as a Liquid?

TSA's carry-on rule is not limited to drinks. Screening treats five categories the same way, and that's where most travelers get caught out at the belt.

• Liquids — water, juice, shampoo, contact lens solution, liquid soap, perfume.
• Gels — hair gel, gel deodorant, gel eyeliner, hand sanitizer, gel packs.
• Creams — lotion, sunscreen, moisturizer, shaving cream, cream foundation.
• Pastes — toothpaste, peanut butter, soft cheese spread, thick sauces.
• Aerosols — hairspray, spray deodorant, spray sunscreen, dry shampoo.

A useful rule of thumb: if you could spread it, spray it, pour it, pump it or squeeze it out, expect it to be screened as a liquid. Truly solid items — a bar of soap, a stick of deodorant, a powder — are not.

How Much Liquid Can You Bring in a Carry-On?

Each container must hold no more than 3.4 fluid ounces, which is the U.S. equivalent of 100 millilitres — the number printed on most travel-size bottles worldwide. Those containers all have to fit comfortably in a single quart-sized (roughly one litre) clear resealable bag, and each traveler is allowed one such bag.

In practice, a quart bag holds around nine 100 ml bottles if they're packed flat. If the bag won't close, you're over the allowance regardless of the individual container sizes.

How to Pack Carry-On Liquids

1. 1

   Check each container size

   Read the labeled capacity on every bottle, tube and can. Anything above 3.4 oz (100 ml) either gets decanted, checked or left at home.

2. 2

   Separate the qualifying items

   Pull out every liquid, gel, cream, paste and aerosol. Solids like bar soap and stick deodorant stay in your main bag.

3. 3

   Fill one quart-sized clear bag

   Place the qualifying containers in a single clear resealable quart bag that closes fully. One bag per traveler.

4. 4

   Keep exceptions separate and reachable

   Medication, formula, breast milk and other declared items should be easy to remove — they're screened separately, not inside the quart bag.

5. 5

   Put the bag where you can grab it

   Pack it at the top or in an outer pocket so you can place it in a bin quickly if asked.

6. 6

   Follow the officer's instructions at the checkpoint

   Some lanes with newer imaging scanners let you leave liquids in the bag; others don't. Do what the posted signage and the officer tell you at that lane.

Does the Container Size Matter If It's Almost Empty?

The fix is simple: decant into travel bottles of 3.4 oz (100 ml) or less, buy travel sizes, or check the full-size container.

What About Solid Toiletries?

Solid alternatives are the easiest way to travel carry-on only, because items that are genuinely solid are not screened under the liquids rule and don't take up space in your quart bag.

• Solid stick deodorant
• Bar soap, shampoo bars and conditioner bars
• Toothpaste tablets and tooth powder
• Pressed powders, lipstick and other solid cosmetics

Watch the borderline products: a "solid" balm that behaves like a soft cream, or a gel-stick deodorant, can still be screened as a gel. When a product is ambiguous, packing it in a travel size keeps you safe either way. See the deodorant guide for how each form is handled.

Can You Bring Toothpaste in Your Carry-On?

Yes, but it counts as a paste, so a carry-on tube must be 3.4 oz (100 ml) or less and travel inside your quart bag. Standard family-size tubes are usually well over the limit and belong in checked baggage. Toothpaste tablets and powder sidestep the rule entirely.

Shampoo, Conditioner & Lotion

All three are treated identically: liquids and creams limited to 3.4 oz (100 ml) per container in carry-on, unlimited container size in checked baggage. If you're travelling carry-on only, decant into reusable travel bottles, buy travel sizes, or switch to bars. Hotel-sized bottles are already compliant.

Perfume & Cologne

Fragrance is a liquid. In carry-on, the bottle must be 3.4 oz (100 ml) or less and go in your quart bag; most designer bottles above 100 ml need to be checked. Because fragrance is alcohol-based, large quantities in checked bags can also run into airline and hazardous-materials limits.

Full perfume and cologne guide →

Does Deodorant Count as a Liquid?

It depends entirely on the form:

• Solid / stick — not screened as a liquid; no size limit and no quart bag needed.
• Gel — screened as a gel; 3.4 oz (100 ml) or less in carry-on.
• Roll-on — liquid; same container limit applies.
• Aerosol spray — same carry-on limit, plus separate FAA quantity limits for checked bags.

Full deodorant guide by type →

Liquid vs Solid Makeup

Powders, pressed products and solid sticks — pressed eyeshadow, blush, lipstick, powder foundation — are not liquids and can be packed normally. Liquid, gel and cream cosmetics — foundation, concealer, mascara, lip gloss, liquid highlighter, makeup remover — follow the 3.4 oz (100 ml) container limit and go in the quart bag.

