TSA liquid rules for families:
what can you bring on the plane?
Under TSA's 3-1-1 rule, carry-on liquids must be 3.4 oz (100 ml) or less per container, in one quart-size bag per passenger. Formula, breast milk, toddler drinks and baby food, including puree pouches, are exempt: bring more than 3.4 oz, tell the officer at the start of screening, and take them out to be screened separately.
By Tots & Trips · Every rule checked on tsa.gov on
International flights may differ. These are TSA's rules for US airport checkpoints. Security abroad, including on your flight home, follows that country's rules.
34 items, every answer from tsa.gov.
Milk, formula & baby food
Drinks
Snacks & food
Ice packs & coolers
Sunscreen & toiletries
Medicine
Strollers, seats & gear
Breast milk: what TSA allows
Carry-on bag
Yes, more than 3.4 oz allowed
TSA lists: “Yes (Special Instructions)”
Checked bag
Yes
TSA lists: “Yes”
“Your child or infant does not need to be present or traveling with you to bring breast milk, formula and/or related supplies.”
At the checkpoint
- Tell the TSA officer at the start of screening that you're carrying breast milk over 3.4 oz.
- Take it out of your carry-on so it's screened separately from your other belongings. It doesn't need to fit in the quart bag.
- TSA recommends, but doesn't require, clear, translucent bottles: milk in plastic bags or pouches may not scan in the bottle scanner and you may be asked to open it.
- If you don't want it X-rayed or opened, tell the officer. You'll go through additional screening instead.
TSA says screening will never include placing anything into the milk.
Rule: Formula, breast milk, toddler drinks and baby/toddler food, including puree pouches, may go over 3.4 oz and don't need to fit in the quart bag. TSA treats them as medically necessary liquids. Sources: TSA: Breast Milk (What Can I Bring?) · TSA: Traveling with Children. Checked October 26, 2026. TSA says the officer at the checkpoint makes the final decision. International flights may differ: these are TSA rules for US checkpoints.
The 3-1-1 rule in one line
TSA's travel checklist puts it as three numbers:
3.4 oz
“3.4 ounces or less per container” (100 ml)
1 quart bag
“1 quart size, clear, plastic, zip top bag (all liquids must fit in bag)”
1 per passenger
“1 bag per passenger”
The Liquids, Aerosols, and Gels Rule covers “liquids, aerosols, gels, creams and pastes”, so diaper cream, sunscreen, yogurt and peanut butter count. Containers larger than 3.4 oz go in checked baggage.
What's exempt for babies and toddlers
From TSA's Traveling with Children page, allowed in carry-ons over 3.4 oz and outside the quart bag:
- › Formula, breast milk, toddler drinks, and baby/toddler food, including puree pouches.
- › Cooling accessories (ice packs, freezer packs, gel packs), whether or not breast milk is present.
- › Liquid-filled teethers.
How to present them
- Tell the TSA officer at the start of screening that you have these items over 3.4 oz.
- Take them out of your carry-on for separate screening. TSA may test the liquids.
- Clear, translucent bottles are recommended. Liquids in plastic bags or pouches may need alternate screening; TSA says screening will not involve placing anything into the liquid.
- If you don't want them X-rayed or opened, say so; you'll get additional screening instead.
- You may ask for private screening at any time.
Your child doesn't need to be traveling with you to bring breast milk and its cooling accessories. Kids' liquid medicine falls under TSA's separate medically necessary exemption: larger amounts in reasonable quantities, declared at the checkpoint.
Strollers, car seats and carriers at the checkpoint
- › Strollers, umbrella strollers, baby carriers, car and booster seats and backpacks must be screened by X-ray.
- › Gear that doesn't fit through the X-ray gets a visual and physical inspection by an officer.
- › Take infants and children out of strollers and car seats and carry them through the walk-through metal detector.
- › You may carry a baby in a sling or carrier through the metal detector, but may get additional screening.
- › Children 12 and under can leave shoes, light jackets and headwear on.
