TSA Liquid Limit 2026: How Many Ounces Can You Carry On

The TSA liquid limit is 3.4 fluid ounces (100 ml) per container in your carry-on. Every container goes into one clear, quart-sized bag, one bag per person. There’s no total-ounce cap beyond what fits in that bag. Checked bags have no TSA container limit, though the FAA caps toiletry aerosols at 68 fl oz per person.

That’s the whole rule in numbers. The rest of this page is the fine print that gets bottles thrown away: fluid ounces versus the weight printed on a jar, how much a quart bag holds in practice, and the handful of liquids that are allowed over 3.4 oz.

TL;DR: What Are the TSA Liquid Rules in 2026?

TSA classifies anything you can pour, pump, squeeze, or spread as a liquid This covers more than obvious liquids like water and perfume. Gels (hair gel, lip gloss), aerosols (hairspray, dry shampoo, spray deodorant), creams and lotions, pastes (toothpaste, face masks), and spreadable foods (peanut butter, hummus, jam, yogurt) all count. If it triggers an alarm at screening, it gets pulled for inspection.

The 3-1-1 rule is still the federal standard in 2026 Every liquid, gel, aerosol, cream, or paste in a carry-on must be in a container of 3.4 ounces (100 ml) or less. All containers must fit in one quart-sized, clear, zip-top bag, with a limit of one bag per passenger. Anything larger goes in checked luggage. TSA judges the container size, not how much product is left inside.

Solid toiletries are exempt from the liquid rules entirely Shampoo bars, conditioner bars, bar soap, solid deodorant sticks, solid sunscreen sticks, and toothpaste tablets are not classified as liquids. They carry no size limit and do not need to go in the quart bag, which frees that limited space for the liquids you actually need.

Medical, baby, and frozen liquids are exempt, and the 2026 checkpoint experience has changed Prescription liquids, breast milk and formula, and any liquid frozen solid at screening can exceed 3.4 oz but must be declared. Separately: over 90% of major U.S. hubs now use 3D CT scanners, so you can leave the quart bag inside your carry-on; REAL ID is enforced (a non-compliant ID can mean a fee and delays); and shoes stay on at most checkpoints as of 2026.

If you want the plain-English walkthrough of the 3-1-1 rule, REAL ID, and the shoe policy, we cover that in our TSA liquid rules for 2026 guide.

The TSA liquid limits at a glance in 2026

What you’re packing	Limit	Where it applies
Any liquid, gel, aerosol, cream or paste	3.4 fl oz (100 ml) per container	Carry-on
Liquids bag	1 clear quart-sized bag (about 32 fl oz nominal)	Carry-on
Liquids bags per person	1	Carry-on
Powders (dry shampoo powder, baby powder, protein)	Over 12 oz (350 ml) may need separate screening	Carry-on
Medication, formula, breast milk	“Reasonable quantities,” declare at screening	Carry-on
Toiletry and medicinal aerosols	18 oz (500 ml) per container, 70 oz (2 L / 68 fl oz) total per person	Checked (FAA)
Alcohol, 24% to 70% ABV	5 L (1.3 gal) per person, unopened retail packaging	Checked (FAA)
Alcohol over 70% ABV (140 proof)	Not allowed	Anywhere
Solid toiletries (shampoo bars, bar soap, stick deodorant)	No limit	Carry-on and checked

Sources: TSA Liquids, Aerosols and Gels Rule, FAA PackSafe: Medicinal and Toiletry Articles, FAA PackSafe: Alcoholic Beverages.

How many ounces can you bring in a carry-on?

Per container: 3.4 fl oz. In total: whatever fits in one quart bag with the zipper closed.

People search “how many ounces in a carry-on” expecting a single total. TSA doesn’t set one. Officers check two things: the capacity printed on each container, and whether your bag seals. Nobody at the checkpoint adds up your bottles.

A US quart is 32 fl oz, so on paper you could fit nine full 3.4 oz bottles. You won’t. Round bottles leave dead space, pumps and flip caps stick up, and the bag has to close flat. Most travel kits top out well under the nominal 32 oz. If your bag bulges and the seal won’t meet, you’ll be asked to remove something.