Full makeup and cosmetics guide →

Do Food Items Count as Liquids?

Some do. Food that is spreadable, pourable, creamy or soupy is screened under the liquids rule: yogurt, peanut butter, hummus, jam, salsa, soup, syrup, soft cheese and dips. Solid food — sandwiches, snacks, fruit, baked goods, hard cheese — is not restricted by the liquids rule, though officers may ask you to remove food from your bag for clearer imaging.

Full food through TSA guide →

Liquid Medication

Labeling isn't federally required, but keeping medication in its original pharmacy packaging makes the conversation faster. We're not a medical or legal authority — for anything unusual, confirm with TSA and your airline before you travel.

Full medication guide →

Baby Formula, Breast Milk & Child-Related Liquids

Formula, breast milk, toddler drinks and baby or toddler food are allowed through the checkpoint in reasonable quantities that exceed 3.4 oz (100 ml), and they don't need to fit in the quart bag. Breast milk is permitted whether or not the child is travelling with you. Ice packs, freezer packs and cooling accessories needed to keep these items cool are also allowed.

Take these items out of your carry-on and tell the officer before screening starts. They are screened separately and may be tested; you can ask for alternative screening methods if you prefer the container not be opened. This is a genuine exception — it does not extend to ordinary toiletries you happen to be carrying for a child.

TSA: travelling with children →

What About Duty-Free Liquids?

Duty-free does not mean unrestricted. Larger duty-free liquids bought abroad can generally continue through a U.S. connection only if they are sealed in a secure, tamper-evident bag with the receipt visible inside and dated within the last 48 hours. If the bag shows signs of tampering, or you open it before your final destination, the liquids are subject to the normal 3.4 oz limit and may be surrendered. Many travelers avoid the risk by packing duty-free purchases in checked baggage where the itinerary allows.

Can Frozen Liquids Go Through TSA?

Frozen items may be screened as solids if they are frozen solid at the moment of screening. That condition is the whole rule: if the item is slushy, partially melted, or there is any liquid pooling in the container, it goes back under the liquids rule and the 3.4 oz limit applies.

Ice packs and gel packs accompanying medically necessary items, breast milk or formula are allowed even if partially melted, provided you declare them.

Can You Bring an Empty Water Bottle?

Yes. An empty reusable bottle of any size can go through screening. Empty it completely before the checkpoint, then refill at a fountain or bottle-filling station past security where one is available. A full bottle will not pass.

Are Liquid Rules Different in Checked Baggage?

The 3.4 oz container limit is a carry-on screening rule and does not apply to checked bags — but checked baggage is not a free-for-all. Separate restrictions apply:

• Aerosols: FAA limits toiletry aerosols to containers of 18 oz (500 ml) or less, with a total of about 70 oz (2 kg / 2 L) per passenger, and caps must be protected.
• Alcohol: drinks over 24% and up to 70% ABV are limited to 5 litres per passenger in retail packaging; over 70% ABV is prohibited.
• Flammable and hazardous liquids: fuels, solvents, spray paint, bleach and similar products are forbidden in either bag.
• Airline rules: individual carriers can impose stricter limits than the federal minimum.

Do These Liquid Rules Apply Internationally?

This page explains U.S. TSA screening. TSA is not a worldwide authority. Many countries apply a comparable 100 ml container standard, but bag requirements, exceptions and enforcement differ, and some airports with newer imaging technology allow larger liquids while others do not. Check the rules published by the security authority for each airport where you'll be screened — including any airport where you re-clear security on the way home.

What About Connecting Flights?

Depending on your itinerary and airport, you may be screened more than once. Arriving international passengers who collect and re-check bags in the U.S. typically pass through security again before the onward flight, and some transfer airports re-screen carry-ons even without leaving the sterile area. Assume the liquid limit applies at every screening point on the trip, and treat any liquid bought before a connection as something that may have to be re-screened.

Carry-On Liquid Packing Checker

Pick the item type and enter the size printed on the container for general guidance on where it belongs.

Common Carry-On Liquid Mistakes

• Checking how much product is left instead of the container's labeled capacity.
• Treating gels, creams and pastes as solids — toothpaste and peanut butter are liquids at the checkpoint.
• Assuming every toiletry follows the same rule; stick deodorant and aerosol deodorant are handled differently.
• Overlooking the exceptions for medically necessary liquids and baby items, then packing them in checked bags unnecessarily.
• Assuming checked baggage has no restrictions — aerosols, alcohol and flammable liquids all have limits.
• Assuming TSA rules apply worldwide at every airport on the itinerary.
• Relying on outdated airport-security posts instead of current official guidance.

Check Your Liquid Before Packing

Frequently Asked Questions