Source: TSA: Traveling with Children. Whether the seat flies in the cabin is a separate question: do we need a car seat on the plane?
Every item, carry-on vs checked
All 34 items in the checker, with the rule that applies and the tsa.gov page it comes from.
Milk, formula & baby food
| Item | Carry-on | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Breast milkKids' exemption (infant & child nourishment) · tsa.gov | Yes, over 3.4 oz | Yes |
| Formula (bottles or powder)Kids' exemption (infant & child nourishment) · tsa.gov | Yes, over 3.4 oz | Yes |
| Juice or toddler drinks for a babyKids' exemption (infant & child nourishment) · tsa.gov | Yes, over 3.4 oz | Yes |
| Water for a baby (bottle or sippy cup)Kids' exemption (infant & child nourishment) · tsa.gov | Yes, over 3.4 oz | Yes |
| Baby food jarsKids' exemption (infant & child nourishment) · tsa.gov | Yes, over 3.4 oz | Yes |
| Puree pouchesKids' exemption (infant & child nourishment) · tsa.gov | Yes, over 3.4 oz | Yes |
| Liquid-filled teetherKids' exemption (infant & child nourishment) · tsa.gov | Yes | Not listed |
| Breast pumpNo limit listed by TSA · tsa.gov | Yes | Yes |
Drinks
Snacks & food
| Item | Carry-on | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Toddler snacks (crackers, puffs, cereal)Solid food: no liquids limit · tsa.gov | Yes | Yes |
| Fresh fruit and veggie sticksSolid food: no liquids limit · tsa.gov | Yes | Yes |
| Cheese sticks and solid cheeseSolid food: no liquids limit · tsa.gov | Yes | Yes |
| Yogurt and yogurt tubes3-1-1 liquids rule · tsa.gov | 3.4 oz max | Yes |
| Peanut butter and spreads3-1-1 liquids rule · tsa.gov | 3.4 oz max | Yes |
Ice packs & coolers
Sunscreen & toiletries
| Item | Carry-on | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Sunscreen (lotion or spray)3-1-1 liquids rule · tsa.gov | 3.4 oz max | Yes |
| Baby wipesNo limit listed by TSA · tsa.gov | Yes | Yes |
| Diaper cream and baby lotion3-1-1 liquids rule · tsa.gov | 3.4 oz max | Yes |
| Baby powderPowder rule (over 12 oz) · tsa.gov | Yes | Yes |
| Hand sanitizer3-1-1 liquids rule · tsa.gov | 3.4 oz max | Yes |
| Kids' toothpaste3-1-1 liquids rule · tsa.gov | 3.4 oz max | Yes |
Medicine
Strollers, seats & gear
| Item | Carry-on | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| StrollerScreened by X-ray · tsa.gov | Yes (X-ray) | Airline's call |
| Car seat or booster seatScreened by X-ray · tsa.gov | Yes (X-ray) | Airline's call |
| Baby carrier or slingScreened by X-ray · tsa.gov | Yes | Yes |
| Gel-filled toys (squishies)3-1-1 liquids rule · tsa.gov | 3.4 oz max | Yes |
| Tablet or kids' iPadScreened by X-ray · tsa.gov | Yes | Yes |
| Power bank or portable chargerLithium battery rule · tsa.gov | Yes | No |
How this checker works
Each item maps to the tsa.gov page that answers it: a “What Can I Bring?” entry where TSA has one (its carry-on and checked labels are shown word for word), otherwise the Traveling with Children, Liquids Rule, Travel Checklist or medications page. The quote in each answer is TSA's own wording. Where TSA is silent, the tool says so instead of guessing: TSA publishes no age cut-off between “Juice for Babies” and “Juices”, doesn't name yogurt or diaper cream, and leaves gate-checking strollers and car seats to the airline.
This is researched general information about what TSA allows through the checkpoint, not medical advice: questions about a medicine itself are for your pediatrician or pharmacist. TSA says the final decision on whether an item is allowed rests with the officer at the checkpoint.
Gear that makes the checkpoint easier
From our family travel gear list, with current prices and ratings.