3.4 oz vs 3 oz vs 100 ml

These three numbers get mixed up constantly. Side by side:

Container size	In ml	TSA carry-on?
1 fl oz	30 ml	Yes
2 fl oz	59 ml	Yes
3 fl oz	89 ml	Yes
3.4 fl oz	100 ml	Yes (this is the limit)
4 fl oz	118 ml	No, even if half empty
6 fl oz	177 ml	No

100 ml is 3.38 fl oz. TSA rounds it up to 3.4. Most “travel size” bottles sold in the US are 3 oz, which leaves you a little headroom.

The half-empty trap is the one that stings. A 6 oz bottle with an ounce of shampoo left inside still fails, because TSA judges the container’s capacity, not what’s in it. Decant into a 3.4 oz bottle or leave it home.

Fluid ounces vs the ounces on the label

Most guides skip this one. The TSA liquid limit is a volume limit: fluid ounces. Plenty of products print net weight ounces on the label instead (peanut butter, lotion jars, toothpaste tubes).

The two aren’t the same number. A dense cream can weigh more ounces than the fluid ounces it takes up, and vice versa. In practice, officers read what’s printed. If the label says more than 3.4 oz or more than 100 ml, in either unit, expect it to get pulled. Don’t count on arguing unit conversions at 6 a.m.

Solids flip this around. A shampoo bar might weigh several ounces, and it doesn’t matter, because solids aren’t under the liquid limit at all.

Do you still have to put liquids in a plastic bag in 2026?

Yes. The quart bag is still required at every US checkpoint in 2026. What changed is whether you have to take it out.

TSA has been rolling out computed tomography (CT) scanners, which build a 3D image of your bag. Afar reported 255 airports had CT units as of July 2025. At a CT lane, you can usually leave the liquids bag inside your carry-on. Many lanes, including some at big hubs, still use older X-ray machines, and there you pull it out. Follow the signs at your lane.

A CT scanner doesn’t raise the limit. Your bottles still have to be 3.4 oz or smaller, and they still go in the bag. A 12 oz bottle of shampoo is a 12 oz bottle of shampoo whatever machine it rides through.

TSA asks for a clear, quart-sized bag that closes, not a disposable one. Reusable pouches work if they stay close to quart size. We compare the materials in our plastic-free carry-on toiletry kit guide.

How much liquid can you pack in checked luggage?

TSA puts no 3.4 oz limit on checked bags. You can pack a full-size bottle of conditioner or a litre of olive oil. The numbers that do apply come from the FAA, and they’re more specific than most people expect:

• Toiletry and medicinal aerosols (hairspray, spray deodorant, shaving foam, spray sunscreen): each container up to 18 oz (500 ml / 17 fl oz), and no more than 70 oz (2 L / 68 fl oz) in total per person. That total covers everything in this category in both your bags combined. (FAA)
• Alcohol under 24% ABV (beer, most wine): no FAA quantity limit. Your airline’s weight allowance is the ceiling.
• Alcohol from 24% to 70% ABV (most spirits): 5 L (1.3 gallons) per person, in unopened retail packaging. (FAA)
• Alcohol over 70% ABV (grain alcohol, 151-proof rum): banned in carry-on and checked bags.
• Flammable and corrosive liquids (lighter fluid, paint thinner, bleach, spray paint): banned in both.

Then there’s weight. Most US airlines cap standard checked bags at 50 lb (23 kg) in economy. Liquids are heavy, and a few full-size bottles add up fast.

One carry-on note on alcohol: every mini bottle still follows the 3.4 oz rule and goes in your quart bag, whatever the ABV.

Liquids you can bring over 3.4 oz

A short list of liquids gets past the carry-on limit. These exceptions apply at every TSA checkpoint, not only at airports with CT scanners (some articles, including an earlier version of this one, got that wrong).

• Medically necessary liquids: prescription and over-the-counter liquid medication, contact lens solution, saline, gel packs for medical use. Tell the officer at the start of screening. They stay out of your quart bag.
• Formula, breast milk, and baby food: allowed in “reasonable quantities.” You don’t need the child with you to carry breast milk.
• Frozen liquids: fine if frozen solid when screened. Any slush or meltwater at the bottom and the container falls back under the 3.4 oz rule.
• Duty-free liquids on international connections: over 3.4 oz is allowed if the retailer sealed them in a tamper-evident bag, you have the receipt, and they were bought within 48 hours. If the seal is broken, the normal limit applies.

