All airline passengers must carry a government issued identification card at all times. To get through checkpoints, the ID must include name, date of birth, gender and expiration date. The identification must have a tamper-proof seal of some kind. Acceptable identification cards include a driver's license or state photo ID, passport, permanent resident card, Native American Tribal ID or other TSA-issued card. Passengers without a recognized ID card may be refused admittance to a plane or terminal.
All luggage is subject to electronic and hand searches before it is put on the airplane. If luggage is locked, the TSA may cut open the lock to look inside the bag. Special locks can be purchased that can be opened by TSA officers. Luggage stores and airport kiosks sell the TSA-approved locks. The package is typically marked with a torch or 3-D rectangle and provides travelers with information about how to set the locks so they can be opened during inspection.
The 3-1-1 requirement is a strictly enforced rule. Passengers may only carry liquids, including drinks, shampoo and mouthwash, in a 3.4-ounce container. These containers must be in a clear plastic bag no larger than one quart and only one bag per passenger is allowed. Medications and baby food or formula are allowed in larger amounts and do not fall under the 3-1-1 rule.
There is a long list of items that are prohibited from being carried on to an airplane. These include sharp objects such as box cutters, knives, ice picks and razor blades not in a razor. Many of these items can be sent though in checked luggage if sheathed. Sporting goods that could be used as weapons, such as golf clubs, baseball bats, hockey sticks and ski poles, are not allowed to be carried on to a plane, but must be checked. Guns and ammunition cannot be carried on, while most weapons can be sent in checked luggage, with the exception of flamethrowers and gunpowder.
Carry-on laptops must be sent through the x-ray machines for TSA officers to be able to inspect the interiors of the computers. The x-rays cannot see through to all the intricate components of the machine without taking it out of the laptop bag. While new designs are being manufactured that will allow airport screening of laptops through the bags, most computers will need to come out of the bag in order to pass through the inspection.
