The TSA liquids rule, and the things people forget count

Trek Guide TSA's 3-1-1 rule has not changed in 2026. Here is what counts as a liquid, what is exempt, and how the US limit compares with the UK and Canada. By Prakash Tamang · Oct 4, 2026 Read the full story

At a US airport checkpoint, every liquid, gel, cream, paste and aerosol in your carry-on must be in a container of 3.4 ounces (100 ml) or less, and all of them must fit in one quart-sized bag. That is TSA's 3-1-1 rule, and it has not changed in 2026, whatever… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

What the 3-1-1 rule actually says

Three point four ounces per container, one quart-sized bag, and it comes out of your carry-on at screening. TSA's own wording: you may bring a quart-sized bag of liquids, aerosols, gels, creams and pastes, limited to travel-sized containers of 3.4 ounces (100… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

What is exempt from the liquids limit

Medication, and food and drink for babies and toddlers, can go over 3.4 ounces in your carry-on. Both are "medically necessary liquids" in TSA's terms. You must tell the officer at the start of screening and take them out to be screened separately… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Is the TSA liquids rule changing?

No: the 3-1-1 rule on TSA's page reads the same in October 2026 as it has for years. What is changing is the machinery. TSA says its computed tomography (CT) scanners produce such a clear picture that computers can detect explosives, including liquids, and… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

The liquids rule in the US, UK and Canada

All three set the same 100 ml container limit; the differences are the bag and how the exemptions are worded. Australia and the European Union use the same 100 ml principle on international flights, but check your departure airport, as some European and UK… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

What to do at security

Pack the quart bag at home, put it on top of your carry-on, and take it out before you reach the belt. The routine we teach every client who travels carry-on only: Decant: refillable 100 ml bottles for shampoo and lotion. Buy the big sunscreen when you land… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Our verdict

Pack to 3.4 ounces and one quart bag at every US airport, and you will clear the UK and Canada with the same bag. Ignore the posts saying the rule has ended; TSA's own page has not moved. The only things worth fighting for at the belt are the exemptions… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Keep reading

The 100ml rule and one-litre bag at UK airports. What ID TSA accepts, and the $45 fee. Cabin only, and the countries that ban them. What the US, UK and Australia let in. Sources: TSA, "Liquids, Aerosols, and Gels Rule", "What Can I Bring? Food", "What Can I… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

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