“Reasonable quantities” isn’t a number, and TSA doesn’t publish one. Pack what the trip needs, plus a small buffer, and expect extra screening on anything large.

For how declaring works at the checkpoint, see the exceptions section of our 3-1-1 rule guide.

Food by the ounce: the spread test

If you can spread it, TSA treats it as a liquid, and it has to fit the 3.4 oz rule. That covers:

• Nut butters: peanut butter, almond butter, Nutella
• Dips: hummus, guacamole, salsa, cream cheese
• Sweeteners: honey, maple syrup, agave
• Dairy: yogurt, pudding, soft cheeses like Brie
• Soup: any canned or jarred soup

The workaround is the sandwich. Peanut butter spread on bread is a solid food item, at any quantity. The same peanut butter in a 16 oz jar gets binned.

What is the most confiscated item at airports?

TSA doesn’t publish a ranked list of confiscated items. Its yearly “most unusual finds” lists cover oddities like replica weapons, not the everyday stuff. Day to day, what travelers hand over at checkpoints is mostly ordinary: water bottles they forgot to empty, full-size toiletries, and jars of spreadable food.

Some liquids hide in objects:

• Snow globes: allowed in your quart bag only if the globe is about tennis-ball size or smaller (roughly 3.4 oz of liquid). Bigger ones go in checked luggage.
• Magic 8 Balls: the liquid inside puts them over the limit, so they get flagged.
• Gel-filled candles: follow the liquid rule.

The fix for most confiscations is dull: check container sizes the night before, not in the security line.

Flying abroad? The US limit hasn’t moved

Some UK and EU airports with newer scanners now let passengers carry containers up to 2 litres. Others went back to 100 ml after problems with scanner approvals, and the rule has changed more than once since 2024 (TNT Magazine tracks the airport-by-airport mess). The US hasn’t followed. It’s 3.4 oz at every TSA checkpoint in 2026.

This matters on the way home. You can leave London or Amsterdam with a full-size bottle in your carry-on, land in the US, and then have to re-clear TSA security for a domestic connection. At that checkpoint, the full-size bottle fails. Move it to your checked bag before the connecting flight, or buy travel sizes before you fly back.

How To Fit More in Your Quart Bag

The easiest way to beat a liquid limit is to carry fewer liquids. Every solid you swap in frees a slot in the bag for something that only comes as a liquid, like contact solution or a serum.

Swaps with no size limit:

• A shampoo bar: One Tangie bar gives 50+ washes and replaces 3 to 5 plastic bottles.
• A conditioner bar – Shampoo + Conditioner is ideal for your hair.
• Body wash and hand soap: bar soap can fly in your carry-on with no size or quantity limit.
• Shaving cream: A zero-waste shave soap bar replaces an aerosol can.
• Toothpaste: toothpaste tablets.
• Deodorant: a solid stick instead of a spray or gel.

We make our shampoo and conditioner bars plastic-free, vegan, and Leaping Bunny certified, wrapped in compostable paper. At the checkpoint, none of that matters. What matters is that they’re solid, so they skip the liquids bag entirely. If a bar gets wet on the trip, let it dry on a towel before packing it so it doesn’t go soft in your bag.

Swap shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, and that’s three of the biggest bottles in most kits out of your quart bag.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 3.4 oz the same as 100 ml? Close enough for TSA. 100 ml is 3.38 fl oz, and TSA lists the limit as 3.4 oz (100 ml).

Can I bring two quart bags if I’m traveling with my partner? Each passenger gets one. Two travelers, two bags. You can’t carry both in your own carry-on and count them as yours.

Is there a limit on how many 3.4 oz bottles I can bring? Only the bag. As many as fit with the bag sealed.

Does a 3.4 oz bottle still count if it’s in my personal item, not my carry-on? Yes. Your personal item goes through the same screening. Everything liquid in either bag goes in the one quart bag.

Are full-size bottles OK if I have TSA PreCheck? No. PreCheck changes the screening steps, not the 3.4 oz limit.