These 5 Items Keep Getting Travelers Stopped at TSA Airport Checkpoints

Travel writer Jillian Dara flies two or three times a month, but even she’s had something taken away at airport security. It was a corkscrew with a small knife hidden inside.

She spoke with former TSA officer Caleb Harmon-Marshall about the things people often bring through checkpoints. He told Travel + Leisure that water bottles were the item he saw most often being taken.

He also remembered plenty of passengers showing up with full-size bottles of lotion and perfume. At Philadelphia International Airport, TSA officer Aisha Hicks said people sometimes forget they have knives and other weapons packed in their bags.

Some of these items are allowed in checked luggage but can’t go through security in a carry-on. TSA has an online list explaining the rules, including a few exceptions people might not know about. Here are the top 5 items that many TSA agents take away daily:

Water Bottles

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Harmon-Marshall said a lot of the water bottles came from passengers catching connecting flights. They had either saved a bottle from their first flight or filled up a reusable one during their layover, only to find themselves going through security again.

Passengers can still bring an empty reusable bottle through the checkpoint. They can also bring a bottle of frozen water, as long as it’s completely frozen when it gets screened.

If any of the ice has melted or there’s slush in the bottle, the regular 3.4-ounce liquids rule applies.

Full-Size Toiletries and Perfumes

Expensive skincare products were another problem Harmon-Marshall remembered. He joked that he could have opened a pop-up store with all the Fenty Skin Care and Bath & Body Works lotions he’d thrown away.

Even an almost-empty bottle of shampoo or perfume can be too big to bring in a carry-on. Under TSA’s 3-1-1 liquids rule, passengers are limited to containers holding 3.4 ounces or less, and they have to fit inside one quart-sized bag.

Peanut butter and hummus fall under that rule, too, since TSA considers them spreads. There are separate exceptions for baby formula, breast milk, and medically necessary liquids, which can be brought in larger amounts.

Pocket Knives and Multi-Tools

A little pocket knife might be useful to have around, but TSA doesn’t allow them in carry-on luggage. The same goes for Swiss Army knives and multi-tools with blades.

There are some exceptions for tools without knives. TSA allows certain multi-tools, including ones with scissors that meet its size requirements. Travelers can still bring pocket knives and other sharp items in checked luggage, as long as they’re safely wrapped or covered.

Corkscrews and Tools

A corkscrew is another item that might cause trouble, depending on what kind you have. TSA allows corkscrews without blades, but ones with a little knife for cutting the foil off a wine bottle aren’t permitted in carry-on bags.

The agency also has a seven-inch rule for certain hand tools. A screwdriver measuring seven inches or less can go in a carry-on, but a longer one needs to be checked. Power tools have to go in checked luggage, too.

Firearms

TSA found 6,678 firearms at airport security checkpoints in 2024, and about 94% of them were loaded. The agency released those numbers in January 2025.

Passengers aren’t allowed to bring guns through security, even if they have a concealed carry permit. Anyone traveling with a firearm must follow the rules for checked baggage, including unloading it, locking it in a hard-sided case, and declaring it to the airline.