BAGSMART Clear TSA Quart Toiletry Bag (2-Pack)
Clear quart-size bags for the 3-1-1 bag. TSA's checklist allows one per passenger, so a 2-pack covers two travelers.
18-Piece TSA-Approved Silicone Travel Bottle Set
Decant kids' shampoo and lotion into small bottles. Check each bottle is 3.4 oz (100 ml) or less before it goes in the quart bag.
Thinkbaby SPF 50+ Baby Sunscreen, 3 oz
Best SellerA 3 oz tube sits under TSA's 3.4 oz carry-on limit for sunscreen, so it can ride in the quart bag.
Owala Kids FreeSip Insulated Water Bottle, 16 oz
TSA allows empty water bottles in carry-ons. Go through empty and fill it at a fountain after security.
Munchkin Snack Catcher Toddler Snack Cups, 2 Pack
Best SellerSolid snacks have no liquids limit at TSA. Keep them in one cup near the top of the bag in case an officer asks.
J.L. Childress Gate Check Bag for Single & Double Strollers, Red
Strollers go through the X-ray at the checkpoint; this bag keeps it clean once the airline takes it at the gate.
Prices and ratings are approximate and may vary. As an Amazon Associate, Tots & Trips earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. More in travel gear.
Sources
Last checked: . Every page below was opened and read on tsa.gov.
- TSA: Traveling with Children
- TSA: Liquids, Aerosols, and Gels Rule
- TSA: Travel Checklist
- TSA: Disabilities and Medical Conditions (medications)
- TSA: Freezer packs (What Can I Bring?)
- TSA: Snacks (What Can I Bring?)
- TSA: Baby Powder (What Can I Bring?)
- TSA: Power Banks (What Can I Bring?)
- TSA: Breast Milk (What Can I Bring?)
- TSA: Baby Formula (What Can I Bring?)
- TSA: Juice for Babies (What Can I Bring?)
- TSA: Juices (What Can I Bring?)
- TSA: Water for Babies (What Can I Bring?)
- TSA: Bottled Water (What Can I Bring?)
- TSA: Baby Food (What Can I Bring?)
- TSA: Breast Pump (What Can I Bring?)
- TSA: Empty Water Bottle (What Can I Bring?)
- TSA: Cereal (What Can I Bring?)
- TSA: Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (What Can I Bring?)
- TSA: Cheese (Solid) (What Can I Bring?)
- TSA: Cheese (Creamy) (What Can I Bring?)
- TSA: Yogurt (What Can I Bring?)
- TSA: Peanut Butter (What Can I Bring?)
- TSA: Gel Ice Packs (What Can I Bring?)
- TSA: Ice (What Can I Bring?)
- TSA: Frozen Food (What Can I Bring?)
- TSA: Cooler (empty) (What Can I Bring?)
- TSA: Sunscreen (What Can I Bring?)
- TSA: Baby Wipes (What Can I Bring?)
- TSA: Wet Wipes (What Can I Bring?)
- TSA: Lotion (What Can I Bring?)
- TSA: Hand Sanitizers (What Can I Bring?)
- TSA: Toothpaste (What Can I Bring?)
- TSA: Medications (Liquid) (What Can I Bring?)
- TSA: Inhalers (What Can I Bring?)
- TSA: Medications (Pills) (What Can I Bring?)
- TSA: EpiPens (What Can I Bring?)
- TSA: Baby Carrier (What Can I Bring?)
- TSA: Gel-Filled Toys (What Can I Bring?)
- TSA: Tablets (What Can I Bring?)
TSA liquids with kids: what parents ask
What is the TSA 3-1-1 liquids rule?
Is baby formula exempt from TSA liquid rules?
Can I bring breast milk through TSA without my baby?
Do ice packs have to be frozen to go through TSA?
Can kids bring snacks and juice boxes through airport security?
Do strollers and car seats go through the X-ray at TSA?
Want the whole checkpoint walk-through? TSA airport security with kids, by age, then what to pack for a baby's first flight and the vacation packing list generator.