What Can I Bring on a Plane? The 2026 Item List
By Res-Q Space Editorial · Updated
Most everyday items can go in your cabin bag. The exceptions that catch people out are liquids over the limit at your departure airport, sharp objects, and anything flammable. Solid items are almost never a problem; anything you can pour, squeeze or spread counts as a liquid.
Key facts
- If you can pour it, pump it, squeeze it or spread it, TSA treats it as a liquid and it follows the 3-1-1 rule at US checkpoints.
- Solid stick deodorant is unrestricted in US carry-on; gel, roll-on and aerosol deodorant must meet the 100ml container limit.
- Since 8 July 2025, passengers at US domestic checkpoints may keep shoes on; officers can still require removal if an alarm triggers.
- At standard US lanes, large electronics come out of the bag; at CT scanner lanes they can stay in — but you will not know which lane you get until you are in it.
- The liquid container limit depends on your departure airport: 100ml in the US and most of the world; up to 2 litres at Heathrow, Gatwick and several other UK airports.
What can you bring on a plane?
The useful rule security officers apply: if you can pour it, pump it, squeeze it or spread it, it is a liquid and it follows the liquid rules. If it is solid, it is fine unless it is sharp or flammable.
The item list
| Item | Cabin bag | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Solid stick deodorant | Yes, unrestricted | Not treated as a liquid |
| Gel, roll-on or spray deodorant | Yes, within the liquid limit | All three count as liquids |
| Toothpaste, creams, lotions | Within the liquid limit | Pastes count |
| Peanut butter, hummus, jam, yoghurt | Within the liquid limit | Spreadable food is a liquid |
| Powder cosmetics (blush, pressed powder) | Yes, unrestricted (US) | Not liquid-restricted |
| Liquid foundation, mascara | Within the liquid limit | Cream and liquid makeup counts |
| Laptop, tablet | Yes | Must come out at non-CT lanes |
| Aerosols (dry shampoo, hairspray) | Within the liquid limit | Flammable sprays banned from both bags |
| Frozen food or gel packs | Yes if frozen solid | Slushy or partly melted = liquid |
| Medication (liquid) | Yes, above the limit | Declare at the checkpoint |
| Baby formula, breast milk | Yes, above the limit | Declare it; child need not be present |
| Firearms, explosives, sharp weapons | No | Prohibited in cabin baggage |
The three rules that changed
Shoes stay on. The requirement to remove shoes at US checkpoints ended on 8 July 2025. It applies to everyone, at every age, in standard lanes. Officers can still ask you to remove them if an alarm triggers or for enhanced screening.
Laptops still come out at standard lanes. Shoes changed; laptops did not. At standard lanes, large electronics come out of the bag and go in a separate tray. At lanes with CT scanners, they can stay in. You will not know which lane you get until you are in it.
The liquid limit now depends on your airport. Every US checkpoint enforces 100ml per container. Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Bristol have raised it to 2 litres. Most of the world is still on 100ml. See our carry-on liquid rules guide for the full airport-by-airport breakdown.
What happens if security finds something prohibited?
For an ordinary mistake — an oversized bottle, a forgotten multitool — you are given a choice: surrender the item, or leave the checkpoint and put it in a checked bag if you still have time and a bag to check. There is no fine and no record for an honest error. If you have no checked bag and no time, the item is gone.
Weapons and genuinely dangerous items are handled by law enforcement, not by a bin.
If a child is travelling without an adult escort, the rules change by airline — read unaccompanied minor ages, fees and routing limits.
Frequently asked questions
Can I bring food through airport security?
Solid food clears security. Foods that are liquids, gels or aerosols — spreads, dips, yoghurt, soup — must meet the liquid container limit at your departure airport.
Do I still have to take my shoes off at security?
Not at US domestic checkpoints since 8 July 2025. Officers can still require shoe removal if the scanner alarms or for additional screening.
Is deodorant a liquid on a plane?
Solid stick deodorant is not restricted. Gel, roll-on and aerosol forms count as liquids and must meet the container limit at your departure airport.
Fly prepared — on your phone
Offline airport guides and boarding-pass checklists — free on the App Store and Google Play.
Sources
- TSA — Liquids, Aerosols, and Gels Rule — verified
- TSA — Frequently Asked Questions — verified
- TSA — Deodorant (solid) — verified
- TSA — Deodorant (liquid) — verified
- TSA — DHS ends shoes-off policy — verified
- TSA — CT scanners at Newark — verified
- Heathrow — Security and baggage — verified
Rules change. Confirm with your airline or the airport before you travel.